The coordinator ensured proper coordination between Partners to reach the project’s goals and smooth communication with the European Commission, making sure that all reports were prepared and submitted on time.
Results of the project were disseminated through press releases, social media posts, online workshops, presentations in technical conferences and fairs, and scientific articles. Key exploitation results (KERs) were identified, and associated exploitation plans built. An individual business plan was built for every partner. Some technologies developed in HYDROPTICS were patented or led to new products.
Regulatory and standardization aspects during the project’s lifetime were addressed. The Conformité Européenne (CE) marking was identified as crucial to bring a product to the market in any European country and Turkey. Relevant EU directives and harmonized standards to comply with to obtain the CE mark were identified. A standardization strategy was also built.
The technical specifications and measurement methodologies of each module were first defined, ensuring smooth integration and proper performances.
The processes taking place in oil and water separation plants were simulated by digital twinning and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) approaches. A macro-scale simulation model of the entire plant was created, allowing process optimization.
The individual modules (dual DFB-QCL spectrometer, dual frequency-comb spectrometer, particle measurement sensor, liquid handling module) were designed according to specifications, fabricated, validated through laboratory experiments, and integrated into the HYDROPTICS platform. Their performances for oil-in-water and particles content measurements were assessed in laboratory mode.
The HYDROPTICS platform was tested in two pilot field tests, giving precious indications on its performances for measuring oil-in-water and particles content in real-life conditions, and on aspects to be further optimized.
Key innovations developed during the HYDROPTICS project relate to:
- Dual-DFB spectroscopy, which performances could be improved, and for which the results obtained in HYDROPTICS were presented in several technical conferences.
- Integration of QCL sources on photonic integrated circuits (PICs), with a first demonstration of a PIC-based dual-DFB beam combiner, and for which a scientific paper has been submitted.
- A hyperspectral imaging-based particle sensor able to discriminate particles according to their size and composition, and that was presented in several technical conferences.
- Performance improvements in dual frequency-comb spectrometry, that were presented in several technical conferences and introduced in a new product.
- Liquid-liquid separation technology, with the development and patenting of a new, compact, and efficient centrifugal liquid-liquid separator, that was presented in several technical conferences and fairs.
