Water & Wastewater Asia January/February 2024

SINGAPORE FOCUS
solutions provide real-time data
on assets like sewers, water pipes,
meters and decentralised water
treatment skids. SpaceAge Labs has
branched out from the water sector
into adjacencies, using precise
GPS location data and advanced
geospatial analysis technology to
improve work efficiency for grass
cutting and snow clearing.
SpaceAge Labs’ dedication to
collaboration has been instrumental
in their success. Pilot projects
with industry giants like Xylem and
Evoqua; now part of Xylem, coupled
with partnerships with industry and
PUB on various projects related to
sewer networking management,
sewer analytics, illegal discharge
detection sensors and geofencing
applications, have provided industry
validation. These projects have
also paved the way for further
expansion in the UK, US, and
Australia. Their recent Series A
funding from US industrial water
solutions provider Gradiant further
strengthens their position in the
global water tech landscape.
SGWX: A CATALYST FOR
INNOVATION
The success of both Hydroleap
and SpaceAge Labs highlights
the role SgWX plays in nurturing
water innovation. PUB’s
commercialisation framework
provides critical piloting
opportunities for startups, while
collaborations with EnterpriseSG
and Imagine H2O accelerator
programme accelerate their
growth.
Moreover, PUB’s commitment to
investor engagement, including
planned industry sharing sessions
and the upcoming dedicated
water-focused investor event,
showcases its dedication to connecting
startups with potential investors, with a
‘Water Investors Series’ scheduled for
mid-2024.
A WAVE OF OPPORTUNITY FOR
WATER TECH STARTUPS
Hydroleap and SpaceAge Labs’ stories
serve as an inspiration for aspiring
water tech entrepreneurs. Their
journey demonstrates the potential
for innovation and the ecosystem
that Singapore offers. As the global
demand for sustainable water
solutions continues to grow, there is
no better time to navigate the wave of
opportunity within this sector.
ProAspect
AID.IOT sensors
Water and waste treatment industries focus
on energy and maintenance optimisation
challenges to tackle plant budget and utility
bills. These industries strive to reduce
carbon emission, define circular economy
pathway and sustainability tracking as well
as meet regulatory obligations to quantify
carbon offset and prove net zero.
To improve existing operational energy
efficiency and slash down maintenance
spending with predictive and proactive
strategy, Singapore-based startup firm
— ProAspect aid research — collaborates
with local and international institutes
of higher learning to provide Industrial
Internet of Things (IIoT) sensor product
solutions with web portal deployed at
cloud platforms for condition assessment
of rotating machineries. It sends alert
notification based on impending anomaly
and defect, maximising asset uptime,
lifespan and spare parts replacement cycles
to extend longevity of the machineries
and lower cumulative carbon footprint.
In 2023, ProAspect extensive pilot trials
were completed, in which they predicted
deterioration, operation upset to avoid
catastrophic failure, and expensive repairs.
One of its clients had an operational
deficiency issue. Its compressor system —
driven by variable-frequency drive (VFD)
motor of 6.6 kilovolt (kV), 2,800kW and
2,980 revolutions per min (rpm) at specific
operational state — reportedly failed to
reach design pressures and flow rate.
ProAspect REAP AID device was thus
deployed to assess the motor current
during a complete operational cycle for
2 days to correlate with supervisory
control and data acquisition (SCADA)
process parameter. The identified peculiar
Integrated approach to resolve machinery
fault and energy loss (Image: ProAspect)
issues were crack in rotor bar that caused
mechanical torsional oscillation, excited
torsional resonance mode of compressor
rotor, and motor skid lateral resonance
at specific operational load and speed.
The problem was resolved after extensive
field inspection and design review. Client
eventually repaired the end ring rotor bar
defects and altered the motor mounting skid
design to avoid damage to the gearbox and
compressor system internal components,
extending the longevity of its compressor
system.
Water & Wastewater Asia | January-February 2024 13