Water companies will be able to cut down two-thirds of their water monitoring operation costs with the latest state-of-the-art water sensing technologies developed at Nanyang Technological University (NTU).
With the world's first 3-in-one water quality monitoring system built up and commercialised by NTU's spin-off company, Membrane Instruments and Technology (MINT), water treatment plants can potentially save up to $200,000 each year.
MINT's new system is able to monitor water quality in the water treatment process and identify if there are any bacteria or contaminants; detect any broken membrane filters in the treatment plant; and pinpoint which filter is broken – accurate to 1 in 100,000 filters.
Called Memshield, this integrated system performs all three crucial processes using a single device.
All water treatment plants using membrane technology, are required to be able to perform the three processes to comply with international standards, such as those set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. However, the processes are now being done separately using different methods.
Founder and General Manager of MINT, Dr Adrian Yeo, an NTU graduate, said this is where automated technology can play a part to increase productivity and reduce cost at the same time. The accurate, real-time data feed and analysis provided by the system will also give water plant managers crucial insight into their water supplies.
"The conventional methods of water monitoring, and to detect and pinpoint faulty membrane filters, requires manpower in three separate processes, which is both labour and cost intensive," said Dr Yeo.
"Having a fully integrated and automated system that requires only one technician to operate will reduce manpower costs significantly. Also current technology is unable to pinpoint which membrane filter has failed which means time is spent on troubleshooting. This new technology by MINT will reduce the time spent on troubleshooting and any unscheduled downtime across the plant facility."
"By replacing a defective membrane filter in time, the plant operator can avoid damaging downstream water treatment processes. It would also mean that individual failed filters can now be replaced as and when it is required, compared to the conventional standard procedure of replacing multiple filters at regular intervals," Dr Yeo added.
The technology is funded by the Environment & Water Industry Programme Office's (EWI) Tech Pioneer Scheme, and supported by the Singapore National Research Foundation under its Environmental & Water Technologies Strategic Research Programme. EWI was set up in 2006 to spearhead the growth of Singapore's water industry. Through funding promising research projects, the EWI aims to foster leading-edge technologies and create a thriving and vibrant research community in Singapore.
"The Membrane Integrity Sensor, a key component of the Memshield system, has the potential to provide effective monitoring of low pressure membrane systems without increasing cost of operation for water treatment plants. We welcome individuals and organisations to step forward with more of such exciting R&D ideas that will benefit Singapore's water eco-system and potentially the global water industry," said Mr Harry Seah, Chief Technology Officer, PUB, Singapore's national water agency and Director of Technology Development, EWI.
To be showcased at the upcoming Singapore International Water Week held from 1-5 July at Sands Expo & Convention Center, Marina Bay Sands, Memshield is now being tested by PUB, at the Bedok Waterworks and Chestnut Avenue Waterworks.
Two other large water companies in France and Australia have also recently purchased the system for trial.
A typical water treatment plant which processes 200,000 cubic meters of water daily will require about 10 to 12 Memshield units, with each costing approximately $10,000. This means a short payback period of just six months.
With the new sales, MINT is expected to make $1 million in revenue this year. The young company, founded in 2009 on water sensor technologies developed at NTU's Singapore Membrane Technology Centre, is presently valued at $4 million, double its value from last year.
MINT has also recently received a new injection of funds by venture capitalist Nanostart Asia Pacific, after it successfully completed its Series A funding, typically ranging from $500,000 to $5 million in Singapore.
Apart from ramping up commercialisation of water technologies, Dr Yeo is also interested in grooming future environmental engineers and entrepreneurs, much like how he was mentored at NTU by his professors.
The entrepreneur has since taken in 10 NTU undergraduate students as interns over the past two years, and their work have also contributed to the research and development of the Memshield system.
"By allowing them hands-on experience in cutting edge technology in demand by the industry, I hope that they will be inspired to continue innovating and to develop out-of-the-box products to further improve human living environments, both for the rural villages and the increasing urbanised cities," Dr Yeo said.
Media contact:
Lester Kok
Assistant Manager
Corporate Communications Office
Nanyang Technological University
Tel: 6790 6804
Email: lesterkok@ntu.edu.sg
About Nanyang Technological University
A research-intensive public university, Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has 33,500 undergraduate and postgraduate students in the colleges of Engineering, Business, Science, and Humanities, Arts, & Social Sciences. In 2013, NTU will enrol the first batch of students at its new medical school, the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, which is set up jointly with Imperial College London.
NTU is also home to four world-class autonomous institutes – the National Institute of Education, S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Earth Observatory of Singapore, and Singapore Centre on Environmental Life Sciences Engineering – and various leading research centres such as the Nanyang Environment & Water Research Institute (NEWRI), Energy Research Institute @ NTU (ERI@N) and Institute on Asian Consumer Insight (ACI).
A fast-growing university with an international outlook, NTU is putting its global stamp on Five Peaks of Excellence: Sustainable Earth, Future Healthcare, New Media, New Silk Road, and Innovation Asia.
Besides the main Yunnan Garden campus, NTU also has a satellite campus in Singapore's science and tech hub, one-north and is setting up a third campus in Novena, Singapore's medical district. For more information, visit www.ntu.edu.sg
ANNEX A
Membrane Instruments and Technology (MINT), is a spin-off company based on water sensor technologies developed at the Singapore Membrane Technology Centre (SMTC), NTU.
Started in 2009 by scientist and engineer Dr Adrian Yeo with its flagship product, the Membrane Integrity Sensor, the company specialises in water sensor technology for the water industry.
Dr Yeo, who completed both his Bachelor (First Class Honours) and PhD degrees in engineering at NTU, is also the first recipient of the Don Quixote Fund Award 2009, worth US$100,000.
The Don Quixote Fund was set up in 2008 by the first winner of the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize, Dr Andrew Benedek.
The fund provides start-up venture capital to enable graduate students and early career scientists to develop high risk innovative technology ideas that have the potential to dramatically impact the water sector in the future.
Dr Yeo also well-acquainted with humanitarian work and has won the Nanyang Awards in 2005 for Humanity. His invention, the hand-pumped membrane filter, played an important part in solving the drinking water problem for many tsunami victims after the 2005 tsunami which happened in Aceh, Indonesia. His self-directed effort had led him to personally deliver water to 100,000 people in Aceh, in addition to training the locals in the use of his equipment.