Technology that measures the flow and mix of fluid within production lines will soon be commercialized.

The artificial intelligence (AI)-based technology created by Rheality, a spin out of the University of Birmingham in the U.K., reportedly optimizes fluid production, reduces power consumption and prevents raw material waste in process techniques employed by the food, oil and gas, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), and chemical manufacturing industries.

Source: GordonJ86/CC BY-SA 4.0

Rheality’s intelligent sensing system measures how fluid flows and mixes within production lines using a retrofitted passive probe that is placed inside a pipe. According to its developers, the probe vibrates based upon the fluid flowing around it, thereby producing a so-called fluid “fingerprint.” These vibrations are converted via sensor into an electrical signal, which is then converted via machine learning algorithms into an uninterrupted feed of actionable information, according to the company.

Current process techniques employed by food, oil and gas, FMCG, and chemical manufacturing industries require halting production to test the flow and mix of fluids within the pipeline. This testing method, according to Rheality, often leads to manufacturers needing to rework or abandon batches, thereby wasting raw materials and increasing energy consumption.

However, Rheality’s intelligent sensing system reportedly enables manufacturers to monitor fluid activity within pipelines in real-time without halting production or wasting raw materials.

Upon completion of trials of the technology currently underway in manufacturing plants throughout the U.K., Norway, Germany, Spain and North America, Rheality will partner with U.K. investment firm Clean Engineering to commercialize the probe.