Coeliac Journey Through Covid-19
I am writing this presentation for a meeting, in the next few days, so there will be several pages with similar titles to this.
Govia Thameslink Railway Issues a Prior Information Notice For New Trains
This article on Railway Gazette is entitled UK Railway News Round-Up and contains this section.
Govia Thameslink Railway has issued a prior information notice seeking the provision of between 21 and 30 four-car 25 kV 50 Hz 160 km/h through-gangwayed EMUs with air-conditioning and toilets for use on existing and/or additional Great Northern services from May 2024. Maintenance would be undertaken in-house at Hornsey depot, supported by a Technical Support & Spares Supply Agreement.
I find this all a bit puzzling.
- The trains that need replacing are surely the eighteen Class 313 trains, that run on the West Coastway Line, as they are some of the oldest trains on the UK network.
- If Govia Thameslink Railway were serious about decarbonisation, they would also replace the Class 171 diesel trains, that work the Marshlink Line and the Uckfield branch, with electric trains with a range of thirty miles on batteries.
How many trains would be needed to replace the Class 313 and Class 171 trains?
- The eighteen three-car Class 313 trains could be replaced with an equal number of new four-car trains and this might result in a rise in passenger numbers.
- I would assume the eighteen trains includes allowances for trains in maintenance and spare trains for when a train fails.
- It may be possible to replace the six four-car Class 171 trains used on the Marshfield Line with three new four-car trains, which have a range of thirty miles on batteries.
- The eleven two-car Class 171 trains used on the Uckfield branch could be replaced with three new four-car trains, which have a range of thirty miles on batteries and would run as four-car trains.
- If eight-car trains were needed on the Uckfield branch, there would be a need for six new four-car trains.
- If twelve-car trains were needed on the Uckfield branch, there would be a need for nine new four-car trains.
Note.
- If four-car trains are needed on the Uckfield branch, this means a total of 18+3+3 or 24 trains.
- If eight-car trains are needed on the Uckfield branch, this means a total of 18+3+6 or 27 trains.
- If twelve-car trains are needed on the Uckfield branch, this means a total of 18+3+9 or 30 trains.
Trains on these Southern routes wouldn’t be stabled at Hornsey depot, but could be moved to Hornsey for maintenance using Thameslink.
But the puzzling bit is that the prior information notice says that the trains will be.
Four-car 25 kV 50 Hz 160 km/h through-gangwayed EMUs with air-conditioning and toilets for use on existing and/or additional Great Northern services from May 2024.
Note.
- There is no mention of the trains being able to run on 750 VDC third-rail infrastructure.
- The trains will run on Great Northern services and the Class 313 and Class 171 trains run on Southern routes.
- The only Great Northern services, that have not been moved to Thameslink are Kings Cross and Cambridge, Ely and King’s Lynn and services to Moorgate.
- The Moorgate services have their own dual-voltage Class 717 trains.
- Govia Thameslink Railway have ambitions to double the frequency of trains to King’s Lynn.
- Two eight-car trains per hour (tph) between King’s Cross and King’s Lynn would need sixteen operational four-car trains.
- Two twelve-car trains per hour (tph) between King’s Cross and King’s Lynn would need twenty-four operational four-car trains.
If Govia Thameslink Railway are thinking of thirty new trains, they must have other destinations in mind.
Could we be seeing a double swap?
- An appropriate number of new trains are procured to run Great Northern services between Kings Cross and Cambridge, Ely and King’s Lynn.
- The Class 387 trains released will be moved to the South to replace the Class 313 and Class 171 trains.
- Some or all of the transferred Class 387 trains will be fitted with batteries to give a range of thirty miles without electrification.
Note.
- Could the new trains be Siemens Desiro City trains like the Class 700 and Class 717 trains, which are already maintained at Hornsey depot? It would surely be more efficient and save money.
- Class 387 trains are dual voltage and would need little or no modification to replace the Class 313 trains.
- Uckfield and Hurst Green junction is 24.7 miles.
- Ashford International and Ore is 25.4 miles
- Adding a battery to a Class 387 train has not been done, but Bombardier converted a near-identical Class 379 train to battery-electric operation over eight years ago.
- Converting a Class 387 train gives a dual-voltage battery-electric train.
- I suspect a charger would be needed at Uckfield. Could it be a short length of 25 KVAC overhead electrification?
Could all the Class 387 trains, that will replace the Class 313 and Class 171 trains be identical to ease the problems, when a train develops a fault?
Conclusion
It looks a good plan.
It also opens up the following possibilities.
- Deployment of 750 VDC battery-electric trains on other routes.
- Deployment of 25 KVAC overhead battery-electric trains on other routes.
- Deployment of tri-mode battery-electric trains on other routes.
- Charging of battery-electric trains using a short length of 25 KVAC overhead electrification.
- Fitting of batteries to Class 379 trains to create a 25 KVAC overhead battery-electric train.
It might be possible to convert other Electrostars to battery-electric operation.
Ignoring Class 387 trains on dedicated services like Heathrow and Gatwick Express, these trains are available for conversion.
- Class 379 trains – Stored – 30 trains
- Class 387 trains – Govia Thameslink Railway – 40 trains
- Class 387 trains – Great Western Railway – 33 trains
Note.
- This gives 103 trains.
- They all have good interiors.
- They are all 100/110 mph trains.
- All trains could be updated to 110 mph.
- All trains can use 25 KVAC overhead electrification.
- The Class 387 trains can also use 750 VDC third-rail electrification.
- The Class 379 trains were built in 2010-2011.
- The Class 387 trains were built from 2014.
I believe both classes will make excellent battery-electric trains.
Where will they be deployed?
These are a selection of routes starting in the South-East of England.
- Ashford International and Eastbourne.
- Gravesend and Hoo.
- London Bridge and Uckfield.
- London Paddington and Bedwyn.
- London Paddington and Oxford.
- Reading and Basingstoke.
- Reading and Gatwick.
- Reading and Redhill.
- Slough and Windsor & Eton Central.
- Twyford and Henley-on-Thames
I’ve only added routes which are less than thirty miles.
Quinbrook Breaks Ground On ‘Largest’ Solar And Storage Project In The UK
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Energy Storage News.
These three paragraphs outline the project.
Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners has started construction on Cleve Hill Solar Park, the largest solar and energy storage project in the UK, it claimed.
The specialist global investment manager revealed the Kent-based project, which consists of 373MW of solar and “more than” 150MW of battery energy storage, is expected to be fully completed by the end of 2024.
Once complete, Cleve Hill Solar Park will consist of 880,000 solar panels and battery storage. It was granted development consent by the energy secretary in May 2020.
It is my view, as a Control Engineer, that all solar farms and wind farms should be paired with an appropriately-sized energy storage device.
If this project works out well, we should repeat it on other solar farms of a similar size.
Three Players Pursuing Floating Offshore Wind Opportunities At Barents Sea Oil Field
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Norwegian oil and gas company Vår Energi has entered into a collaboration with a consortium consisting of Odfjell Oceanwind and Source Galileo to explore opportunities for floating offshore wind through a pilot project at a field located in the Barents Sea off Norway.
The article mentions the Goliat oil field, which is located 85 kilometres (53 mi) northwest of Hammerfest.
This Google Map shows the location of Hammerfest.
Note.
- Hammerfest is marked by the red arrow.
- Hammerfest is the northernmost town in the world with more than 10,000 inhabitants.
- The furthest North, I’ve been in Europe is to Trondheim, which is in the South-West corner of the map.
- To the East of Hammerfest Norway and Russia have a common border and beyond that is the Russian port of Murmansk.
Many years ago, my first visits to Ipswich Town were courtesy of the Official Receiver for Ipswich; John Richardson, who was my parents’ next door neighbour in Felixstowe.
John was an interesting guy, who during the Second World War had been on the Arctic convoys to Murmansk and Archangel. The Wikipedia entry for Arctic Convoys Of World War Two, gives some details.
His descriptions of the weather in the area were horrendous and it makes me wonder why the Norwegians want to extract oil in those conditions. And now generate wind power.
This is the first sentence of the article.
Vår Energi disclosed the deal on Wednesday, 26 April 2023, explaining that the project, called GoliatVind, was a pilot project to demonstrate new, Norwegian offshore wind technology.
So is it all about new technology?
Would Zero-Carbon Trucks Have Better Fuel Security?
There’s just been a story on the BBC, about the need for better truck stops.
One truck owner, said that a truck can carry up to fifteen hundred pounds of diesel and they are always being targeted by thieves.
So would zero-carbon trucks be less of a target for thieves?
I’ve never seen this mentioned in the discussion of zero-carbon vehicles.
Ultra Safe Nuclear, Hyundai Engineering, SK Ecoplant Sign MOU For Clean Hydrogen Production
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation.
These are the first two paragraphs.
Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation, the U.S.-based global leader in the deployment of fourth-generation gas-cooled microreactors, Hyundai Engineering (Representative Director Hong Hyun-sung) and SK ecoplant (Representative Director Park Kyung-il) are teaming up to conduct research and development for carbon-free hydrogen production. The three companies signed an MOU on Thursday, April 20th for the construction of a “Hydrogen Micro Hub” at the SK ecoplant headquarters in Seoul’s Jongno-gu.
The “Hydrogen Micro Hub” is a facility that produces hydrogen by applying a high-temperature electrolysis process of solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOEC) to the electricity and high-temperature steam generated by USNC’s Micro-Modular™ Reactor (MMR®). This is a carbon-free hydrogen production method that extracts hydrogen by decomposing water with electricity generated from nuclear power.
Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation has a web site.
- Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation, is a U.S. corporation headquartered in Seattle.
- Canada appears to be deeply involved.
- Innovate UK appears to have dished out a grant.
- They appear to have sold five of their MMRs.
The company could be a serious competitor in the market for small modular nuclear reactors.
Hail The Hercules
The title of this post was used on the front page to indicate an article in the Meccano Magazine about the arrival of the Lockheed Hercules in the mid-1950s.
The Wikipedia entry for the Hercules, starts with this sentence.
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medevac, and cargo transport aircraft.
The aircraft first flew in 1954 and nearly seventy years later they are still doing the same operations, they were designed for, with various reports of Hercules flying to the remote Wadi Seidna airstrip in Sudan.
This Google Map shows the airstrip.
Note.
- There appears to be two runways and some form of operational building or terminal.
- The River Nile is at the East of the map.
It looks like an airfield, where Hercules are intended to be used, even in circumstances, where severe damage has been inflicted to the runway.
When Metier Management Systems and Artemis were sold to Lockheed, I had several conversations with senior people and the company was and probably still is rightly proud of its long-lived design.
EU Co-Legislators Agree On SAF Blend Targets For Aviation
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Renewables Now.
These are the first two paragraphs.
The European Council and the Parliament on Tuesday reached a provisional political agreement on the ReFuelEU Aviation proposal, which will set new rules requiring fuel suppliers to blend sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) with kerosene in increasing amounts from 2025.
The European Commission, which made the proposal, welcomed this outcome on Wednesday and noted that the measure is expected to reduce aircraft carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by about two-thirds by 2050 versus a “no action” scenario. The ReFuelEU Aviation initiative is part of the “Fit for 55” package.
Measures include.
- Aviation fuel companies to make sure that at least 2% of the fuel they supply at EU airports in 2025 is SAF.
- This share is supposed to gradually increase and reach 70% in 2050.
- A minimum share of synthetic fuels will be required from 2030.
- Aircraft operators departing from EU airports will be required to carry only the volume of fuel they need for a particular flight in order to avoid further emissions associated with extra weight or carbon leakage caused by tankering practices.
- Airports to ensure that their fuelling infrastructure is fit for SAF distribution.
Note.
- I can see some airlines complaining about some of these measures.
- I can also see the fourth measure about tankering having negative effects on airline costs and ticket prices.
Michael O’Leary’s comments will be interesting.
Gazelle Wind Power Unveils Third Generation Floating Offshore Wind Platform Technology
The title of this post, is the same as that, of this press release from Gazelle Wind Power.
There is a visualisation in the press release and it looks very different.
This is the first paragraph.
Gazelle Wind Power (Gazelle), the developer of a modular floating offshore wind platform, is unveiling third generation technology this week at WindEurope 2023 in Copenhagen, Denmark. The company’s enhanced design further refines Gazelle’s solution to address the primary challenges facing the offshore wind industry—such as cost, supply chain bottlenecks, and sustainability—by providing a lightweight, cheaper design that minimizes the impact on fragile marine environments while using existing port infrastructure.
It looks like they’ve set themselves a tough set of objectives.
These are a few points from the press release.
- A one-gigawatt offshore wind farm using Gazelle’s solution would save 71 kt of steel and reduce emissions of approximately 100 kt of carbon dioxide.
- The company’s platform can be quickly and simply installed at project sites because it requires no specialist cranes or vessels.
- The platform’s unique geometry provides reduced draft in port, which means it floats higher in the water enabling the use of shallow ports.
- Through industrial innovation, the platform components can be adjusted to accommodate all forecasted offshore wind turbine sizes, including the current 15MW or greater capacities.
- Our platform can be produced anywhere in the world, supporting job creation through regionalized manufacturing.
When I look back on how offshore oil and gas platforms changed in the North Sea over a couple of decades, I’m not surprised to see this innovative design.
I wish the company the best of luck. But I don’t think they’ll need it!
Oceans of Energy To Build Offshore Solar Array At Hollandse Kust Noord Offshore Wind Park
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Oceans of Energy has been awarded the contract for installing and operating offshore solar farm inside the Hollandse Kust Noord offshore wind park being developed by CrossWind, a joint venture between Shell and Eneco.
This is the first paragraph.
This is set to be the first offshore solar farm in the world to be connected, installed, and operated within a wind farm in high wave conditions. The offshore solar farm will be realized in 2025, while the wind park will be operational by the end of 2023, according to Oceans of Energy.
These are some other points from the article.
- It looks like the solar will be floating.
- The wind/solar farm will have offshore battery storage.
- Green hydrogen will be generated offshore.
This wind/solar farm will be all things to all men and women.
The Anonymous Widower 