Case Studies

Traditional power grids transmit electricity from a central power plant over transmission lines to substations, from which power is distributed to consumers. This one-way flow lacks real-time monitoring and is not optimised with over 6% of the energy generated lost during transmission. These grids also struggle to integrate the...

Europe aims to generate at least 32 % of energy from renewables by 2030 but traditional power networks find it difficult to incorporate these sources of energy which can be variable and bi-directional. This can produce harmonics that distort the AC current already flowing through the grid which compromises the power quality and...

The increased use of renewables is problematic for electrical networks as these sources of energy can cause harmonics, where the alternating current (AC) is distorted, leading to outages or degraded power quality. To address this, smart grids are being developed which can help stabilise a network by monitoring it in real-time a...

Accidental releases of natural gas from leaky plant equipment wastes resources and contributes to global warming, as its main constituent, methane is a greenhouse gas. Although less persistent in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide, methane has much greater heat-trapping effects. The oil and gas sector is a significant source o...

Monitoring the long-term strength of large structures used in the nuclear power industry is essential to safeguard the environment from radioactive contamination. Dykes formed of natural materials such as gravel, clay, or sandy soil provide the constraining banks of major rivers supplying water cooling to nuclear power plant. T...

The stability of snow cover in mountain regions is highly dependent on the weather – local conditions, for example, will influence the occurrence of avalanches, or river flooding due to an increase in meltwater production. To estimate the risk, networks of weather stations are used to gather the data needed to help forecast the...