the harsh-environment initiative – meeting the challenge of … · esa’s harsh environments...

r bulletin 99 — september 1999

The Harsh-Environment Initiative– Meeting the Challenge of Space-Technology Transfer

P. KumarDirector of Space Systems and Applications, C-CORE, Memorial University ofNewfoundland, St. John’s, Canada

P. Brisson & G. WeinwurmTechnology Transfer Programme, ESA Directorate for Industrial Matters andTechnology Programmes, ESTEC, Noordwijk, The Netherlands

J. ClarkPrincipal Consultant, C-CORE, St. John’s, Canada

IntroductionESA awarded the Harsh Environments Initiative(HEI) contract to C-CORE in August 1997following an open bidding process in Canada.Supported by the Canadian Space Agency(CSA) also, C-CORE undertook ‘TheApplication of Space Technologies toOperations in Harsh Terrestrial and MarineEnvironments’. Phase-1 of the Initiative endedin February 1999 and was followed by a

The key issues relating to oil & gas and miningoperations were identified through specialistworkshops as well as one-on-one meetingswith potential industry users. New technologiesthat could enable the targeted sectors toenhance operations in harsh environments, todevelop capabilities for more automatedoperations and provide the ability to operateyear round, were determined. Oil & gas andmining development in remote regions such asthe Arctic require safe, reliable and efficientoperations. Likewise, offshore oil & gasdevelopment, particularly in areas invaded bysea ice or icebergs, requires subsea systemsthat integrate such technologies as roboticsand artificial intelligence. Remote operation ofsubsea systems was identified by the offshoreindustry as an R&D priority as the need toprotect its workers from having to enter high-risk environments becomes ever more critical.

The first 18 months (Phase-1) of the HarshEnvironments Initiative brought a number ofnotable achievements:

– Three operations nodes were established inCanada:• Host Node (C-CORE)• Oil & Gas Operations Node (C-CORE)• Mining Operations Node (Mining

Innovation, Rehabilitation and AppliedResearch Corporation (MIRARCo),Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ontario).

– The European Network was initiatedthrough the Norwegian GeotechnicalInstitute (NGI) in Oslo.

– An International Advisory Board wasestablished with members from ESA, CSA,

ESA’s Harsh Environments Initiative (HEI) is a programme aimed attransferring space technologies to terrestrial operations in harshenvironments. C-CORE is the prime contractor to ESA forimplementing the programme, and the Canadian Space Agency is aprogramme sponsor.

C-CORE’s approach to meeting this challenge is to seek outoperational priorities in the oil & gas and mining sectors and todevelop and implement test-bed projects that apply selected spacetechnologies to demonstrate improved operating efficiencies, loweredrisks and enhanced safety. These projects typically involve one ormore partners from industries in Canada and Europe, and additionalsources of funding that exceed the ESA contribution.

Commercialisation of the space technologies is a key objective.Accordingly, C-CORE and its partners have developed selectioncriteria that have ensured that only projects with high potential forcommercialisation and quick technology transfer (involving theexchange of funds between the space-technology supplier and theend-user) would go ahead.

seamless transition into Phase-2, which endson 14 January 2000. The focus of theprogramme is to transfer space technologiesfor industrial application in the oil & gas andmining sectors.

the harsh-environment initiative

the Spacelink Group, the Province ofNewfoundland and Labrador, Small andMedium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), the oil &gas and mining sectors, and Governmentresearch agencies.

– Eight demonstration projects were initiated,each with its own partnerships and strategicalliances. Space technologies wereintroduced into existing projects beingundertaken within the oil & gas and miningsectors. The projects were evaluated againstfive criteria and were approved by theInternational Advisory Board. They were:

Oil & Gas Node– The Consortium for Offshore Aviation

Research (COAR): This project focussed onthe issues associated with operatinghelicopters on the Grand Banks, withparticular emphasis on final approaches tohelidecks in low-visibility conditions.

– Radome Icing: Microwave communicationstowers in Labrador develop very largeaccretions of rime ice, which can disruptcommunications. The objective of thisproject was to evaluate advanced ice-phobic materials able to reduce these iceaccretions.

– Monitoring of Ground Motion usingInterferometric Synthetic Aperture Radarfrom Space: The objective of this projectwas to measure ground movements ofunstable slopes in which pipelines had beeninstalled so as to be able to take action torelieve stresses before they caused pipelinefailures.

– A Feasibility Study for the Detection ofShallow Gas Hazards in DeepwaterSeabeds: As oil & gas exploration movesinto ever deeper waters, the hazard posedby gas hydrates increases. This study wasundertaken to develop systems that canidentify such gas pockets at depths of morethan 3000 m.

Mining Node– Sensori-Motor Augmented Reality for Tele-

robotics (SMART): The main objective of thisproject was to develop systems that wouldenable the entire mining process to beautomated.

– Geosensing: To efficiently identify and exploitore bodies underground, it is essential to beable to determine what lies ahead of thedrills. This project focused on developingsensors for ‘geo-probing’ or ‘looking ahead’in mining operations.

– Micro-Seismic Pressure Monitoring: Thefocus of this project was to monitor theunderground environment in order todelineate ore bodies or reservoirs over aperiod of time.

– Evaluation of ESA Simulation Tools: Tomodel the end-to-end mining process,complex simulation techniques are required.The evaluation of ESA-developed simulationsoftware and tools was therefore the focusof this project.

A total of 14 European and 33 Canadianindustries – from both the space and non-space sectors – had some involvement inthese 8 projects, either as potential suppliers ofspace technologies or as partners. The spacetechnologies evaluated in the various projectsincluded advanced materials, sensors andsensor systems, robotics hardware andsoftware, vision systems, communications andsimulation software and tools. The majority ofthese technologies came from Europeanindustries. Ten technologies were incorporatedinto the demonstration projects.

One of the key thrusts during Phase-1 was toget end-user commitment at an early stage soas to ensure continuous support – either incash or in kind – for the demonstrationprojects. ESA had set a number of targets forthis funding leverage (0.58 in cash and 0.83 incash+kind) and all were exceeded (1.12 in cashand 1.82 in cash+kind).

The technology-transfer processThe HEI is continuing to focus its efforts on theoil & gas and mining sectors, where manyoperations are being conducted in extremelyharsh environments. These two OperationsNodes seek either existing projects for which priorities were set, or accelerate thoseprojects that were prioritised at a series ofspecialist Workshops held in Canada andEurope. The Workshops included OffshoreAviation Research; Mining Operations; Oil &Gas Operations; Deep-Water Operations,Arctic Development and UndergroundTunnelling; and the Application of AdvancedSpace Technologies to Improving Efficiencies inthe Petroleum and Mining Industries.

The selection criteria developed ensured thatonly those projects that meet all of the followingrequirements were presented to theInternational Advisory Board for approval:– Relevance: There must be potential major

benefits to the project from adapting, oradopting, space-developed technologies, orthrough developing new technologies thatmight have applications in space.

– Support: The project must have a receptorindustry as an end-user, or a partnership ofindustries as end-users.

– Timing: The project must be capable ofbeing substantially demonstrated during theprogramme activities.

Figure 2. The negative effect of late industry involvement

r bulletin 99 — september 1999 bull

demonstration projects are industry-driven. Thekey to a successful transfer is to involveindustry at an early stage in the demonstrationproject’s development. This will ensure thatfuture commercialisation opportunities can befacilitated.

The consequences of late industry involvementcan be seen in Figure 2, where a ‘commerciali-sation lag’ may delay effective adoption of thetechnology, or may even result in the projectnever being commercialised. This is a result ofwaiting too long to include industry in theproject or to seek venture capital where it isneeded. The latter should happen very early inthe project, as shown in Figure 1, well beforethe technology is expected to be developed tothe point where it can be commercialised.

Based upon the above philosophy fortechnology transfer, C-CORE established aCommercialisation Committee for Phase-2, tofocus specifically on early commercialisation.This Committee requires that the projectmanagers:

– demonstrate a commercial need for thetechnology

– provide a preliminary assessment ofpotential market size

– identify the potential to generate newproducts and services

– describe how space technologies will beintegrated

– indicate the involvement of end-users andcommercialisers

– furnish a plan for the demonstration ofproducts and services

– focus specifically on the potentialmechanisms for commercialisation, and

– assess the impact of the transfer (economic,visibility etc.).

Case studiesSensori-Motor Augmented Reality for Tele-robotics (SMART)In mining, large and slow-moving mechanicalunits such as shovels, drilling rigs, rockbreakers, load/haul/dump vehicles, etc.operate under hazardous conditions and atspeeds that directly affect the operation’sproductivity. The tasks to be performed –drilling, scaling, bolting, fragmenting, scooping,etc. – involve complex mechanical interactionswith the environment, and require operatorskills based upon extensive experience andintuitive knowledge. These skills cannot bemodelled easily, precluding at this stage thepossibility of full automation. Tele-operation ofthis equipment can, however, be adopted as aninterim technology.

– Leverage: The project must have significantpotential to lever industrial funding greaterthan, or equal to, the ESA seed funding.

– Commercialisation: The project must havecommercial potential and the partners toundertake commercialisation.

The challenges of space-technology transferThe C-CORE Technology Transfer Model isillustrated in Figure 1. All of the HEI

UniversityGranting

Agencies &Governments

Industry &

Governments

Industry

FINANCING

KN

OW

LED

GE

Introduce Industry& Venture Capitalists

Transfer toIndustry

(if possible)

Commercialisation

An ideais born

CuriosityResearch

TargetedResearch

IndustryImprovements& Marketing

UniversityImprovements& Upgrades

TIME

?(Project may

never becommercialised)

10%

R&DCosts

80%

10%

Lag

Figure 1. The C-CORE Technology Transfer Model

UniversityGranting

Agencies &Governments

Industry &

Governments

Industry

FINANCING

KN

OW

LED

GE

IntroduceIndustry

IntroduceVenture

Capitalists

Transfer toIndustry

Commercialisation

An ideais born

CuriosityResearch

TargetedResearch

IndustryImprovements& Marketing

UniversityImprovements& Upgrades

TIMEVenture Capital if Required

10%

R&DCosts80%

10%


Conventional tele-operation maintains a directlink between the operator and the equipment,which has three major disadvantages:

– the slow motion and the complex machine/environment interactions require continualoperator/equipment dialogues, whichdemand the operator’s attention for most ofthe task; such tasks are typically verytedious, resulting in a reduced attention span

– the task is prone to collisions and controlerrors, with potentially detrimentalconsequences to the equipment, theenvironment or the task itself; and

– transmission delays to and from theoperator’s site adversely affect efficiency,stability and safety.

The SMART program seeks to alleviate theseproblems by developing an alternative methodof operator/equipment interaction thatdecouples task specification and taskexecution. This requires two primarytechnological advances:

– interactive 3D sensing: minimising thevolume and frequency of sensory-datatransmitted to the operator andsupplementing it with real-time, synthesisedinformation upon request; and

– enhanced sensory-motor interaction:mediating between task specification andtask execution using a virtual representationof the equipment in the task representationperceived by the operator.

Both of these areas address the disadvantagesassociated with the transmission delays, andcreate a form of operator/equipment interactionthat reduces the operator’s involvement duringthe lengthy execution phase. They will also offerthe option of simulating the task prior to itsexecution, considerably reducing risk. Overall,the development will lead to more efficient,safer, and realistic alternatives to present-dayoperating methods.

Project descriptionThe work during the period from February 1999to January 2000 will consist of in-depthanalysis and adaptation of three technologies:– a head-mounted stereo display system

(CASA-Space Division)– a force-feedback joystick (Matra Marconi

Space)– robot-control software (collaboration with

Space Applications Service, Belgium)

which were identified during Phase-1 followingan evaluation of 21 space technologies.Adaptations may include hardwaremodifications and will necessitate substantial

software development in order to integrate andtest the technologies with the rest of theSMART development, in close consultationwith the manufacturers.

The integration of the head-mountedtechnology in SMART will consist of developinga graphical computation system that couldsupport the real-time overlay of graphics on thehead-mounted stereo display system. We willbe using a system of two synchronised PC’swith enhanced graphical capabilities, eachresponsible for presenting one of the views inthe display system. This requires software andhardware developments for synchronisationand graphical overlaying at video rates. Thesystem developed will not be limited to theSMART application and can easily be extendedto similar immersive virtual-reality applications.

The integration of the force-feedback system inSMART will involve developing software forproviding force feedback in tele-operatedmining operations such as surface drilling orblock caving. The feedback should enhancethe augmented reality environment created inSMART, and so enable more precise tele-operation of equipment and facilitate improvedsafety features, preventing the operator frommaking potentially dangerous movements. Theintegration software should incorporateadditional graphical information, which shouldbe displayed in the enhanced perceptionenvironment for further reinforcement of theforce-feedback information. The softwareshould also be constructed in a way that allowsits easy adaptation to other applications.

The integration of the SAS robot controlsoftware (FAMOUS) with SMART will involvedeveloping a link with the discrete-event toolunder development in SMART, which will beenhanced to include control-signal generation,system-performance monitoring and facilitiesfor the supervision of human intervention. Thistool will include the modelling of both thehuman operator and the mining operations asdiscrete-event dynamic systems, including aprovision for controlling the interactionsbetween the human operator, mining vehiclesand the partially-modelled mine environment.A second, related activity will be thedevelopment of a graphical user interface thatwill provide an appropriate task-specificationtool for mine-vehicle operators, with the abilityto translate this graphical representation of thetask(s) into both FAMOUS scripts and SMARTDES representations.

Transfer of FAMOUS into the SMART projectFAMOUS (Flexible Automation Monitoring andOperation User Station) is space-robotics

Figure 3. The application ofFAMOUS to SMART


– establishing the requirements, specificationsand architecture for the FAMOUS/SMARTcontrol station

– prototyping a selection of FAMOUS/SMARTcomponents

– proof-of-concept demonstrations to ensurethat the functional-capability targets can beachieved

– demonstrations to potential customers in themining sector

– completion of the FAMOUS/SMART controlstation

– determination of pricing policy and thepreparation of marketing material, and

– customer development for worldwideexploitation.

The use of advanced ice-phobic materials foranti-icingNewTel Communications microwave communi-cation towers and antennas located inLabrador develop very large build-ups of rimeice during wintertime. These ice accretionsfrequently result in the loss of communicationsor, worse still, can cause extensive physicaldamage to the towers and antennas.

Likewise, Cougar Helicopters Inc., who providehelicopter transportation services to and fromthe Hibernia Platform on the Grand Banks,frequently encounter in-flight icing conditions.Although their helicopters are the only ones inNorth America cleared to fly in known icingconditions, the penalty of having to installelectrical anti-icing equipment is a reducedpayload capability and lowered aircraftperformance. Any means of eliminating thisheavy equipment through the use of lightweightice-phobic materials will lead to more efficientoperation.

software developed by Space SystemsServices (SAS, Belgium), under contract toESA. C-CORE has undertaken work to adaptFAMOUS for use in the tele-operation of miningequipment utilising the SMART conceptillustrated in Figure 3.

The plan for transferring FAMOUS to miningapplications involves:

Figure 4. NewTel’smicrowave tower at Monkey

Hill, Labrador

Augmented Reality Telerobotic Control Concept


Project descriptionsThe objective of these projects is to evaluatethe effectiveness of state-of-the-art ice-phobicmaterials, developed initially for spaceapplications, for anti-icing applications in thetelecommunications and aviation sectors.

High buildups of rime ice on the NewTelmicrowave towers can cause loss ofcommunications. The worst sites are locatedat Sand Hill near Cartwright, and at Monkey Hillnear Makkovik, where ice thicknesses of morethan 1.5 m have been measured. Figure 4shows the ice accumulation on the tower atMonkey Hill in January 1998.

NewTel has upgraded its facilities to operate at6 GHz, rather than the current 900 MHz, and

Figure 5. Advancedmaterials with ice-phobicproperties subjected to ice(left and below) and snow(right) accretions in thelaboratory

this increased frequency is of concern since thedecreased wavelength is likely to result inincreased sensitivity to ice accumulation.

C-CORE is currently designing and installing amechanical system to prevent radome iceaccumulation, and also installed a new testpanel at Monkey Hill in May 1999 to furtherevaluate the ice-phobic properties of variousadvanced materials. Figure 5 shows snow/iceaccretions produced in the laboratory on someof the material samples obtained from Daimler-Benz and RST Systemtechnik (Germany),Diavac (UK) and Cametoid Ltd. (Canada).These samples are listed in Table 1.

In addition, the electromagnetic transmissivitiesof these materials will shortly be measured at

frequencies ranging from 900 MHz to 6 GHz.The propagation of microwave signals throughice of various thicknesses has already beencharacterised over this range of frequencies.

The ice-phobic properties of these materials,measured through a simple scratch test, areindicated in Figure 6.

Laboratory tests to determine both the staticand dynamic coefficients of friction between iceand the test materials were also undertaken byC-CORE at the National Research Council ofCanada’s Institute for Marine Dynamics. Theexperimental set-up is shown in Figure 7, andthe friction coefficients measured are reportedin Figure 8.

Figure 9 shows the test site with the panel (nextto the person standing) covered in rime ice builtup over a six-week period. Access to thisremote site is by helicopter only and, as such,visits are made on an opportunistic basis.Figure 10 shows the test panel cleared of therime ice that had built up around the edges ofthe test frame and then completely covered thetest samples. The clear areas on the samplesindicate lack of adhesion of the ice to theirsurfaces.

The materials being tested for ice-phobicproperties at the Labrador site were alsomounted at strategic points on CougarHelicopter Inc.’s Super Pumas (Fig. 11) toevaluate their potential for in-flight icing. Trips toand from the Hibernia Platform from St. John’s,Newfoundland involve low-level flying (typicallyat 1500 m) and the probability of encounteringicing conditions, particularly during the wintermonths, is high. The electrical anti-icing (or de-icing) system currently installed on thehelicopters results in a 6 knot reduction incruising speed and a 115 kg reduction inpayload. When all flights are operating at theirpayload and range limits, any means ofeliminating these drawbacks is welcome. It isrecognised that the introduction of newmaterials onto the aircraft structures will requireapproval from the relevant certificationauthorities (Transport Canada for Canadianoperations) and that this may take time.Nevertheless, enhancing the performance ofthe aircraft will be an ongoing task.

The technology-transfer processUnlike the transfer of software, or a specifictechnology, the use of advanced materials innew terrestrial applications is a joint endeavourbetween the supplier and the end-user. In thecurrent applications, C-CORE became the R&Dprovider to industry. Testing of the advancedmaterials under operational conditions, through


Figure 6. Ice-phobic properties of the sample materials

Figure 7. Experimental set-up for measuring static and dynamic friction coefficientsbetween the test materials and ice

Table 1. List of samples obtained to date

Company Material Type Comments

Cametoid Ltd. Kapton-coated aluminium Flexible (Canada)

Raumfahrt Loran-S RigidSystemtechnik GmbH(Germany)

Daimler-Benz PTFE-coated glass fabric Flexible(Germany) PTFE-coated PTFE fabric Flexible

TFM-coated glass fabric FlexibleTFM-coated aramide fabric FlexibleFluor-elastomer-coated glass Rigid

Diavac ACM Ltd. DLC coated Mylar film: All samples (UK) 5 min at 200 V one side flexible

20 min at 200 V one side5 min 300 V one side10 min 300 V one side5 min 300 V both sides

Figure 9. The Monkey Hill test site showing the rime-ice-encrustedtest panel (left)

the demonstration projects initiated by C-CORE under the HEI, proved to be ofsignificant commercial value to the suppliers.Furthermore, the use of these materials in non-traditional sectors opened up new marketopportunities for the suppliers. Two types oftechnology transfers were undertaken:– a straightforward purchase of sample

materials from the suppliers for testingpurposes, and

– the negotiation of a cooperative agreementbetween C-CORE and the suppliers,whereby C-CORE conducted the materialstesting under operational conditions and inthe laboratory and provided the results tothe suppliers. As C-CORE opened up newmarket opportunities for the suppliers, bothC-CORE and ESA (through its investment inthe development of the advanced materialsin the first place) stand to recover royalties.

In the former case, if the suppliers seek toincrease their market opportunities resulting


Figure 8. Static and dynamic coefficients of friction between the test materials andice. DB1-5, MF0-4, etc. are codes for the various test samples

Figure 10. The test panels partially cleared of rime ice (right)

Figure 11. A Super Pumaoperating under typical

weather conditions on theGrand Banks

from the demonstration projects, then C-COREwill enter into a ‘commercialisation agreement’whereby royalties from sales flow to both ESAand C-CORE. Since the testing of thematerials was not conducted under a truepartnership agreement (test samples werepurchased from the supplier rather than beingprovided free of charge), the foregroundtechnology (foreground intellectual property)would rest with C-CORE and its partners in thedemonstration projects, and the royaltiesflowing back to C-CORE would be set at ahigher level than those under a truepartnership.

In the latter case, the foreground technology(foreground intellectual property) would belongto all partners, since each would becontributing to the project. In effect, C-COREwould be acting as the manager of an R&Dconsortium conducting materials research forthe industry suppliers and the end-users.However, any out-of-pocket expenses incurredby C-CORE would need to be covered by theindustrial partners.

As with the FAMOUS/SMART projectdescribed earlier, the partners would seekwider markets worldwide in order to fullycommercialise the results.

In addition to the aviation sector, the power andcommunications utilities are very interested inapplying ice-phobic materials to theirtransmission and communication towers. Thedisastrous ice-storm of January 1998 in Ontarioand Quebec has highlighted the need for suchadvanced ice-phobic materials. Likewise,drilling ships, oil rigs and fishing fleets operating

in regions prone to spray icing can also benefitconsiderably from using materials moreresistant to ice build-up. The enhancement inoperational safety is significant.

ConclusionPhase-1 of the Harsh Environments Initiative(HEI) resulted in the activation of eight projectsin the oil & gas and mining sectors. The mainobjective is to improve terrestrial operations inthese sectors by improving both efficiency and cost-effectiveness, without incurring any reduction in safety or unacceptableenvironmental consequences. A technology-transfer model that was developed by C-COREmore than a decade ago has been adopted toprovide a smooth flow of technologiesdeveloped for space to terrestrial applications.

Automation has a very high priority with miningcompanies and several space technologies arebeing explored to assist in meeting the goal offull mine automation within the next few years.Offshore aviation is a major issue for oil & gasdevelopment in cold oceans. Means forimproving efficiency and safety are beingresearched, one aspect being the use of ice-phobic materials to improve flying operations inicing conditions. The materials tested to datehave shown a wide variation in their ability toshed ice. The work also has relevance forpower-transmission and communicationstowers and for shipping operations in northernwaters. r


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