A new roadmap for quantum technologies setting out how UK businesses can lead the world in multi-billion pound industries over the next 25 years has flagged up potential applications in the water sector.
The roadmap published by the UK National Quantum Technologies Programme sets out the promising quantum technologies and the likely applications they will have in industries such as finance, defence, aerospace, energy and telecommunications.
Quantum theory explains how light and matter behave - the Government is investing £270 million in quantum technologies to help the UK reap the commercial benefits of recent advances in the science.
The roadmap identifies a series of technologies that have the potential for commercial application over the next few years.They include:
- gravity imaging for use in oil and gas exploration
- quantum sensors for navigation
- quantum computing for the solution of complex problems or large challenges beyond existing computers
Quantum sensors could map legacy underground infrastructure
The roadmap for quantum sensors highlights some interesting applications which could also have potential in the water sector via through-ground imagers, gravity mapping and electromagnetic sensors.
The roadmap says that over the next 10 years, quantum gravity field and gradient sensors will be developed which can be used to build a 3D map of the density of material around them and will have a significant impact on the world’s construction and oil and gas sectors. It also points out that the trend towards urban dwelling means more building on brownfield sites or in areas of existing infrastructure. Legacy infrastructure hidden below the ground and forgotten imposes a substantial cost: 60% of holes dug to access existing infrastructure are in the wrong place, according to the roadmap .
Gravity sensors could monitor movement of water underground
Gravity sensors will also significantly impact the £318 million market for remote sensing technologies for oil, gas and mineral exploration for the discovery of new reserves, and for the efficient extraction from existing reserves. For example, quantum technologies may allow companies to monitor the movement of oil and water underground during extraction. This may make it easier to use novel techniques to more efficiently extract oil from difficult environments. There is already competition in this field and evidence that testing of quantum gravity mapping devices is already underway in the US, the roadmap says.
The potential market for quantum sensors in space e.g. environmental monitoring, ice mass monitoring, earthquake prediction is put at between £10m-£100m a year, while the estimated market for void detection/gravity imaging in civil engineering, oil and gas applications is put at up to £10m a year
On quantum inertial sensors, the roadmap says that quantum inertial measurement units (IMU) are expected to arise between 5 and 10 years from now and to offer a thousand-fold improvement on existing IMUs. They will allow a more versatile and more durable alternative to navigation by GPS.
The defence and aerospace industry is expected to provide an initial market for new quantum navigation systems between 2018 and 2030 for use where satellite navigation systems are impractical. They could be used in submersibles, for precision navigation for robotics in buildings, underground or in other situations where artificial denial of GPS may be an issue.
The market for accelerometers, gyros and IMU sensors was $5 billion in 2012 and is an area where quantum technologies are expected to have a major impact.
The potential market for unjammable naval navigation systems with GPS-like accuracy and underwater functionality is estimated at up to £10m a year, while the market for underground navigation systems for more greater accuracy and safety while mining or tunnelling is put at between £10m-£100m a year.
Click here to download A roadmap for quantum technologies in the UK
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