BSc MSc PhD FHEA

Position: Lecturer in IoT Pipeline Data Management

Office: Room 325, Dean Street

• tel: +44 (0) 1248 38 3989
• email: n.d.bristow@bangor.ac.uk
• networks: Google Scholar | LinkedIn| ResearchGate

As a practical person my interests are on the applied side of engineering – how can we use technology to solve the problems that society faces. I am a passionate advocate for all forms of renewable energy. My background is in electronic engineering, data analysis and computer programming and I spent nearly three decades working in industry before returning to academia. I am currently interested in the use of modern data analysis and visualisation techniques when applied to large datasets, especially those coming from the ever growing number of envirionmental IoT sensors. My practical research interests are in the fields of applied photovoltaics, embedded microelectronics and wireless sensor networks, and I am particularly interested in the use of organic photovoltaics for solar energy harvesting.

I believe that climate change is the biggest challenge mankind has ever faced and it is absolutely essential that those of us who are able to make a contribution do so. This aligns well with the Bangor University Strategy 2030 of building “A Sustainable World for Future Generations”. I have always had an enquiring mind and academic research fulfils my quest for knowledge. I believe that collaboration is a key component of research success and throughout my career I have built lasting relationships with others, to the benefit of both parties.

Renewable Energy

I am a passionate advocate for all forms of renewable energy (RE) and this has been one of the main drivers behind my research – how can we promote the optimum use of RE to get to Net Zero? I am an expert in the field of solar photovoltaics (PV), with in-depth practical and theoretical knowledge, and I have published many papers in this area. In the broader areas of RE I am involved in research looking at the potential for different types of RE (e.g. offshore wind farms and tidal turbines in the Irish Sea).

Wireless Sensing & Internet of Things (IoT)

The widespread deployment of IoT sensors will play a crucial role in future environmental research, enabling real-time monitoring of environmental conditions, and allowing rapid response to the changes that are detected. Widespread deployment of sensors ideally requires self-powered wireless communications, often using solar power. I am especially interested in the LoRaWAN radio communications protocol, allowing low power wide area networks to be created. I am interested in developing solutions for managing this large volume of data, so that it can be used effectively.

Digital Twins

Developing the IoT theme leads to the deployment of many sensors generating a large volume of data. An ideal way to utilise this data, without becoming overwhelmed by the volume of it, is to utilise it in a Digital Twin. This is a relatively new area of research and has different definitions depending on where it is applied. In the field of environmental sensing it allows for the development of computer models, closely linked to sensors reporting in real-time, allowing the models to reflect real world conditions more closely. This allows the models to be used for investigation of existing and future real-life scenarios. The input of live streaming data allows the models to learn and adapt to changing conditions, giving better results when queried.

Teaching:

• ICE-1112: Introduction to Embedded Systems (Year 1)
• ICE-3501: Internet of Things (Year 3)
• ICE-4331: Embedded Systems (Year 3/MSc)

Supervision (Taught):

• ICE-4001: MSc Individual Project