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University of Bath Sensor research at Bath
The University of Bath has a number of different strands of sensing research taking place, with a multidisciplinary approach to research involving expertise from departments across the institution. The University also has a strong Biosensor Network, drawing on the expertise of over fifty different researchers with applications in the medical, environmental and security sectors. The following research expertise might be of interest to your organisation.
If you would like further information or to discuss how your organisation might work with the University please contact us using the details overleaf.
Sensor research at Bath Here is a small taste of a few of the sensor research projects currently being undertaken at Bath: Identifying tiny pollutants with a big environmental impact Researchers at the University are currently developing nano-sized chemical sensors with the aim of picking out extremely low levels of dangerous compounds in the environment. These low levels are very difficult to detect, but have the potential of inflicting a large impact on human life. Currently, testing for these compounds requires specialist equipment, making it a slow and expensive process. By developing small, cheap sensors this research aims to make detection instant, allowing a quick reaction. The group is developing junction sensors - two electrodes with a nano sized gap between them which set off chemical reactions when particles pass through the gap - giving off signals which alert researchers to the presence of pollutants such as pharmaceuticals or pesticides. These technologies could allow researchers to detect minute quantities of dangerous compounds in the environment allowing those monitoring contaminants, such as water boards, factories and the Environment Agency, to do so at lower cost and with greater opportunity for timely intervention.
Creating sensitive synthetic skins using graphene Research at Bath is exploring the use of graphenesilicone composites to make flexible sensors that mimic the sense of touch. The composites are made by inserting chemically functionalised graphite into flexible silicone rubber. The resulting material maintains its flexible properties and conducts electricity. However, unlike conventional conductors, the composite has active electrical properties that enable it to sustain spontaneous voltage oscillations. If pressure is applied to this flexible material, the frequency of oscillations will increase, allowing pressure to be sensed.
This allows the research team to create a skin that has the ability to feel like human skin. Until now, active electronic materials with similar properties have been based on sophisticated quantum systems which operate at low temperatures and stand on rigid substrates. In comparison, graphite-silicone polymer composites are flexible, cheap, and work close to ambient temperature making their use easier to implement. While this technology has clear applications in robotics and in medicine, the researchers are also working with the aerospace industry to create sensitive skins for aircraft wings. These would allow detecting and suppressing tiny spots of resistance to airflow on the wing and ultimately reducing fuel consumption.
Embedded sensors allow self-healing in composites Researchers at Bath have embedded metallic wires into composite materials with self-healing capabilities used for aircraft parts, helicopter blades, engines and wind turbines, to allow live-sensing to locate any damage. The metallic wires register impact to the composite material by changes caused to their resistance. Therefore if an object hits the material, the wires within it flex, causing their resistance to change and signalling damage. The researchers can also send an electric current through the wires, causing them to heat up, and then use a thermal camera to view the resulting heat waves. By locating any concentrations of heat the researchers can determine areas that have been damaged. By incorporating self-healing properties in the composite material, the scientists are able to transfer heat through the wires to the damaged area, activating the self-healing materials to repair cracks or areas where the material has begun to yield. For further information or to discuss how your organisation might work with the University please email:
[email protected]
www.bath.ac.uk The University of Bath is one of the UK’s leading research intensive universities with an international reputation for academic excellence. The University is The Sunday Times ‘University of the Year 2011/12’, and recently won the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for its research.
