Project description
A compact, robust and cost-effective alternative for methane detection
Fugitive methane emissions from fossil fuels make up 20 % of total methane emissions. They often arise from leaks in old or decommissioned wells and pipelines. These emissions are mostly self-reported by fossil fuel companies but surveys indicate that actual leaks could be much higher. Current gas analysers for methane use mid-infrared laser technology, which is complex, fragile and expensive. The EIC-funded WILLOWISP project will introduce an innovative lightweight, ultraportable gas analyser. Researchers will shrink the bulky 1 m2 spectroscopy system to just 5x5 cm2. The system is expected to demonstrate the same or better performance and operate on drones or other tough environments. Its shock-resistant, simple and compact design should greatly help decrease costs, opening up the opportunity for a spin-out company.
Objective
Fugitive methane emissions (FME) from fossil fuels account for 20% of total methane emissions. Fugitive emissions are the result of loss of well and pipeline integrity, particularly in aging or decommissioned infrastructure. Emissions are largely self-reported by fossil fuel companies, and one survey indicated leaks from approximately 47% of active wells in the area indicating that actual methane emissions may be much higher than that reported by industry or estimated by government. Gas Analysers based on the current mid infrared (mid IR) Laser Absorption Spectroscopy technology are still complex, delicate and expensive, which limits their potential for deployment.
WILLOWISP will combine four recent breakthroughs to make an ultraportable gas analyser for methane, which will be lightweight, streamlined and fully self-contained comprising the laser, photothermal transducer, gas management and electronics. We will reduce a spectroscopy system that currently occupies 1m2 on an optical bench to a 5cmx5cm footprint, with the same and potentially better performance relative to the benchtop system. The system will be capable of operating in environments that are challenging to traditional spectroscopy systems such as small unmanned aerial vehicles.
WILLOWISP will realise a separate transducer chip and excitation chip that are indirectly coupled via the photothermal effect in the analyte, No optical elements (lenses, mirrors, fibres etc) are required to couple the two chips. As a result, our gas analyser will have very high vibration and shock resistance. The two photonic chips can be assembled with standard electronics industry high throughput pick-and-place assembly tools. This simplicity and compactness translate into significantly reduced costs, by at least two orders of magnitude, creating a great opportunity for a spin-out company.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- engineering and technology electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering electronic engineering sensors
- natural sciences chemical sciences organic chemistry aliphatic compounds
- engineering and technology environmental engineering energy and fuels
- natural sciences physical sciences optics laser physics
- natural sciences physical sciences optics spectroscopy
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Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.3.1 - The European Innovation Council (EIC)
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
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Call for proposal
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-EIC-2024-TRANSITION-01
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
T12 P928 Cork
Ireland
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