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Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - LubeMonitor (Graphene based lubrication monitoring, lowering costs, improving ecology)

Teaser

Summary

LubeMonitor is a project developed by two partners, GraphenicaLab of Catalonia, Spain and Igralub of Switzerland. Lubemonitor will address over and under lubrication issues on railway lines, delivering a more efficient and ecological solution for the railway industry and its passengers.

Since the mid-1980s railways have been applying lubrication between locomotive (train) and railway track in order to significantly reduce friction and the need to replace mechanical components. Overall, the recently finished EU project NetiRAIL, found that lubrication reduces fuel costs by 5% to 15%, and that rail, curve and wheel life are increased by 45%, 150% and 50-55 % respectively. As such there is no going back from this type of lubrication.

Unfortunately, either too much, or too little lubrication is applied, leading to continued damage of mechanical components (The Association of American Railways (AAR) estimates that ineffective lubrication costs US railways up to 2B USD per year). Moreover, the environment is continually damaged as non-ecological lubricants leak into the environment below the railway tracks.

The challenge is that until now, no one has been able to directly monitor lubrication conditions within mechanical components, nor across as wide an application such as an extensive railway network.

Using the unique properties of a highly novel graphene sensor we propose direct, continuous monitoring of the conditions of the actual applied lubricant. Beginning with a direct rail applied sensor that can enter the lubricant film and is cost-effective to produce, for the first time Condition Based Monitoring (CBM) for lubrication applications shall be achieved.

During six months we have been able to use this project to better understand if our product Lube Monitor will have a successful market entry and future sales growth. Having heard first hand from several extremely interested actors and then reviewing technical, practical and economic aspects, we believe it to be true that the concept will achieve a high market impact.

Work performed

Over the six months of the project, our work was divided between three main tasks and development of a Business Plan:

For Task 1 we completed two versions of our graphene heat sensor and completed in-lab trials on a portion of railway line together with our Research Centre partner Eurecat to show TRL6 status for the product (an aim for our Feasibility Study). We also further researched graphene-based chemical sensor alternatives.
For Task 2, for communication and dissemination, we obtained further contacts in the railway sector, completed interviews and obtained important feedback from them proving the need for LubeMonitor, the interest in it and providing an understanding for how LubeMonitor can be deployed in their operations.
We also developed the overall solution electronics and communication interface as well as the Cloud interface with an API to allow for interfacing to platforms such as the European railway communication initiative ERTMS.

For Task 3 Graphenica Lab worked together with Igralub developing and debating potential business relationships for ourselves. We have concluded that its best that we work together in an Alliance, with an aim for Graphenica Lab to licence their technology to Igralub in a future step. We also completed a cost/benefit analysis and updated our data and knowledge regarding the market size and opportunity. We also developed our plans to generate further future resource to support our activities, and detailed our IPR planning.

Finally, a Business Plan (including market research report) was developed and delivered that includes a market entry and market-ramp plan. This forms the basis for the exploitation of the project and our product.

Final results

At the sensor level, we will be completely unique. No other continuous monitoring sensor is able to be applied within the actual lubricant, quickly and easily without mechanically cutting into the railway track and damaging it. The unique properties of Graphene allow us to achieve this. Our sensor is small and extremely low cost, this will allow rail authorities to install hundreds of our sensors, and to monitor in detail and in near real-time large sections of the railway network.
Aside from the business improvements for rail operators, the impact and ecological damage of railway lubricants will be more quantifiable and greatly reduced. Oil leakage from rail to earth will be reduced and airborne particles reduced (i.e. for waiting passengers at stations).
Opening up the new tribology (lubricant) sensing market in general will have a profound impact on ecology as companies will be able to more precisely develop bio-based lubricants, replacing todayÂ´s oil-based products.