Would You Buy A Battery Energy Storage System From Rolls-Royce?
I don’t often click on adverts that appear in web pages.
But I had to click on one from Rolls-Royce mtu, which advertised Battery Energy Storage Systems.
I wonder what the Honourable Charles Rolls would have thought of adverts on the Internet for the company he jointly founded?
I suspect he would have liked the idea, as Rolls was very much a promoter of motoring and aviation and opened one of the first car dealerships in the UK, according to his Wikipedia entry.
The Wikipedia entry for his business partner; Sir Henry Royce starts with this sentence.
Sir Frederick Henry Royce, 1st Baronet, OBE (27 March 1863 – 22 April 1933) was an English engineer famous for his designs of car and aeroplane engines with a reputation for reliability and longevity.
He is also described as a perfectionist.
This sentence from the Wikipedia entry, describes how he started the design of the legendary “R” engine.
In October 1928, he began design of the “R” engine while walking with some of his leading engineers on the beach at West Wittering, sketching ideas in the sand. Less than a year later, the “R” engine, designed in his studio in the village, set a new world air speed record of 357.7 miles per hour and won the Schneider Trophy of 1929.
Later with help from the maddest person my father ever met (his words, not mine!) ; Lady Houston, the Supermarine S.6B won the trophy in 1931 and then broke the world speed record at over 400 mph. Not bad for a seaplane. Take the floats off an S.6B and you almost have a Spitfire.
The Wikipedia entry also describes how the “R” engine was developed into what many engineers believe was the finest internal combustion engine of all time; the Rolls-Royce Merlin.
Following the success of the “R” engine, it was clear that they had an engine that would be of use to the Royal Air Force. As no Government assistance was forthcoming at first, in the national interest they went ahead with development of what was called the “PV-12” engine (standing for Private Venture, 12-cylinder). The idea was to produce an engine of about the same performance as the “R”, albeit with a much longer life. Rolls-Royce launched the PV-12 in October 1933 and the engine completed its first test in 1934, the year after Royce died. The PV-12 became the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine.
Where would we have been in the Battle of Britain without the Merlin engine?
Since 1969, the engineers at Rolls-Royce have followed Sir Henry’s example of perfection and developed the revolutionary RB-211 into the modern day Trent, which is now about to take a big leap into a low-carbon future with the UltraFan.
If the quality of Rolls-Royce mtu’s Battery Energy Storage System matches the levels of perfection Rolls-Royce achieved with the Merlin and the Trent, then I suspect that Sir Henry would have given his approval.
This picture is shown on the web page for the Battery Energy Storage System.
These two paragraphs introduce, what Rolls-Royce mtu are calling the mtuEnergyPack.
In today’s world of economic growth and increasing populations, the demand for electricity is soaring. Governments and industries globally shift to distributed renewable energy, challenging centralized grids. To adapt to this changing energy landscape, the mtuEnergyPack offers an ideal solution.
It integrates renewable sources like solar and wind power, paving the way for future-ready sustainable power systems. The mtu EnergyPack is a scalable, all-in-one solution for autonomous off-grid facilities. It ensures reliable power through peak shaving, load-shifting, and grid stabilization, making it suitable for various applications.
These are my thoughts.
What Is The Output And The Storage Capacity?
This paragraph on this page gives this answer.
It efficiently stores electricity from distributed sources and delivers on demand. The mtu EnergyPack is available in different sizes: The QS and the QL, ranging from 200 kVA to 2,000 kVA, and from 312 kWh to 2,084 kWh, and the QG for grid scale storage needs, ranging from 4,400 kVA and 4,470 kWh to virtually any size.
It seems that you specify your requirements and Rolls-Royce mtu should be able to satisfy it.
What Devices Can Be Connected?
This paragraph on this page gives this answer.
The mtu EnergyPack serves as a key component in enhancing the reliability and profitability of microgrids and energy systems. It stores electricity generated by distributed power sources, including gensets, wind turbines, or solar panels, and delivers it when needed.
In the 1970s, when I was working at ICI, others in the section were working on a system called MEDIA, where every sensor on a chemical plant was connected to the central computer, through its own analog-to-digital computer. It would now be called plug-and-play by some.
I believe that Rolls-Royce mtu are using similar ideas to connect equipment to the control computer.
These are my thoughts about connecting various equipment.
- Hydrogen-powered generators and electrolysers as Rolls-Royce mtu are using at Duisburg, which I wrote about in Rolls-Royce Makes Duisburg Container Terminal Climate Neutral With MTU Hydrogen Technology.
- Could Rolls-Royce’s beer keg-sized 2.5 MW electrical generator based on a Super Hercules engine, be connected?
- Could a Rolls-Royce Trent be connected?
- Could one of Rolls-Royce’s small modular nuclear reactors be connected?
- In Rolls-Royce To Play Key Role In US Department Of Defense Nuclear Microreactor Program, I talk about developing a 1-5 MW nuclear reactor for US Department of Defense. Could these be connected?
I don’t see why every device can’t work to the same protocol.
What Is The Power Density Like?
This paragraph on this page gives this answer.
The mtu EnergyPack’s compact battery system designs suit projects with limited space and logistical restrictions.
In ‘Spirit of Innovation’ Stakes Claim To Be The World’s Fastest All-Electric Vehicle, I talked about Rolls-Royce’s record-breaking electric plane called Spirit of Innovation.
Has what has been learned about energy storage in the confined spaces of an aeroplane been applied to a Battery Energy Storage System?
What Do Rolls-Royce mtu Consider To Be Important Features?
On this page, they list these features.
- Power Density
- Digitally Connected
- Multilevel Safety
- Black Start Capability
- Scalability
- Ultra-Fast Response
- Flexible Use
- Plug-And-Play Installation
The design seems to have everything covered.
Can Similar Systems Be Designed By Others?
I would expect that similar systems can be designed, as technology like batteries is available to all and the operation is only as good as the software controlling the various components of the system.
But similar systems will be without the famous Rolls-Royce logo.
Could One Of These Systems Decarbonise A Village?
I once lived in a village with about fifty houses and perhaps a hundred inhabitants.
- There was an old World War Two airfield, that could probably accommodate a small wind farm of perhaps 20 MW.
- There were a couple of barns and large sheds, that could have solar panels similar to those I described in Bedford Depot’s Massive Solar Roof Helps Thameslink On Way To Net Zero.
I suspect an mtuEnergyPack could control all these inputs and provide the village with the following.
- Enough electricity to power all the needs of the inhabitants, businesses and their vehicles.
- If an electrolyser were to be provided, it could probably produce enough hydrogen to power every boiler and hydrogen-powered vehicle.
Note.
- Farmers would like the local availability of hydrogen, as it will be ideal for tractors and agricultural machinery.
- I actually believe that if a village had a reliable and affordable hydrogen supply, that a large proportion of the inhabitants would switch to hydrogen-powered vehicles.
There would still be the National Grid there for backup.
Conclusion
If I needed an mtuEnergyPack, I’d certainly give one a close look.
Plans for Hydrogen Development At Dogger Bank D Gain Ground
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Dogger Bank D, the potential fourth phase of the world’s largest offshore wind farm under construction, Dogger Bank Wind Farm, has awarded contracts to engineering consultants to support the feasibility and optimization of a large-scale green hydrogen development option on the project
These three paragraphs outline the project.
SSE Renewables and Equinor, the developers of the Dogger Bank wind farm in the UK, awarded contracts for green hydrogen concept and engineering and optimization studies to Genesis, H2GO Power, and Fichtner.
If progressed for delivery, Dogger Bank D would be located in the North Sea around 210 kilometers off the northeast coast of England. Subject to the successful outcome of further technical studies, the project could be capable of generating up to around 2 GW of renewable power.
The 2 GW offshore wind farm is currently planned to comprise 128 wind turbines and up to six offshore platforms.
Note.
According to the article, this would be one of the UK’s largest green hydrogen production facilities.
The partners said, that the project could contribute to the UK Government’s electrolytic hydrogen ambitions for 5 GW by 2030.
This is said about the studies.
Using AI machine learning and robust modeling, these studies will investigate the multitude of interdependent variables required to optimize a potential green hydrogen production facility, such as offshore wind farm sizing, electrolysis capacity, transport and storage capacity, water availability, and offtake optionality.
I was using robust modelling on projects such as these fifty years ago, both with Artemis and bespoke software.
To my mind, SSE Renewables and Equinor are doing the right thing. If anybody has a similar project with lots of variables, I’d love to give my opinion.
I have some thoughts.
How Much Hydrogen Will Be Produced?
Ryze Hydrogen are building the Herne Bay electrolyser.
- It will consume 23 MW of solar and wind power.
- It will produce ten tonnes of hydrogen per day.
The electrolyser will consume 552 MWh to produce ten tonnes of hydrogen, so creating one tonne of hydrogen needs 55.2 MWh of electricity.
This would mean that if the Japanese built one Herne Bay-size electrolyser, then it would produce around three hundred tonnes of hydrogen in an average month.
Consider.
- Dogger Bank D is likely to be a 2 GW wind farm.
- This document on the OFGEM web site, says that the Dogger Bank wind farms will have a capacity factor of 45 %.
- This means that Dogger Bank D wind farm will produce an average of 900 MW over a year.
- This works out at 7,884 GWh of electricity in a year.
As each tonne of hydrogen needs 55.2 MWh to be produced, this means if all the electricity produced by Dogger Bank D, is used to create green hydrogen, then 142,826.1 tonnes will be produced.
How Will The Hydrogen Be Brought Ashore?
142,826.1 tonnes is a lot of green hydrogen and the easiest ways to transfer it to the shore would be by a pipeline or a tanker.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see the use of tankers, as this would give more flexibility and allow the export of hydrogen to countries in need of hydrogen.
Will There Be Hydrogen Storage In The Dogger Bank D Wind Farm?
This would surely be a possibility, but there are security considerations.
Cost would also be a factor!
The Location Of The Dogger Bank D Wind Farm
I clipped this map of Dogger Bank A, B, C and D wind farms from this page of the Dogger Bank D web site.
Note.
- RWE’s Dogger Bank South wind farm is not shown on the map.
- Dogger Bank D wind farm is the most Easterly of the four wind farms being developed by SSE Renewables and Equinor.
- Dogger Bank D wind farm must be the closest of the Dogger Bank wind farms to the Eastern border of the UK’s Exclusive Economic Zone or EEZ.
Dogger Bank D wind farm would appear to be ideally placed to supply hydrogen to a number of places, by either pipeline or tanker.
Could Dogger Bank South Wind Farm Also Produce Hydrogen?
In RWE Partners With Masdar For 3 GW Dogger Bank South Offshore Wind Projects, I talked about the change of ownership of the Dogger Bank South wind farm.
I would assume that the Dogger Bank South wind farm will be located to the South of the Dogger Bank A,B, C and D wind farms.
Whether it will produce hydrogen will be a matter for the owners and market conditions.
I do believe though, that it could share some facilities with the those that might be built for Dogger Bank D wind farm.
Conclusion
After this brief look, Dogger Bank D could be an ideal place to build a large hydrogen production facility.
A Community Engagement App For The Hope Valley Line Upgrade
The Hope Valley Line Upgrade has its own web site.
This is the sub-heading.
We’re upgrading the railway between Manchester and Sheffield to provide more reliable and faster journeys for passengers
The first paragraph gives the project timeline.
The project started in Spring 2021 and is due to be completed in Spring 2024.
There is also a section, that is entitled Community Engagement, where this is said.
Communication is very important to us and we will be writing to local residents with plenty of notice before work starts, as well as holding public engagement events throughout the project to keep the local community informed on its progress.
For regular updates on the main improvement work, you can also download the Hope Valley Railway Upgrade community engagement app, which will contain details of upcoming work activities, news, and initiatives and events for the local community.
That is new territory for Network Rail or at least the first time, I’ve seen one.
Until proven otherwise, it looks like it could be a good idea.
My Phone Died!
So I bought a new one!
I’ve managed to set it up, but it’s so different to my previous Samsung, that i haven’t a clue hoe to use it. I also made the mistake of using a secure password, which it constantly asks me.
I’m seriously, thinking of giving up having a mobile phone.
Can’t designers leave well enough alone!
I hate being ripped off!
Bonus For GPs If Patients Join Drug Trials In Plan To Lure Firms To NHS
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on The Times.
This is the sub-heading.
£650m boost for medical research after number of participants slumps
These three paragraphs outline what is to be done.
Tens of thousands more patients will be signed up for clinical trials as ministers promise drug companies better access to the NHS to expand the economy and develop cutting-edge treatments.
Jeremy Hunt, the chancellor, is promising a £650 million package to boost life sciences as he attempts to lure pharmaceutical giants to Britain.
GPs will be offered financial incentives to recruit patients into trials of new treatments and hospitals will be given research targets under plans to reverse a slump in clinical testing while the NHS struggles with the backlog from Covid-19.
It all sounds good to me.
I have been involved in several trials and medical research projects.
- As part of my coeliac disease diagnosis, one endoscopy was performed by Rebecca Fitzgerald at Cambridge, as she was taking samples of bile fluids for her research into Barrett’s esophagus.
- After the death of my wife, I was interviewed by PhD students in the Psychology Department at Liverpool University for their research into widowhood.
- Oxford University interviewed me on diet for their coeliac disease research.
- After my stroke, I spent an entertaining afternoon at the University of East London doing balance tests by computer. Their aim was to develop a reliable balance test for stroke and other patients, that could be carried out by physiotherapists quickly, than by more expensive doctors.
- I have also been on a drug trial at Queen Mary University, but that drug was useless and had no good or bad affects, so the trial was halted. However, it did lead to other enjoyable activities in the field of patient relations with treatment and research.
As a confirmed coward, I should note that with the exception of the drug trial, all of the other projects were low risk.
I should say, that I also sponsor pancreatic cancer research at Liverpool University, in memory of my son, who died from the disease. I wrote about the first Liverpool project in There’s More To Liverpool Than Football And The Beatles!.
A Database Of Projects Open For Volunteers
I believe that this is needed, so that those like me, who like to contribute to research can volunteer.
Perhaps some of the £650 million, that has been promised by Jeremy Hunt, could be used to create the database.
I also believe the database could be used for other non-medical research.
A Waste Of Valuable Resources Between Paddington And Heathrow
Much of my working life was spent in writing project management software.
I like to think, I was an expert at writing software to juggle resources.
I wrote my first piece of software in that field in ICI, to get my boss out of trouble, after he’d promised the department a program to allocate the department’s office space more efficiently.
Unfortunately, the student, who’d written the software, without leaving anything that worked or any decent instructions.
So I told my boss;Colin, that I’d have a go.
In my previous position at ICI in Runcorn, I’d worked out an algorithm to decode mass spectrometer traces, which started with a rough idea of what was there, which was entered by an operator and then used permutations and combinations to fit the output.
I used the algorithm in every resource scheduler, I ever wrote and it worked a treat.
So when I see a waste of resources, I get angry, as I know those who devised the system could have done a lot better.
Look at these pictures, I took of a Heathrow Express, that I took today.
It is barely ten percent full.
It has become a waste of resources; train, valuable paths in the Heathrow tunnel, and platform space at Paddington.
These are a few thoughts.
Capacity To And From Heathrow
Consider.
- Heathrow Express uses twelve-car Class 387 trains, with a capacity of 672 seats, that run at a frequency of four trains per hour (tph), which is 2,688 seats per hour.
- The Elizabeth Line uses nine-car Class 345 trains, with a capacity of 454 seats, that run at a frequency of six tph, which is 2,724 seats per hour.
- The Class 345 trains can also carry another 1046 standing passengers on each journey, which adds up to a maximum of 6276 standees per hour.
- The Piccadilly Line uses 73 Stock trains, with a capacity of 684 seats, that run at a frequency of twelve tph, which is 8,208 seats per hour.
This gives a capacity of 19,896 passengers, staff and visitors per hour, or which 13,620 get seats.
Expressed as percentages, the four modes of transport are as follows.
- Heathrow Express – 13.5 %
- Elizabeth Line – Sitting – 13.7 %
- Elizabeth Line – Standees – 33.8 %
- Piccadilly Line – 41.2 %
In Effects Of The ULEZ In West London, I said this about journeys to and from the airport.
Heathrow Airport is one of the world’s busiest airports and 76,000 people work at the airport, with many more employed nearby.
The airport handled 61.6 million passengers in 2022, which is a few short of 170,000 per day.
If you consider that those that work at the airport do two trips per day and passengers generally do one, that means there are 322,000 trips per day to or from the airport.
But as it now so easy to get to the Airport using the Elizabeth Line will more people use the new line to meet and greet and say goodbye to loved ones or business associates. Since the Elizabeth Line opened, I’ve met a couple of friends at Heathrow, who were passing through.
I wonder, if that daily journey total of 322,000 could be nearer to 350,000 or even 400,000.
If the ULEZ charge makes some passengers and staff switch from their car to using a bus or train, this probably means that public transport to and from the airport, will need to be boosted by a substantial amount.
322,000 trips per day is 13,416 per hour assuming a 24 hour day.
Consider.
- The ULEZ will drive employees and passengers to trains to Heathrow.
- A lot of would-be travellers to Heathrow have had a tough couple of years.
- Because of the Elizabeth Line more meeters and greeters will go to the airport.
- The Elizabeth Line is making it easy to get to Heathrow for a large proportion of those living in the South-East.
- There have been numerous car parking scandals at Heathrow and other airports.
- Are there enough charging points for electric cars in Heathrow’s parking?
- Parking at Heathrow is expensive.
- Taxis to the airport are very expensive.
- Passengers with large cases can use the Elizabeth Line.
- Good reports of the Elizabeth Line will push people to use it.
- The Elizabeth Line serves the City, Canary Wharf and the West End.
- The Elizabeth Line has a step-free connection with Thameslink.
- Passengers seem to travel with very large cases.
- Passengers seem to be deserting Heathrow Express, as I wrote in Elizabeth Line Takes Fliers Away From Heathrow Express.
Note.
- The train, I took back from Heathrow this morning was full with all seats taken and quite a few standees.
- And it was a Sunday morning!
- We won’t know the effect of the ULEZ until August, but I believe it will be significant.
Obviously, I’m only using rough figures, but they lead me to believe that in a few months, the Elizabeth Line will be at full capacity to and from Heathrow.
Heathrow Express’s Train Paths Should Be Re-Allocated To The Elizabeth Line
This would increase hourly passenger capacity from 19,896 to 23,208 or by seventeen percent.
Great Western Railway would get two extra platforms at Heathrow and the Class 387 trains could be reallocated.
Where Would Great Western Railway Run Trains From Two Extra Platforms?
Consider.
- Various government levelling up funding has been allocated to Wales and the West.
- I talk about the Mid-Cornwall Metro in Landmark Levelling Up Fund To Spark Transformational Change Across The UK.
- The Mid-Cornwall Metro could include direct trains between London and Newquay.
- There are also plans for a new station at Okehampton Parkway.
- Given all the wind farm development in the Celtic Sea, I can see more trains between London and Pembrokeshire.
- Cardiff and Bristol would probably welcome extra services.
I don’t think Great Western Railway will have problems finding destinations to serve from two extra platforms.
What Will Happen To The Class 387 Trains?
Currently, twelve Class 387 trains are used for Heathrow Express.
In The Future Of The Class 387 And Class 379 Trains, I said this.
The Battery-Electric Class 379 Train
I rode this prototype train in 2015.
An Outwardly Normal Class 379 Train
I think it is reasonable to assume, that as battery technology has improved in the seven years since I rode this train, that converting Class 379 trains to battery-electric operation would not be a challenging project.
Creating A Battery-Electric Class 387 Train
If the Class 387 train is as internally similar to the Class 379 train as it outwardly looks, I couldn’t believe that converting them to battery-electric operation would be that difficult.
I could see a lot of the Class 379 and Class 387 trains converted to 110 mph battery-electric trains.
Would Heathrow Express Completely Disappear?
If the Elizabeth Line trains are going between Heathrow Airport and Central London, at a frequency of 10 tph or one train every six minutes, I feel there may be scope for marketing and operational reasons to create a sub-fleet of the Class 345 trains.
The trains would be identical to the Elizabeth Line’s current fleet, except for livery, seating and some internal passenger features.
- Perhaps, they could be called the Heathrow Train boldly on the outside, so even the dimmest passenger didn’t get on a Reading train instead of a Heathrow one.
- All trains would have wi-fi and 4G connectivity. These features have been promised for the Class 345 trains.
- Some coaches would be fitted with luggage spaces for the outsize cases people carry.
I could envisage the Heathrow Trains terminating at a wide number of places in addition to Abbey Wood and Shenfield. Possibilities must include Beaulieu Park, Ebbsfleet, Gravesend, Northfleet and Southend Victoria
Spain Launches App To Show If Men Shirk Housework
The title of this post is the same as that of this article in The Times.
This is the first paragraph.
Spain has announced plans to introduce an app that promises to address the gender imbalance of housework by getting users to log the hours they spend on chores.
At least it’s a free app!
How Sideshore Technology Can Optimise The Layout Of Your Offshore Wind Farm By Applying State-Of-The-Art Algorithms
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Smarter offshore wind farm layouts will accelerate the energy transition
These paragraphs outline the problem.
Wind farm layout optimisation is the art of defining the optimal locations of wind turbines, infield cables and substation structures. It presents a golden opportunity to increase project value.
The academic community has done extensive research into numerical wind farm layout optimization, however, in real projects, it is hardly ever applied. Wind farm layout optimisation is complex because it is multidisciplinary. A wind farm development is typically split into work packages (turbine, foundations, cables, substation). The location of each turbine influences the project cost across the various work packages. While wake effects are important, other aspects need to be considered as well. For example, water depth affects the foundation size. Turbulence levels need to be restricted. And cables, seabed preparation, and soil conditions are often neglected, while they too can have a substantial impact on costs. Fully optimising the turbine positions requires not only insight into wake interactions and the cost drivers across all work packages but also a way of linking everything together.
My project management software writing experience would take a system like this further and use the output pf their system to create the project network for a project management system.
The possibilities then are endless.
Tiny Data Centre Used To Heat Public Swimming Pool
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading.
The heat generated by a washing-machine-sized data centre is being used to heat a Devon public swimming pool
These three paragraphs outline the story.
The computers inside the white box are surrounded by oil to capture the heat – enough to heat the pool to about 30C 60% of the time, saving Exmouth Leisure Centre thousands of pounds.
The data centre is provided to the council-run centre free of charge.
Start-up Deep Green charges clients to use its computing power for artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Note.
I find both of these interesting applications.
Green Hydrogen Powered, Off-Grid Data Center-As-A-Service Is A World First
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Hydrogen Fuel News.
This is the first paragraph.
ECL has announced the world’s first off-grid Datacenter-as-a-Service, fully powered by green hydrogen, with 99.999% uptime at a much lower cost compared to traditional colocation data centers.
This paragraph gives details of an installation.
It runs with zero emissions at very low noise levels. The data center’s modularity combined with having no need to depend on local utilities means that it can be designed and delivered far more rapidly than other companies’ data centers. Instead of typical construction cycles that take between 18 – 24 month, ECL’s data centers take between six and nine months.
The product looks like a promising development.
I think this is the company’s web site.
The Anonymous Widower 