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Led by Professor Andrews, a computational method for real time mission planning, based on Binary Decision Diagrams (BDD), was developed in the Mathematical Sciences Department at Loughborough University (LU) from 1993-2003. This is fast and accurate and can be used to support decision-making on system utilisation in real-time operation, which has led to the ability to diagnose in flight faults for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) applications.
The research has changed the understanding and awareness of the advantages of BDD, resulting in integration into major industrial trials and proprietary software products, including at BAE Systems, one of the world's largest companies in an area of vital importance to UK security and economic development. The methodology has attracted significant research funding in collaborative programmes with industry.
Practical Waveform Engineering, developed at Cardiff, is having a major impact on how modern- day microwave power amplifiers are designed, delivering real competitive advantages for global communications companies such as Nokia-Siemens-Networks and M/A-COM.
Economic impact is through reduced time-to-market and lower design costs, leading to high- performance power amplifier products. Examples include $40M revenue and employment of additional staff for M/A-Com, and the successful spin-off company Mesuro Ltd., generating revenue in excess of £2.5M.
Impact on practice is through successful demonstration of new device technologies and amplifier architectures, the introduction of PWE-based CAD models, and most significantly, the introduction of the "Cardiff Model" into mainstream simulation tools.
Environmental Impact is by improving the efficiency of power amplifiers and significantly reducing the carbon contribution of mobile communications systems, translating into savings of approximately £2.5M/year and a 17 kiloton reduction in CO2 emission for a typical EU network.
Automotive design analysis software based on qualitative reasoning research in the Advanced Reasoning Group at Aberystwyth is deployed at more than 200 automotive and aeronautic OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers world-wide. The software necessitates companies changing their process for performing design analysis, and companies are willing to do this because of the attendant benefits.
The major benefits of use of the software are early feedback on potential problems with the design of automotive systems, and improved safety of automotive designs. Related benefits are improved product time to market, and cost savings. A representative example of production savings of $2.5 million has been given for use of the software on a single product design, as well as Ford Motor Company's estimate of $20M per year saved in just their company.
Loughborough University's (LU) interdisciplinary model based systems engineering (MBSE) research (2001-2010) has directly enabled life-saving operations by i) Developing synthetic vision systems to improve the safety of emergency services helicopter operations involving low level flight during day, night, all weather and conditions of zero visibility, and ii) Saving lives through a reduction in morbidity and mortality of babies born with congenital heart defects.
The impact translates directly into significant cost savings and safety risk reductions in expensive flight trials costing millions of pounds by BAE Systems [5.1], and in supporting clinical practice/surgical interventions by University Hospital of Rennes [5.2] with a reduction in the morbidity and mortality of babies born with congenital heart defects in Brittany, France.
Collaborations funded through EPSRC Interact and RCUK UK-China Science Bridge resulted in QUB's advanced control research having important economic and environmental impact in China, Pakistan, Vietnam. This includes the creation of new core modules for the Shanghai Automation Instrumentation Co (SAIC) SUPMAX Distributed Control System series of products now in use for whole plant monitoring and control to maximise energy efficiency and reduce pollutant emissions. These products have since 2008 increased SAIC's revenue by over $50M p.a. Related networked monitoring technologies have been successfully deployed in Baosteel's hot-rolling production lines and in the Nantong Water Treatment Company that treats 20,000 tonnes of industrial waste water daily.
Mobile technologies and in particular mobile applications have become key drivers of the economy in many countries especially those that lack established communications infrastructures. Since 2003, the research team led by Professor Al-Begain has created both significant infrastructure and know-how that became the base for the creation of the £6.4million Centre of Excellence in Mobile Applications and Services (CEMAS) that is providing research and development to SMEs in Wales to increase their competitiveness. In the first three years since its inception 28 projects have been completed and 66 companies have received services.
Innovative research at Strathclyde University, embodied in its spinout Diagnostic Monitoring Systems (DMS) Ltd, has enabled the Glasgow-based company to become the premier supplier of ultra-high frequency (UHF) systems for detecting harmful partial discharge (PD) activity in high-value gas insulated substations and power transformers. Annual sales rose from £6.7M in 2008 to £11M in 2012, and its staff doubled to 56 employees. DMS' equipment is utilised in 27 countries, with total exports over 2008 - 2013 exceeding £45M. A sustained partnership with Strathclyde has yielded new sensor technologies and secured mainstream international recognition for UHF PD detection techniques, which are being incorporated within a new IEC standard. Economic value of Strathclyde's UHF technology was further emphasised in 2009 when DMS was acquired by Qualitrol, part of the US $46B Danaher Corp that owns numerous global engineering brands including Tektronix, Fluke, Leica Microsystems and Gilbarco Veeder-Root.
Work by the University of Southampton's Aerodynamics and Flight Mechanics research group (AFM) has led to advances in the field of Computational Fluid Dynamics, a key element of the accurate and cost-effective modelling of airflow and turbulence. New techniques have been incorporated in commercial software releases (e.g. CD-adapco's Star-CD v4) and adopted by leading design and engineering firms (e.g Arup, Buro Happold), giving UK businesses a significant edge over their international competitors. Specifically,
The techniques have been increasingly influencing the design of wind-sensitive structures by facilitating the faster, cheaper and more precise prediction of factors such as peak wind loading and pollutant dispersion.
The power systems laboratory at the University of Aberdeen has developed new converter topologies that have applications in connecting MW size DC power sources with DC transmission/distribution grids. These converters resolve very challenging questions of fault isolation on high-power DC networks. Scottish Enterprise funded a proof of concept project which developed a prototype, and confirmed the feasibility for various applications with interconnecting renewable power sources. Impact from the research is ongoing. Initial impact has been on public policy and services, where policy debate has been informed by our research evidence; and where decisions, regulations or guidelines have been informed by our research. Impact has also been generated for practitioners and professional services, where both a professional body and a company have used research findings in the conduct of their work, their practices have changed, and new or improved processes have been adopted as a direct result of research findings.
The technology has attracted the attention of George Adamowitsch, European Coordinator for the working group for offshore and onshore grid development. He has described the Aberdeen research in his annual report to EU parliament in 2010, and the lead academic, Professor Dragan Jovcic, now sits on the Working Group for onshore/offshore grid development, developing plans for the European DC supergrid. In addition, this research has contributed to Working Group B4.52 of the International Council on Large Electric Systems (CIGRE), and their major technical brochure "HVDC Grid Feasibility study". Finally, the research has been analysed by the French power company RTE (Réseau de Transport d'Electricité). As a result of the research findings the company has adapted their approach to the planning of major offshore wind farm developments, resulting in a re-definition of the company research and development strategy.
Pioneering research at Bangor on the advanced communications technology termed Optical Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OOFDM) has enabled industrial impact with global implications. OOFDM was a candidate technique for the ITU-T G989.1 NG-PON2 and the IEEE 802.3bm standards and is currently under consideration by the IEEE 802.3 400Gb/s Ethernet Study Group. Supported by 8 patent families and first-phase funding of £1.1M, in 2013, the pre-revenue Bangor University spin-off company Smarterlight Limited, was established. Smarterlight has deployed services to several international telecommunications companies to develop advanced solutions for access optical networks and data centres.