EUREKA PROJECT > 2569 PETROSCOPE
- SUMMARY
- OUTLINE
- PARTICIPANTS
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UNITED KINGDOM
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UNITED KINGDOM
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ICELAND
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PETROSCOPE AND MODELING SOFTWARE
THE AIM IS TO DEVELOP OPTOELECTRONIC MEASUREMENT EQUIPMENT AND ALSO MODELING AND SIMULATION SOFTWARE, FOR THE CONSTRUCTION AGGREGATES INDUSTRY.
Status > FINISHED - 02-Jul-2008 Technological Area Market Area Start Date > 01-Jan-2001 Duration > 84 Months Participating countries > UNITED KINGDOM, SLOVENIA, ICELAND, AUSTRIA | Main contactPETROMODEL LTD.
MR. THORGEIR HELGASON > MANAGING DIRECTOR Organisation type > SME |
Project Description
Introduction The aim of the PETROSCOPE project is to develop an automatic, optoelectronic testing instrument (hardware and software), to measure or 'describe' the petrographic composition, and to some extent the size and shape, of construction aggregates and other related mineral materials as part of on-site quality control. These properties are considered to be of fundamental importance, or being independent properties of the aggregates. No instrument is known of today that does analyse sand, gravel and crushed rock and other construction aggregates anywhere near to what the classical, manual 'petrographic description' test methods prescribe, such as the European test method, EN 932-3. The PETROSCOPE project aims at developing a bench-top and field-portable off-line instrument that ultimately will accomplish this task. At a later stage in the project an on-line instrument will be developed. Background. Manual, classical methods of petrographic description have become well-established and are routinely used by the construction aggregates industries for quality control, in the assessment of road aggregates and concrete aggregates, in research, etc. Quantitative petrographic description has been conducted in CANADA and the USA since the 1940s, and in some European countries for decades. In ICELAND there is a long tradition for petrographic description and a quantitative and computerized classification system was established already in 1983. A common European standard was published in 1996 (EN 932-3:1996, Tests for general properties of aggregates - Part 3: Procedure and terminology for simplified petrographic description). Traditional, manual methods, macroscopic and microscopic, require highly trained geologists and it takes considerable time to perform the test (hours, and in practice days). The precision of the method is frequently low, compared to many other test methods, especially between laboratories (reproducibility). The development of a new on-site quality control method in line with the petrographic description method, using image techniques is therefore quite relevant, although of high scientific and technical risk, a test that would be more or less automatic and take minutes or few hours to perform. Participants. Participants from the U.K., AUSTRIA, SLOVENIA, ICELAND and to some extent FINLAND will contribute to the project. The participants, PETROMODEL LTD, ICELAND; UNIVERSITY OF WEST OF ENGLAND (UWE), UK; RMC, UK; STEINBEIS TRANSFERCENTRE FOR DATA ANALYSIS AND VISUALISATION, AUSTRIA and THE SLOVENIAN NATIONAL BUILDING AND CIVIL ENGINEERING INSTITUTE (ZAG Ljubljana), contribute their specialities. PETROMODEL LTD is the main participant and has the role of managing the project, performing requirement analyses and planning industrial exploitation, working on pattern recognition, image analysis and prototype design, etc. UWE contributes to the research and testing of methods for image analysis, as well as contributing to the overall design of the instrument. RMC will contribute preparation, testing and analysis of aggregate samples as well as testing of the various versions of the PETROSCOPE prototypes. STEINBEIS TRANSFERCENTRE will work on data analysis and mathematical - statistical modelling. ZAG Ljubljana will work with preparation, testing and analyses of samples and testing of prototypes. VTT ELECTRONICS in FINLAND - Optoelectronics Department, that will be sub-contractor to PETROMODEL LTD., will do a pre-study, perform part of measurements on samples, and give recommendations regarding design of the instrument. Preliminary Project Planning Phase I - Project Management, Requirements and Exploitation: Objectives: Revision and completion of the project plan and timetable. The timely and effective accomplishment of the PETROSCOPE project. Obtain stated and implied wishes or needs of potential users and planning of industrial exploitation. Phase II - Prestudy: 2001 Objectives: Preparation of samples and research and development of the basic optoelectronic methodology to be used for the PETROSCOPE. Phase III - Off-line equipment: 2001-2002 Objective: development of off-line, bench-top laboratory and field-portable equipment for petrographic and geometrical analysis. Phase IV - On-line equipment: 2002-2003 Objective: The development of a conveyer belt, on-line system, for petrographic analysis. Keywords: testing, mineral matter, opto-electronics.
Technological Development Envisaged
The objective of the PETROSCOPE project is to develop and prepare for marketing, a automatic, optoelectronic testing device, for measuring petrographic composition and size and shape of construction aggregates (sand, gravel, crushed rock) and other related mineral materials. Industries and the related public and private services all need measurements and tests of the various engineering properties and performance of mineral aggregates and aggregate-based construction materials. Today, these tests are done manually and off-line and they are tedious, time consuming and expensive. Thus they are far from meeting the standards of customers who increasingly demand strict and automatic process and quality control. The PM-PETROSCOPE - alone or in combination with other planned products of PETROMODEL LTD., such as the predictive modelling software PM-Techmodel - would be an important tool for the construction aggregates industries in lowering testing and inspection cost and/or increasing benefits from testing. It would help adhering to industrial and environmental standards and is bound to influence quality and process control in the industry, being much faster and less reliant on highly trained expert staff. There are several novel aspects of the PETROSCOPE project. One, is the combination of imaging techniques and optical spectroscopic techniques, especially for this type of matter, minerals and rocks. Another, is the technology transfer aspect of using such high-tech methods in what has often been labelled, rather misleadingly, a 'low-tech - high volume' industry, the construction aggregates industry. Still another, is the introduction of new high-tech, automatic methods into the testing of aggregates, a testing field that has relied more on manual labour and 'mechanical' testing devices. This new way of testing aggregates and other related mineral matter might require revised or new European standards. The possibility of patenting the equipment or parts of it is being studied.
Main contactZAG LJUBLJANA - SLOVENIAN NAT. BUILDING & CIVIL ENGIN. INST.
M.SC. ANA MLADENOVIC > HEAD OF LABORATORY FOR STONE AND AGGREGATE Organisation type > Research Institute |
Contribution to project
With regard to the project description presented in Section 2.1, ZAG LJUBLJANA will mainly work on Phases III and IV, but also to some extent in the Requirement Analyses of Phase I. This work includes sample selection, preparation, testing and analysis. Off-line testing of prototypes is also included. The samples will be taken from various gravel pits and rock quarries in different parts of Europe. The testing work will be performed according to the CEN standards for aggregates regarding petrographic type and particle shape. Further analyses such as mineralogical qualitative and quantitative determination in thin sections and chemical whole rock analyses will be performed in collaboration with PETROMODEL and the GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF FINLAND. ZAG LJUBLJANA will also be involved in the setting-up and organisation of a rock-type collection and database.
Expertise
Independent, impartial and non-profit making organization, whose activities lie in the field of testing and attestation of the conformity of construction products. As SLOVENIA's National Building and Civil Engineering Institute, ZAG Ljubljana plays an important role in the country's system of quality attestation and certification in the construction industry. In the field of research and development, ZAG LJUBLJANA cooperates with many similar institutes and university faculties, both in SLOVENIA and in other countries. Within the framework of international scientific and technical cooperation ZAG LJUBLJANA's researchers have been involved in several joint projects, e.g. the European Community's projects (COST, TEMPUS, PHARE, COPERNICUS). The 200 employees, who include more than 80 experts with university qualifications and academic titles, perform their work in 14 laboratories and 10 specialized sections. ZAG LJUBLJANA's researchers have published more than 1000 technical and scientific papers, 300 of them abroad. They have also given many lectures and seminars, and have participated at workshops held at universities and institutes at home and abroad. Thirteen of ZAG LJUBLJANA's laboratories, including the Laboratory for Stone and Aggregates, are accredited according to the requirements of the European Standard EN 45001. The Laboratory for Stone and Aggregate, which forms part of the Department of Materials, performs tests and carries out research on aggregates as well as on natural and artificial stone, and on secondary raw materials, for the needs of the construction industry. The Laboratory investigates the condition of stone which has been installed in buildings and other structures, and determines the reasons for damage. It also carries out geological investigations of quarries and gravel-pits, surveillance of the quality of production at separation plants, and mineralogical tests of naturally-occurring and artificial non-metallic materials and secondary raw materials. The Laboratory is responsible for the care and improvement of ZAG's existing collection of minerals and rocks. The Laboratory for Stone and Aggregate has been approved by the MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND SPORT of the REPUBLIC OF SLOVENIA to issue test reports and certificates of conformity in the field of the obligatory attestation of graded stone aggregate for concretes and asphalts. Mrs. Ana Mladenovic, who is in charge of the mineralogical and petrographic work performed at ZAG LJUBLJANA, holds an M.Sc. in Geology from the UNIVERSITY OF LJUBLJANA and is presently working on her doctoral dissertation, which is concerned with the alkali-silica reactivity of aggregates.
Main contactSTEINBEIS TRANSFERCENTER FOR DATA ANALYSIS & VISUALISATION
PROF. DR. JUERGEN PILZ > DIRECTOR Organisation type > Research Institute |
Contribution to project
Referring to the project planning in section 2.1, STEINBEIS TRANSFERCENTRE, KLAGENFURT (STC KLAGENFURT) will mainly be working on Phases II-IV. This work includes mathematical - statistical modelling, data processing, statistical software design and programming. The focus will be on statistical modelling using methods and techniques from principal component analysis and high-level Bayesian image analysis. In addition, tools and techniques from stereology and stochastic geometry will be considered. Moreover, maps obtained from image spectrometry have to be analysed and classified on the basis of both spectral and spatial information. Effective statistical techniques for combining and interrelating the spectroscopic (composition) parameters with the morphological (geometric) characteristics have to be developed. The data and the results from the spectroscopy and classical image analysis have to be processed in such a way that they can serve as direct input into the software system 'TechModel' which is currently being developed by STC KLAGENFURT for PETROMODEL LTD. A general problem, which occurs both for geometric and spectroscopic analysis, is the handling and combination of data from multiple sources, with different degrees of accuracy and/ or vagueness. Methods from statistical meta-analysis will be developed to cope with this situation. Moreover, the issue of 'missing cases' (incomplete data) has to be dealt with; i.e. data augmentation techniques will be developed and implemented. Finally, on the basis of the output of geometric and spectroscopic analyses, effective numerical-statistical algorithms and software programmes have to be implemented.
Expertise
With a staff of 6, this is one out of more than 400 STEINBEIS TRANSFERCENTERS, mostly spread all over GERMANY. As is the case with all transfer centres, STC KLAGENFURT is a non-profit contract research organisation, related to the UNIVERISTY OF KLAGENFURT and oriented towards the transfer of scientific and technological know-how, especially in statistical data analysis and processing, to industrial enterprises. STC KLAGENFURT offers expertise in the field of statistical modelling and development of statistical methodology, algorithms and statistical software for specific, user- oriented purposes. The co-workers of STEINBEIS KLAGENFURT have significant project experience. Among the recently finished projects can be mentioned: - EU-project 'CIVERT': Centre for Information and Valorisation of European Radioactive contaminated Territories' (Contract partner in the Nuclear Fission Safety Programme) - 'Frequency Assignment for mobile communication networks' (joint project with MARCONI INC., ITALY) - 'Modelling and block prediction for a limestone pit' (joint project with HOLDERBANK AG, SWITZERLAND) - Development of a statistics module for the PC-based geographic information system - WinGIS (joint project with PROGIS SOFTWARE AG, Villach; funded by the Austrian FFF). STC KLAGENFURT already co-operates with PETROMODEL LTD. on the development of statistical, predictive modelling software. The principal personnel to be involved in the EUREKA project include: * Dr. Juergen Pilz, Director of the STEINBEIS TRANSFER CENTRE, will be responsible for STC´s contribution to the planned EUREKA project. He holds a PhD and DSc. degree in Applied Statistics. He had been with the TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF FREIBERG, GERMANY for 15 years, first as scientific co-worker at the Dept. of Mathematics and since 1992 as Professor of Mathematical Geology at the Dept. of Geosciences. Since 1994 he has been with the UNIVERSITY OF KLAGENFURT in, as Professor of Applied Statistics. In 1996 he founded the STEINBEIS TRANSFER CENTRE FOR STATISTICAL DATA ANALYSIS AND VISUALISATION, and has worked as Head of the centre, research consultant and project manager in engineering statistics projects since then. * Dr. Albrecht Gebhardt holds an MSc. degree in Mathematics from the TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF FREIBERG, GERMANY, and a PhD degree in Applied Statistics from the UNIVERSITY OF KLAGENFURT, where he has been scientific co-worker at the Dept. of Mathematics since 1994. Since 1998 he has worked at STEINBEIS TRANSFER CENTRE KLAGENFURT on a part-time contract basis.
Main contactUWE - UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST OF ENGLAND AT BRISTOL DR. MELVYN SMITH > SENIOR LECTURER Organisation type > University |
Contribution to project
The Machine Vision Group (MVG) will work on Phases III and IV, on the research and testing of methods for image analysis, as well as contributing to the overall design of the instrument. The MVG's work will include: 1) Research and development of appropriate methods for analysis of 3D particle size and shape, as well as for analysis of colour, size and texture of grains in the rock particles. 2) Development and implementation of suitable image processing and data analysis algorithms with application to the extraction of appropriate 3D, colour and texture descriptors. 3) Development of working prototype instrumentation. 4) Simulation and modelling of visually acquired data. 5) System testing, optimisation and implementation. The work will involve determining the feasibility of adapting existing concepts, as well as investigating innovative approaches for 3D-particle data acquisition and modelling.
Expertise
The Machine Vision Research Group is part of the Intelligent Manufacturing Systems Centre within the Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, at the UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST OF ENGLAND, Bristol. It was formed in 1999 to promote and foster multidisciplinary research in innovative techniques that have potential in both established and evolving applications. The MVG has experience in the modelling of 3D particles, in developing vision-based acquisition techniques for 3D particles, and in the characterisation of 3D irregular particles in terms of their size, shape and surface texture and colour pattern distributions. As part of this on-going work, the group has developed a range of innovative photometric techniques for capturing and describing 3D concomitant macro- and microscopic shape, together with superimposed surface reflectance properties. The directorship team of the MVG consists of Dr Melvyn Smith, Dr Lyndon Smith and Dr Sagar Midha. Brief biographical details are given below: - Dr Melvyn L. Smith: Senior Lecturer and Senior Research Fellow at UWE. Melvyn Smith holds a BEng(Hons) degree in Mechanical Engineering, an MSc in Quality Control and a PhD in The Integration of Innovative Vision and Graphical Modelling Techniques for Surface Inspection. He has also has industrial experience of the research and development of product inspection equipment. His research interests include machine vision, computer graphics, CAD/CAM, artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing systems, and robotics and automation. Dr Smith is a member of the IMechE, has published a book and numerous papers on machine vision for surface inspection. - Dr Lyndon N. Smith: Senior Lecturer and Senior Research Fellow at UWE. He has published extensively in areas that include: machine vision applications, 3D simulations of the morphology and packing behaviour of irregular particles, statistical and neural network modelling, and powder metallurgy. Lyndon Smith obtained degrees in Physics (BSc Hons) and Metrology (MSc) before being awarded a PhD in Knowledge Based System Technology for Manufacture. In 1998 and 1999 he was employed as Director of Computer Simulation in the Engineering Science and Mechanics Department at the PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY in the U.S.A. - Dr Sagar Midha: Head of Manufacturing Research, CEMS, UWE. Having worked for an R&D and consultancy organisation for a number of years Dr Midha joined UWE in 1987. He is a Reader and Research Leader in the school of Mechanical, Manufacturing and Aerospace Engineering. He teaches courses on manufacturing processes and concurrent engineering and has research interests in stone processing, powder metallurgy, knowledge-based systems, machine vision, time compression technologies and concurrent engineering. Dr Midha has been associated with stone processing research since 1996 and he successfully co-ordinated a CRAFT project on the optimisation of stone processing using diamond tools.
Main contactRMC AGGREGATES LIMITED BSC. MSC. MIQ. ANDREW NEVITT > TECHNICAL SERVICES MANAGER Organisation type > Large company |
Contribution to project
The company will contribute to Phase I by setting specific requirements based on the company's experience and needs. Furthermore, RMC AGGREGATES will contribute to Phases III and IV by providing reference samples and by testing the instruments. RMC AGGREGATE's contribution will include: 1) Listing the most important rock types/ varieties to be monitored. 2) Providing chemically and petrographically analysed samples of the rock types/ varieties according to (1). 3) Listing the most important properties of aggregates, other than petrographic composition, to be measured by the PETROSCOPE. 4) Testing different prototypes of PETROSCOPE, both off-line and later on-line.
Expertise
One of the five divisions of RMC UK, RMC AGGREGATES (UK) LIMITED comprises ten regional aggregate and bituminous materials manufacturing companies and two regional road surfacing companies. The division as a whole operates 83 sand and gravel quarries, 32 crushed rock quarries and 49 asphalt plants, 29 wharves (for marine dredged aggregate) and 24 landfill sites. RMC AGGREGATES products are delivered to the customer throughout ENGLAND, SCOTLAND and WALES. RMC AGGREGATES operates many site laboratories based at the quarries and asphalt plants in addition to a UKAS (UNITED KINGDOM ACCREDITATION SERVICE) accredited central research and development laboratory at Bromsgrove in Worcestershire. The Divisional Technical Department of RMC AGGREGATES (UK) LIMITED provides technical expertise, advise and policy to all the operating companies within the division. Mr. Gordon Lemon MBE, who is supported by three Technical Services Managers heads the department. Mr John Lay who is Gordon Lemon's Deputy is the Technical Services Manager - Aggregates, Mr Andrew Nevitt is the Technical Services Manager - Asphalt, and Mr Simon Turner is the Technical Services Manager - Quality Management. - Mr Gordon Lemon has over 35 years experience of the aggregates and heavy construction materials. His principal expertise is in asphalt and road and airfield construction, he has worked throughout the world on many major civil engineering projects including the reconstruction of Port Stanley Airport. - Mr John Lay holds a B.Sc. (Hons) degree in Chemistry. He is a Member of the ROYAL SOCIETY OF CHEMISTRY, a Chartered Chemist and a Member of the INSTITUTE OF CONCRETE TECHNOLOGY. John Lay has considerable experience in concrete technology and the chemistry of concrete and was formally the Readymix Division Chief Chemist. He also sits on and Chairs several BSI and European Standard Committees and is extensively involved in product development and recycled aggregate initiatives. - Mr Andrew Nevitt holds a B.Sc. (Hons) degree in Applied Geology, a M.Sc. degree in Mineral Exploration and Mining Geology and is a Member of the INSTITUTE OF QUARRYING. Prior to joining RMC he worked for a firm of Consulting Material Engineers as a Petrographer / Geologist and prior to that as a Materials Technician on several major U.K. civil engineering contracts. Mr Andrew Nevitt will provide the main contribution to the project.
Main contactPETROMODEL LTD.
MR. THORGEIR HELGASON > MANAGING DIRECTOR Organisation type > SME |
Contribution to project
The company initialised the PETROSCOPE project and it has the role of managing it. Referring to the project planning in section 2.1, this means that PETROMODEL will work intensively on Phase I - Project Management, Requirements & Exploitation. This then includes co-ordination, overall planning, collecting reports and acting as an information centre during the whole duration of the project. PETROMODEL will report to the steering group, which is composed of members of all participants. Also, requirement analyses and market studies are being conducted by PETROMODEL LTD., in collaboration with ZAG and RMC. Besides Phase I, PETROMODEL LTD. will work extensively on the data analysis part of Phases II-IV, i.e. signal and image processing, pattern recognition, etc. This is done in collaboration with Professor Jon Atli Benediktsson of the UNIVERSITY OF ICELAND and the MVG at UNIVERSITY OF WEST OF ENGLAND. In Phases II-IV PETROMODEL LTD. will work in close cooperation with VTT Electronics in Oulu, FINLAND, the leading R&D unit in electronics in Europe. Their part in the PETROSCOPE project includes contract research on data acquisition, including performing measurements involving imaging techniques and reflective spectroscopy, preliminary design and prototype preparation.
Expertise
Established in 1999, PETROMODEL LTD is developing software and testing equipment for the construction aggregates industries and related industries. PETROMODEL LTD is a knowledge-based company, with highly qualified personnel and advisors. Staff and advisors from PETROMODEL LTD working on the PETROSCOPE project are: Mr. Thorgeir S. Helgason - Managing Director; Prof. Jon Atli Benediktsson - Advisor; Ms. Sara M. Fuxen - Geologist; Mrs. Hjordis Thorhallsdottir - MSc Product Design Engineer; Mr. Pall Gislason - BSc Electrical Engineer and Mr. Tryggvi Thorgeirsson - Electrical Engineering Student. Mr. Thorgeir Helgason finished a BSc in Geology at the UNIVERSITY OF ICELAND in 1978. He studied Geotechnical Engineering at the UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN ONTARIO, CANADA, finishing an MSc in 1992. He headed the Geology & Geotechnical Department of the ICELANDIC BUILDING RESEARCH INSTITUTE until 1990, and during that time developed an Icelandic test method for aggregates. He was in charge of the Geotechnical Department of LINUHOENNUN LTD. CONSULTING ENGINEERS, 1991-1999, and managed projects on quality control of aggregates, environmental impact assessments and geotechnical site investigations. He founded PETROMODEL LTD in 1999 and has since been the Managing Director of the company. Dr. Jon Atli Benediktsson is Professor at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the UNIVERSITY OF ICELAND. He received a PhD from the School of Electrical Engineering at PURDUE UNIVERSITY in 1990. He was the recipient of the 1997 Icelandic Research Council's Outstanding Young Researcher Award and was awarded the IEEE Third Millennium Medal in 2000. Dr. Benediktsson is currently Associate Editor of the IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON GEOSCIENCE AND REMOTE SENSING (TGARS) and a member of the Administrative Committee of the IEEE GEOSCIENCE AND REMOTE SENSING SOCIETY. He co-edited a Special Issue on Data Fusion of TGARS which appeared in May of 1999. His research interests are in pattern recognition, neural networks, remote sensing, image processing and signal processing, and he has published extensively in those fields. Ms. Sara M. Fuxen is educated at the UNIVERSITY OF GOTHENBURG, Department of Mineralogy and Petrology. She worked as a consultant at SES Sweden AB 1997-2000, where she was Project Manager on a number of geochemical exploration projects. Dr. Jouni Tornberg is in charge of the PETROSCOPE work performed at VTT. He is Research Manager, head of Optoelectronics. He has MSc in electrical engineering and received doctoral degree in 1986. He is Docent in measurement technology for paper industry at the University. Dr. Tornberg has written 95 scientific and other publications, and holds 11 patents in the field of optical and ultrasonic measurement technologies for process industry.