Innovation Exchange Challenge: Gas Sampling in a Sealed Environment

The Gap

This challenge addresses a long-standing process that currently relies on legacy technologies. The goal is to modernise and improve this process, ensuring greater efficiency and safety.

AWE wishes to enable process Improvement and reliability by reducing the risk of contamination or gas loss, enhancing safety and efficiency in gas sampling, and adopting modern technologies for improved operational safety.

Project Scope

The solution must allow for the sampling of gases within a sealed volume without breaking containment, maintaining an inert atmosphere throughout the entire operation, including cutting, sampling, re-sealing, and handling helium gas as specified in the requirements document. Technical characteristics include the gas to be sampled being helium, an inert atmosphere, and ensuring containment integrity by not compromising the sealed environment during the entire process. Operating conditions require conducting the process in an environment devoid of reactive gases to prevent contamination and maintain safety, with temperature and pressure specified based on the sealed volume’s operational parameters.

Eligibility

This challenge is open to sole innovators, industry, academic and research organisations of all types and sizes. There is no requirement for security clearances.

Solution providers or direct collaboration from countries listed by the UK government under trade sanctions and/or arms embargoes are not eligible for AWE challenges.