TECHNOLOGY LICENSING OPPORTUNITY Universal 3D Printed Sensor Mounting Unit for Manual Valves A new sensor mounting unit used for valve manipulation that automates the valve positioning process and can easily fit onto any existing valve without modification. Opportunity: Idaho National Laboratory (INL), managed and operated by Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC (BEA), is offering the opportunity to enter a license and/or collaborative research agreement to bring this universal 3D printed sensor mounting unit to market. This technology transfer opportunity is part of a dedicated effort to convert government-funded research into job opportunities, businesses and ultimately an improved way of life for the American people. Overview: There are a wide range of manual valves used across many industries to control, start, stop, regulate, and throttle the flow of different fluids through plant systems in order to achieve the desired performance and operating margins. Plants are adopting advancements in sensor and communication technologies to obtain real-time valve position for manual valve as they are operated (not just open-close indicators). In many industries, valve manipulation is manually performed by technical staff, which opens the possibility of human error, operational and safety challenges, and regulatory compliance impacts – in addition to high labor costs. Many plants have a large catalog of manual valves and relying on technical staff for manual valve manipulation puts stations at a long-term economic disadvantage due to the rising cost of labor. Description: Researchers at INL have developed a universal design for a sensor mounting unit that can support installation of a wide range of non-intrusive valve position indicator sensors and its electronics with minimal modification. Some of the key features of this design are 1) there are no moving parts to adjust the dimensioning of the mounting unit; 2) the mounting unit is manufactured using the most common and cost-effective fused filament fabrication additive manufacturing technique; 3) it retrofits on the valve handle of different dimensions without making any modification to the installed valve; and 4) the design enables easy access to sensors and their electronics. Benefits: There are no moving parts to adjust the dimensioning of the unit. The mounting unit is manufactured using the most common and cost-effective fused filament fabrication technique. Retrofits on the valve handle of different dimension without making any modification to the installed valve. Easy to install and uninstall. Enables easy access to sensors and electronics. Applications: Manual valves across many industries that control, start, stop, regulate, and throttle the flow of different fluids. Development Status: TRL 8. The system has been completed through testing and demonstration. IP Status: INL is seeking to license the above intellectual property to a company with a demonstrated ability to bring such inventions to the market. Exclusive rights in defined fields of use may be available. Added value is placed on relationships with small businesses, start-up companies, and general entrepreneurship opportunities. Please visit Technology Deployment’s website at https://inl.gov/inl-initiatives/technology-deployment for more information on working with INL and the industrial partnering and technology transfer process. Companies interested in learning more about this licensing opportunity should contact Andrew Rankin at
[email protected].