Current Research Activities
Fundamental Science & Processes
| Title | Summary | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Carbon Abatement Feasibility Study with Suprafilt and Corus | TSB - Steel plant CO2 sequestration using high efficiency micro-algal bioreactor | Prof Will Zimmerman |
| Deploying Synthetic Biology in the Water Industry | EPSRC - CDFA | Prof Catherine Biggs |
| Field trials of microbubble flotation actuated by fluidic oscillation | Yorkshire Forward/SUEL Concept funded | Prof Will Zimmerman |
| High resolution, non-intrusive shear stress measurement in fluvial environments | NERC funded | Prof Simon Tait |
| Linking the physical and biological sciences to study cell to cell interactions | EPSRC - ARF | Prof Catherine Biggs |
| MUWS – Microbiology in Urban Water Systems | To provide an enhanced understanding of the microbiological processes in urban water systems, through the application of key molecular microbiological techniques. | Prof Catherine Biggs |
| Ozone plasma microreactor development and field trials | Yorkshire Forward/SUEL Concept funded | Prof Will Zimmerman |
| PARTS – Marie Currie Fellowship, Probabilistic Assessment, Retention and Transport of Sediment | EU funded | Prof Simon Tait |
| Piezoelectric fluidic electricity generator | Yorkshire Water funded | Prof Will Zimmerman |
| Platform Grant Renewal | EPSRC - Urban Water Systems for a Changing World | Prof Adrian Saul |
| Sonic Characterisation of Water Surface Waves, Turbulence, Mixing and Bed Friction in Shallow Water Flows | EPSRC - With Cardiff University, Open University, Stanford University (USA) and Moscow Institute of Engineering Physics (Russia) | Prof Simon Tait |
Urban Water Engineering
| Title | Summary | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Acoustic Sensor for Water Industry | Royal Society Brian Mercer Award for Innovation funded | Prof Kirill Horoshenkov |
| Advanced numerical techniques for characterising obstructions in sewer pipes | EPSRC | Prof Kirill Horoshenkov |
| Artificial Intelligence in the Water Industry to save Energy | Anglian Water funded | Prof Joby Boxall |
| Case Award Studentship | EPSRC/YWS funded - To understand the effects of dynamic shock loadings in causing leakage and water quality failures in water distribution systems through field studies and data analysis. | Prof Joby Boxall |
| CFD Modelling of Drainage Structures | Aimed at developing the appropriate use of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) specifically for urban drainage applications. | Dr Virginia Stovin |
| Cloud to Coast | NERC - Aims to develop a new integrated model to predict the exposure to and the health impact assessment of pathogen risks, as indexed by Faecal Indicator Organisms (FIOs), in near-shore coastal waters. | Prof Adrian Saul |
| Contaminant Ingress into Distribution systems (CID) | EPSRC - Development of and testing with a novel laboratory facility to demonstrate and quantify the phenomena and to develop associated modelling tools. | Prof Joby Boxall |
| Flood Risk Management Research Consortium 2 | This is a follow-on project to the interdisciplinary research consortium that studied the prediction, prevention and mitigation of flooding (FRMRC1) over the period 2003-2007. FRMRC2 will build on the results of FRMRC1 to increase understanding of flooding processes, generate new and original science and support improved flood risk management. | Prof Adrian Saul |
| Mapping The Underworld: Multi-Sensor Device Creation, Assessment, Protocols | EPSRC funded | Prof Adrian Saul |
| NEPTUNE | EPSRC - To advance knowledge and understanding about water supply systems in order to develop novel, robust, practical techniques and tools to optimise, via dynamic control or otherwise, efficiency and customer service. | Prof Joby Boxall |
| Pipe Dreams | EPSRC - Visionary project to establish a world leading interdisciplinary team for understanding and managing water quality transformations in potable water distribution systems and hence for making the best use of these infrastructure systems into the future. | Prof Joby Boxall |
| PODDS IV | Discolouration in trunk mains | Prof Joby Boxall |
| Rainfall Radar | Yorkshire Water Strategic Partnership - To use Met Office radar data to determine the return period of individual storms and for the predictive modelling of the performance of sewer systems. | Prof Adrian Saul |
| Real Time Condition Monitoring | EPSRC - Real-time condition monitoring and early warning of failure of potable water using novel fluorescence spectroscopy instrumentation. Joint with University of Birmingham. | Prof Joby Boxall |
| Retrofit SUDS | Controlling surface water runoff (and consequent flooding and pollution problems) from urban catchments through the replacement/enhancement of existing drainage infrastructure with SUDS-based approaches. Research funders have included the EA/BOC Foundation and SNIFFER. Use the left hand link to find out more and download project reports. | Dr Virginia Stovin |
| Septicity tests on static sewage | Thames Water funded | Prof Adrian Saul |
| Skills, Technology, Research And Management (STREAM) | The STREAM IDC brings together the expertise in Water Engineering from five premier Universities, Cranfield, Exeter, Imperial College, Newcastle and Sheffield, to train engineers and scientists with the skills, knowledge and confidence to tackle today´s evolving water issues. For further details of the Sheffield IDC & DTC's see here. | Prof Adrian Saul |
| Strategic Catchments | Yorkshire Water Strategic Partnership - To set up 2 strategic research catchments with long term monitoring for flow and quality in the sewerage system and receiving watercourse. To use the data to better understand and optimise system performance. | Prof Adrian Saul |
| The Green Roof Centre | The Green Roof Centre is an independent research and demonstration hub, which supports and promotes the uptake of green roofs through demonstrating their benefits and potential in a wide range of settings and scales. Founded by the University of Sheffield and Groundwork Sheffield, and based in South Yorkshire, the Green Roof Centre operates with partners in the region to demonstrate the potential of green roof uptake in the UK. We are currently working with CIRIA to develop guidance for retrofitting surface water management measures (RP922). |
Dr Virginia Stovin |
| Water Quality SONDE | Yorkshire Water Strategic Partnership - Optimisation of water quality surveys through the use of online data collection. | Prof Adrian Saul |
| Water Sensitive Urban Design | Finding ways to encourage urban design to better integrate all 3 urban water ‘streams’ at all levels and in all approaches to sustainable development. | Prof Richard Ashley |
| Yorkshire Water Strategic Partnership | A strategic 5 year partnership to meet YWS research needs associated with all aspects of buried infrastructure assets. | Prof Adrian Saul |
Implementation & Impact
| Title | Summary | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| AIA (Ashford’s Integrated Alternatives) | EPSRC - SUE funded | Dr Liz Sharp |
| FRC | EU INTERREG - FloodResilienCity | Prof Richard Ashley |
| Knowledge Transfer Partnership | Yorkshire Water & TSB - The development of a novel prototype device and technique for leak detection in potable water supply systems. | Prof Joby Boxall |
| Low cost acoustic sensor for CSO screen condition | Yorkshire Water funded | Prof Kirill Horoshenkov |
| MARE | EU INTERREG - Managing Adaptive Responses to flood risk in the North Sea rEgion | Mr John Blankbsy |
| Metronet Alliance – Siphon Condition Measurement | Mouchel funded | Prof Kirill Horoshenkov |
| PREPARED | EU funded - Developing procedures for preparing for floods | Prof Simon Tait |
| SKINT | EU INTERREG - SKills, Integration and New Technologies | Mr John Blanksby |
| URSULA (Urban Rivers and Sustainable Living Agendas) |
EPSRC Sustainable Urban Environment Programme - Providing a portfolio of new ideas, new tools and new data to support the development of urban river corridors Don Catchment: The website is designed to showcase the Don catchment as a study system, and detail the various water-related research projects that use the catchment as a study system. Obviously there is a large overlap with the work of the PWG, and several collaborative projects are detailed on the website. It is hoped that the site might inspire new collaborations and future research within the Don catchment. |