CENTAUR
Due to urban spread and more intense rainfall, water infrastructure is often unable to convey flows during rainfall leading to flash flooding and pollution. The usual response is to enlarge assets. However, in confined urban spaces, and with the move away from capital-hungry asset enlargement (“concrete-pouring”), there is a market gap for smart technology that leverages storage already available in networks. This is the gap that CENTAUR fills, at a fraction of the cost of traditional solutions.
CENTAUR is an autonomous, intelligent monitoring and control system to reduce urban escapes. It is modular, easily deployed (retrofit), and self-powered. It is deployed “out-of-the-box” without modification of the existing infrastructure.
It is orders of magnitude less costly than alternative capital and space intensive solutions. The system provides “virtual storage”.
Technology demonstrated in relevant environment.
Representative model or prototype system, which is well beyond that of TRL 5, is tested in a relevant environment. Represents a major step up in a technology’s demonstrated readiness. Examples include testing a prototype in a high-fidelity laboratory environment or in a simulated operational environment.
Representative model or prototype system, which is well beyond that of TRL 5, is tested in a relevant environment. Represents a major step up in a technology’s demonstrated readiness. Examples include testing a prototype in a high-fidelity laboratory environment or in a simulated operational environment.
CENTAUR has been developed from prototype through beta to a “zero” version with certifications. A beta version has been protecting a World Heritage Site in Coimbra since October 2017; it has proved very reliable – there have been no maintenance visits - and fit for market rollout. A further trial system has recently been installed in Toulouse, France.
We have specified UK city centre schemes and are talking to interested parties in other parts of the world.
However, the system has not been rolled out to the market yet and therefore doesn’t qualify as TRL9.
How does it work?
CENTAUR senses prevailing network conditions and uses AI to decide operation of a gate to hold water back or let it pass. It makes optimal use of available capacity to avoid escapes.
The technical innovation is around AI, autonomy, melding of different comms and power technologies. Reliability was key to design:
- Radio comms guarantee signal
- Sensor redundancy gives reliable level data
- The system can self-disable if compromised
- The gate has physical fail-safes to eliminate upstream risk
- The central module connects to an internet dashboard for oversight and reconfiguration
- Bluetooth is used to connect to modules
The system is modular, extensible, with lamp-post and in-manhole mounting, powered by solar or batteries.
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