EPSRC funded: Zero Power, Large Area Rail Track Monitoring

Project Period: 03/2019-02/2022

Project Value: £1.38M

The energy harvesting research group has successfully secured a £1.38M EPSRC funded project entitled “Zero Power, Large Area Rail Track Monitoring”. This project will led by Prof Meiling Zhu, participated by Prof Geyong Min at the Department of Computer Science and Dr Yang Kuang and Dr Zheng Jun Chew at the Department of Engineering at Exeter University, and Dr Mayorkinos Papaelias at Birmingham University.

The aim of this project is to develop cross-cutting, bespoke, deployable technologies and a demonstrator of a self-powered wireless sensor network monitoring system that is capable of scaling-up for large geographical rail track monitoring. This will be achieved through collaboration with Network Rail and the other industrial partners of the research and through an integrated whole-system approach from energy harvesting, power management, large area wireless sensing, remote condition monitoring to data explanation, in a bespoke fashion for exploitation.

This research will build upon the University of Exeter’s track record of energy harvesting powered wireless sensor systems, and high performance computing and networking, and the University of Birmingham’s expertise in rail track condition monitoring. The research will be supported by Network Rail and other industrial partners to ensure its impact readiness.

More information of the project can be found on the EPSRC website or via The Engineer.