Advanced Instrumentation Research Group

Our research has focused on advanced diagnostics and formal metrics of uncertainty for a wide variety of devices. We are also actively involved in developing prototype products for process measurement and control applications, particularly in the emerging field of sensor self-validation.

The AIRG developed an original concept of the SElf VAlidating (SEVA) sensor, which performs online assessment of the sensor's performance and describes the resulting measurement quality in standardized metrics, including online uncertainty. This allows the development of generic control system responses to changes in measurement quality without the need to interpret device-specific error-codes, leading to more efficient utilization and management of assets under abnormal process conditions that can significantly reduce costly unplanned shutdowns. The SEVA concept developed in the AIRG has contributed to the adoption of a UK Standard (BSI7986:2001 - Specification for data quality metrics for industrial measurement and control systems).

More recently, the AIRG has focused on the development of Coriolis Mass flow metering, leading to the launch of the CFT-50 and CFT-51 Digital Coriolis mass flow transmitters from Invensys, and a series of ground-breaking applications, particularly with multi-phase flow.

Since November 2015, the AIRG has been developing a new signal processing technique, the Prism, alongside a next-generation Coriolis transmitter platform. We have a first non-exclusive research contract with an industrial partner to develop a commercial Prism-based product, and are looking for other partners to work with.

The AIRG was Awarded the Wheatstone Measurement Prize by the IET and NPL in 2007 for its Coriolis work.