Water Quality and Industrial Fluid Diagnostic Sensors

• Publication date: June 2010

This research service identifies key technological advances, drivers and challenges in the water quality diagnostic sensors domain, and provides emerging trends in this space. Research Overview--Research Snapshot • The importance of novel water sensing solutions is gaining increasing importance as the rising water prices per cubic meter. As the trend toward water cost increase is strong and long-term, it is expected that it wi...

This research service identifies key technological advances, drivers and challenges in the water quality diagnostic sensors domain, and provides emerging trends in this space.
Research Overview--Research Snapshot

• The importance of novel water sensing solutions is gaining increasing importance as the rising water prices per cubic meter. As the trend toward water cost increase is strong and long-term, it is expected that it will accelerate adoption of innovative sensors.
• Current state-of-the-art technology in chemical water sensors dates a few years back. Reliable but bulky and maintenance-demanding conventional electrode technology dominates the market and effectively defends its position against novel solutions.
• The strong position of conventional electrode sensor technology shows the key challenges that affect the market. Water environment is extremely susceptible to chemical and/or biological reaction. Such reactions are responsible for large sums of maintenance money due to corrosion or algae contamination. Any phenomenon that chemically affects pipes, vessels, reaction towers, pumps or valves also affects sensors that are used for water parameter evaluation. It makes frequent and regular sensor replacement or re-calibration necessary and increases overall installation downtime.
• Another significant challenge that comes from the long-time presence of conventional sensors is industry adoption. Maintenance engineers are used to conventional electrodes and accustomed to taking samples to the laboratory for chemical analysis. The latter is additionally reinforced by regulations.
• Regulations, attitude of engineers, and technology are believed to change significantly on the wave of new demands and available solutions. Mega Trends such as the aforementioned water price increase as well as the growing risk of sabotage and terrorism in developed countries will finally retire current technology and accelerate the adoption of new water quality measurement approaches.
• Micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) sensors and laboratories miniaturized to a chip size (lab-on-a-chip systems) are key enabling technologies for smart water quality meters; such sensors and meters are able to self-clean, self-calibrate and intelligently capture, process, and share data.
• As water is said and believed to be “the next oil,” it is expected that water-related sectors will attract attention and money similar to those put into oil-related businesses and fields.
• This will take the water industry and related technologies to the next level and water quality sensors will be one of the key beneficiaries of this advancing technology transition.


Key findings from this evaluation are:

Challenges
Sectors that process water or make extensive use of water are not willing to pay much for novel sensing technologies—therefore, main developments origin from other industries, such as medical, space, or defense.
When it comes to sensor technology, many challenges are related to maintenance; the use of reagents, deposits that fix to sensors, the need for recalibration are some of the issues.
A significant restraint is the need for multiple sensors application for proper fluid diagnostics.
Drivers
Global Trends for enterprise sustainability and agility largely affect the water quality sensors market and technology.
Water scarcity and increasing pressure from urban population has been found to be a long-term driver for the water quality sensor market.

Trends

Optical sensors show high potential to be used for real-time monitoring, due to high measurement speed.
Optical or electrochemical sensors started to appear in miniaturized version; MEMS technologies as well as lab-on-chip solutions gain importance, offering detailed analytics in significantly reduced size.
Miniaturization advances together with sensor integration--in the coming years it is expected that heterogeneous sensor integration will progress.
Following heterogeneous integration, it is expected that homogeneous integration will proceed; multiple sensor arrangements on a single chip will be possible.

Water Distribution And Treatment Industry

Table of Contents
Executive Summary
Scope
Methodology
Research Overview
Research Snapshot
Key Findings
Technology Snapshot and Trends
Technology Capability: Basics and Applications
Key Adoption Factors and Technology Readiness Levels
Technology Roadmap
Stakeholder Initiatives
Stakeholder Initiatives
Stakeholder Developments Snapshot
Key Stakeholder Analysis
Key Patents
Contacts
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