Reference number : GC-2017-Q4-01825, amendment number : , agreement type : G, recipient legal name : van Veggel, Frank (University of Victoria), recipient country : CA, recipient province : nan, recipient city : British Columbia|Colombie-Britannique, recipient postal code : nan, program name english : Engage Grants for universities, program name french : Subventions d'engagement partenarial pour les universités, program purpose english : Syscor co. has embarked on an ambitious R&D programme to develop sensor systems to monitor early stage_x000D_
leaks of pipelines for the transport of (crude) oil and natural gas. Early detection allows for timely intervention,_x000D_
so that remediation is easy and cheap. Syscor's technology is based on the Polymer Absorption Sensor (PAS)_x000D_
and they have shown proof-of-principle and have a patent on the technology. The PAS is a sensor where, upon_x000D_
sorption of specific chemicals, there is a physical change in sensor, i.e. the polymer swells because of uptake of_x000D_
a volatile hydrocarbon, resulting in corresponding change in sensor resistivity. A PAS is generally comprised of_x000D_
a base elastomeric polymer film, which selectively adsorb target hydrocarbons, and a distribution of conductive_x000D_
particles (e.g. one or more metallic or carbon-based particles) to enhance the response changes in the resistance_x000D_
of the polymer film. However, for commercial viability there remain some outstanding issues, such as_x000D_
sensitivity, reversibility, cross-sensitivity and fabrication reproducibility. The sensitivity has to be increased,_x000D_
especially for the least volatile compounds, so that leaks can be detected at the earliest possible time. The_x000D_
reversibility of the sensors has to be improved because baseline drift makes the data processing unnecessarily_x000D_
complicated and over time potentially unreliable, but more importantly diminishes the earliest possible_x000D_
detection. Cross-sensitivity of a sensor refers to PAS response to a confounding environmental condition (e.g._x000D_
time-varying fluctuations in temperature and /or water saturation), which interferes with reliable measurements._x000D_
The cross-sensitivity of PASs has to be mitigated for acquiring readily interpretable data. Reproducibility of the_x000D_
fabrication process is an obvious requirement for a commercial application, but not part of the goals of this_x000D_
proposal., program purpose french : Syscor co. has embarked on an ambitious R&D programme to develop sensor systems to monitor early stage_x000D_
leaks of pipelines for the transport of (crude) oil and natural gas. Early detection allows for timely intervention,_x000D_
so that remediation is easy and cheap. Syscor's technology is based on the Polymer Absorption Sensor (PAS)_x000D_
and they have shown proof-of-principle and have a patent on the technology. The PAS is a sensor where, upon_x000D_
sorption of specific chemicals, there is a physical change in sensor, i.e. the polymer swells because of uptake of_x000D_
a volatile hydrocarbon, resulting in corresponding change in sensor resistivity. A PAS is generally comprised of_x000D_
a base elastomeric polymer film, which selectively adsorb target hydrocarbons, and a distribution of conductive_x000D_
particles (e.g. one or more metallic or carbon-based particles) to enhance the response changes in the resistance_x000D_
of the polymer film. However, for commercial viability there remain some outstanding issues, such as_x000D_
sensitivity, reversibility, cross-sensitivity and fabrication reproducibility. The sensitivity has to be increased,_x000D_
especially for the least volatile compounds, so that leaks can be detected at the earliest possible time. The_x000D_
reversibility of the sensors has to be improved because baseline drift makes the data processing unnecessarily_x000D_
complicated and over time potentially unreliable, but more importantly diminishes the earliest possible_x000D_
detection. Cross-sensitivity of a sensor refers to PAS response to a confounding environmental condition (e.g._x000D_
time-varying fluctuations in temperature and /or water saturation), which interferes with reliable measurements._x000D_
The cross-sensitivity of PASs has to be mitigated for acquiring readily interpretable data. Reproducibility of the_x000D_
fabrication process is an obvious requirement for a commercial application, but not part of the goals of this_x000D_
proposal., agreement title english : Improved polymer absorption sensors for oil detection, agreement title french : Improved polymer absorption sensors for oil detection, agreement number : EGP, agreement value : 25000.0, agreement start date : 2018-02-07, agreement end date : nan, description english : nan, description french : nan, expected results english : nan, expected results french : nan, additional information english : Grant or Award spanning more than one fiscal year (2017-2018 to 2018-2019)., additional information french : Subvention ou bourse octroyée s'appliquant à plus d'un exercice financier (2017-2018 à 2018-2019)., owner organization : nserc-crsng, owner organization title : Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada | Conseil de recherches en sciences naturelles et en génie du Canada