Summary
- Profile Type
- Technology offer
- POD Reference
- TODE20230131012
- Term of Validity
- 31 January 2023 - 30 January 2025
- Company's Country
- Germany
- Type of partnership
- Commercial agreement with technical assistance
- Targeted Countries
- All countries
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General information
- Short Summary
- The battery- and wireless sensor system developed by a German university detects water leaks in buildings, heating systems or the water supply. The permanent and maintenance-free monitoring of bathroom seals, washing machines, basement rooms as well as any kind of water-bearing pipes can be realized reliably and cost-effectively. Licensees are sought.
- Full Description
-
There are more than one million incidents of piped water damage in Germany alone each year, accounting for claims of more than 3.3 billion euros to building and household goods insurers (as of 2020).
An invention from a German university can detect water leakage early on, greatly reducing the amount of damage.
The inventors from the university use a device for detecting moisture. An ultra high frequency (UHF) antenna made of gold serves as the first electrode for the moisture sensor, a zinc electrode as the second. When there is moisture, current arises in the zinc/gold cell and is stepped up with a charge pump and stored in a capacitor. A transmitter with data storage then sends a signal to a receiver unit. What is special here is that the RFID antenna and the zinc/gold cell are arranged in parallel so that the sensor sends a signal when it detects moisture, and the sensor system actively controls the RFID antenna and thus localizes and identifies that moisture. Another decisive advantage the system has over battery-powered ones is its much longer storage and usage time (more than ten years). After the galvanic cell is activated (contact is made between the electrodes and water), corrosion of the metal electrodes limits service life; depending on the conditions under which the cell operates, service life is then several days or a few weeks. The resulting electrical power is easy to scale by adjusting the size of the electrodes and the energy storage. A cell of a few square centimeters generates enough energy to collect three to five data packages in sequence in a few minutes. The sensor printed circuit board (PCB) that has been developed has no external sensors and transmits only the individual ID number when there is contact with water.
The sensor system described here can be used continuously to detect water leakage in buildings (bathrooms, heating rooms, sanitary facilities, etc.). It allows constant, maintenance-free monitoring of bathroom seals, washing machines, basement areas, and all types of water-bearing pipes and hoses. It does so safely, reliably, and at little cost, reducing water damage in the building infrastructure.
Sensor manufacturers and companies with smart home applications are sought for licensing agreements. - Advantages and Innovations
-
• Battery-free sensor system
• Autonomous, battery-free sensor
• Longer service life
• Sensor system localization - Stage of Development
- Lab tested
- Sustainable Development Goals
- Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
- IPR status
- IPR applied but not yet granted
- IPR notes
- Initial laboratory samples of the sensor system have been created, and test series have verified process functionality. It has been registered with the German Patent and Trade Mark Office. It can be registered in other countries in the priority year or upon later PCT registration.
Partner Sought
- Expected Role of a Partner
- Interested companies are sought for the opportunity to license and refine the technology in collaboration with the inventors and the university. Partners could be sensor manufacturers and companies active in smart home appliances.
- Type and Size of Partner
- SME 50 - 249
- SME 11-49
- Big company
- Type of partnership
- Commercial agreement with technical assistance
Dissemination
- Technology keywords
- 09001009 - Sensor Technology related to measurements
- 10004012 - Water in Buildings
- Market keywords
- 07006 - Other Consumer Related (not elsewhere classified)
- 08002002 - Industrial measurement and sensing equipment
- 09008004 - Other utilities and related firms
- 03007002 - Other measuring devices
- Targeted countries
- All countries