The Anonymous Widower

Fresh Air Fuels Global

Because of its history, South Africa has developed technology to create biofuels, as alternatives to diesel.

If you read the Wikipedia entry for South African chemical company; SASOL, you’ll see the things that South African chemists did, to get round the sanctions imposed because of apartheid.

SASOL has advanced the Fischer–Tropsch process and uses it to produce diesel and other fossil fuels.

Note that Velocys have also developed this process to make sustainable aviation fuel in the UK.

Fresh Air Fuels Global have a page on the G-volution web site.

The page is dominated by an infographic, which shows organic waste (animals and plants) going into an anaerobic digester, which produces.

  • Biogas, which is used to create heat, electricity, CO2, biomethane, fuel and gas for the grid.
  • Digestate, which is used for fertiliser and livestock bedding.

It almost sounds too good to be true.

This is the mission statement below the graphic.

Our mission: To be the most reliable producer of energy secure low carbon fuels.

There is then these paragraphs, which explain the relationship between G-volution and Fresh Air Fuels Global.

Global energy security concerns and climate targets necessitate countries and businesses to transition away from high-cost fossil fuels towards low-carbon alternatives.

Over more than a decade, Cape Advance Engineering South Africa (CAE) have been developing an incredibly cost-effective Anaerobic Digestion (AD) technology, which has proven to generate renewable energy from organic waste in the form of gas, heat and electricity that is cost competitive with fossil fuels.

G-Volution has partnered with CAE to form Fresh Air Fuels Global (FAFG), with aim of introducing the CAE technology to international markets that the G-Volution already have a foothold, constructing AD plants and creating carbon neutral biofuel from waste that can be used in dual fuel engines.

In Grand Central DMU To Be Used For Dual-Fuel Trial, I describe how G-volution’s dual fuel technology has been applied to one of Grand Central’s Class 180 train.

This picture I took after travelling in a Grand Central Class 180 train, shows that G-volution don’t hide their light under a bushel.

Note.

  1. This train appears to run on diesel and liquified natural gas.
  2. This G-volution video gives more details.

This clip from the video, shows the possible fuels.

Note.

  1. Can the dual fuel engine use biodiesel or HVO instead of diesel?
  2. It looks like the Fresh Air Fuels Global process can produce biomethane, which could be liquified as LNG.
  3. Hydrogen is the only true zero-carbon secondary fuel.
  4. There is a Wikipedia entry for ethanol fuel.
  5. Hydrous ethanol is about 95% ethanol and 5% water and is used as a fuel in Brazil in petrol cars.
  6. There is a Wikipedia entry for the use of methanol as fuel.

Have G-volution got access to the technology to both reduce the fuel consumption of diesel engines and run them on zero-carbon fuel?

UK Trains That Have Cummins QSK-19 R Diesel Engines

Grand Central’s Class 180 trains have a Cummins QSK-19 R diesel engine.

All these trains have the same engine.

  • 14 – Class 180 trains
  • 51 – Class 185 trains
  • 34 – Class 220 trains
  • 44 – Class 221 trains
  • 27 – Class 222 trains

In addition, Class 175 trains have a different engine made by Cummins.

Conclusion

If G-volution’s technology can be made to work successfully, it could play a large part in the decarbonisation of UK passenger trains.

September 2, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Introducing JetZero

The Times today has an article which is entitled Up, Up And Away On An Eco-Friendly, Blended-Wing Jet.

This is the sub-heading.

The US air force hopes that a $235 million contract for a radical new design will take off

The article goes on to give a good history of blended wing bodies, before describing JetZero’s blended-wing jet and the company’s deal with the US Air Force.

More on the aircraft is available on the company’s web site. Take a look at the WHY JETZERO page.

In ZEROe – Towards The World’s First Zero-Emission Commercial Aircraft, I describe Airbus’s ZEROe BWB, which is another proposed blended wing body.

August 25, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Hydrogen Business Model / Net Zero Hydrogen Fund: Shortlisted Projects Allocation Round 2022

The title if this post, is the same as this notice from the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero.

These are the the first three paragraphs.

The shortlist contains the following electrolytic hydrogen projects, totalling 408MW of capacity across England, Scotland and Wales.

Projects that have not been shortlisted for this allocation round are encouraged to submit updated bids for the second allocation round – see more details.

We expect to award contracts totalling up to 250MW of capacity from HAR1, subject to affordability and value for money. We aim for contracts to be awarded in Q4 2023, with first projects becoming operational in 2025.

Note.

  1. A rough calculation says that 408 MW of electrolysers could product about 177 tonnes of hydrogen per day.
  2. It’s not long to the fourth quarter of 2023, when hopefully we shall know more.

These are the seventeen shortlisted projects.

Aldbrough Hydrogen Pathfinder

Aldbrough Hydrogen Pathfinder is being developed by SSE Thermal in Yorkshire.

This paragraph outlines the operation of the Aldbrough Hydrogen Pathfinder.

The concept would see green power sourced from grid through Renewable PPAs, in compliance with the Low Carbon Hydrogen Standard. Hydrogen would then be produced via a 35MW electrolyser before being stored in a converted salt cavern and then used in a 100% hydrogen-fired turbine, exporting flexible green power back to grid at times of system need. In future, hydrogen storage will also benefit offtakers in other sectors, for example in industry, heat or transport.

Initial storage at Aldbrough could be as high as 320 GWh.

I went to see their presentation in June and wrote about my visit in Did I See The UK’s Hydrogen-Powered Future In Hull Today?.

Barrow Green Hydrogen

Barrow Green Hydrogen is being developed by Carlton Power in North West England.

The Barrow Green Hydrogen project has its own web site, where this is the introductory paragraph.

Barrow Green Hydrogen is an industry leading project, that will use renewable energy to produce green hydrogen fuel which will decarbonise industry, and in the future, transport and heating. The development will have an initial capacity of 35 MW, which will produce enough hydrogen to heat the equivalent of 14,000 homes. The project has the potential to expand to several hundred megawatts.

There is also a section, that is entitled; Why Barrow?, where this is said.

Barrow-in-Furness is ideally located because the area has several industrial sites, which are able to take green hydrogen without extensive modification to decarbonise their operations, which otherwise rely on natural gas. Further to this, it is well placed to serve commercial applications in other areas of Cumbria, once the project is scaled up and these applications become hydrogen ready. The site in Barrow is also well positioned to use renewable electricity from existing installations and will also enable additional new generation capacity to be installed.

In Government Hydrogen Boost To Help Power Kimberly-Clark Towards 100% Green Energy Target, I explain how this hydrogen hub will supply one of Kimberly-Clark’s factories with hydrogen to replace natural gas.

 

Bradford Low Carbon Hydrogen

Bradford Low Carbon Hydrogen is being developed by Hygen in Yorkshire.

These paragraphs from this press release on the Hygen web site outline the operation of Bradford Low Carbon Hydrogen.

A partnership between gas distributor Northern Gas Networks (NGN) and clean energy pioneers Hygen Energy (Hygen) and Ryze Hydrogen for an ambitious low carbon hydrogen production and dispensing facility in the heart of Bradford has been shortlisted for government funding.

NGN, the gas distributor for the North East, Cumbria and much of Yorkshire, is carrying out the project in a Joint Venture with the two companies.

The project will be built on NGN’s decommissioned gas storage site of Bowling Back Lane in the heart of Bradford. It will deliver one of the UK’s largest low carbon hydrogen production facilities with a clear objective of using renewable energy to power an electrolyser which will produce clean hydrogen. The site will also have on-site refuelling for hydrogen vehicles, EV charging, and a low carbon technology education centre. Residents and businesses in West Yorkshire will be able to use the refuelling facilities, with Ryze distributing hydrogen to industrial users across the region.

Note.

  1. The press release has an excellent visualisation of the project.
  2. Using a site that was previously used for gas storage, must give advantages in designing the project and its operational procedures.
  3. If anybody knows the capacity, please tell me!

It looks like a hydrogen facility for all of Bradford, its citizens and its businesses.

Cheshire Green Hydrogen

Cheshire Green Hydrogen is being developed by Progressive Energy Net Zero in North West England.

This press release from HyNet NorthWest gives these details.

HyNet partner, Progressive Energy, Statkraft and Foresight, will be working together to jointly develop a suite of green (‘electrolytic’) hydrogen projects in the North West of England.

This includes the proposed 28 megawatt (MW) Cheshire Green Hydrogen project which will use renewable electricity from Frodsham wind farm in Cheshire. This will generate green hydrogen which will supply low carbon hydrogen via the HyNet project’s planned pipeline.

The initial phase of 100MW of projects will reduce carbon dioxide emissions from industry by up to 180,000 tonnes.

The initial capacity will be 28 MW.

Commercial Scale Demonstrator

Commercial Scale Demonstrator is being developed by ERM Dolphyn in Scotland.

There is not much specific information on the ERM Dolphyn web site.

Cromarty Hydrogen Project

Cromarty Hydrogen Project is being developed by Pale Blue Dot Energy in Scotland.

This paragraph describes the Cromarty Hydrogen Project.

The facility would have a maximum output of up to 50 megawatt (MW) although this is likely to be limited in the first instance to around 30MW and be able to produce up to 20,000 kg of green hydrogen per day. The facility will have multiple electrolysers feeding on-site low pressure storage containers. The hydrogen will then be compressed onto tube trailers for transportation off-site to customers. It is our intention to use low or zero carbon fuels for the hydrogen transport vehicles wherever possible.

There is a lot of information on the web site.

Gigastack

Gigastack is being developed by Phillips 66 in North East England.

The Gigastack web site appears to be lacking in updates.

Gordonbush Hydrogen Project (GBH2)

Gordonbush Hydrogen Project is being developed by SSE Renewables in Scotland.

The proposed development is introduced like this.

The proposed development comprises a green hydrogen production facility. This would be located within the existing infrastructure of Gordonbush Wind Farm.

At this stage, the detailed design has not been fully developed and a level of refinement of the scheme is expected prior to submission of the planning application.

As with much of what SSE Renewables does, it seems a very professional project.

Green Hydrogen 1, 2 And 3

I’ll discuss these three projects together.

  • Green Hydrogen 1 is being developed by RES and Octopus Renewables in Scotland.
  • Green Hydrogen 2 is being developed by RES and Octopus Renewables in Wales.
  • Green Hydrogen 3 is being developed by RES and Octopus Renewables in South East England.

RES and Octopus Renewables have formed a joint company called Hyro.

On the Hyro web site, this is said on the opening page.

Market Leaders Coming Together For Decarbonisation

HYRO is a joint venture between Octopus Energy Generation and RES

RES is the world’s largest independent renewable energy developer – having delivered 23GW of generation in 11 countries.

Octopus Energy Generation is one of Europe’s largest investors in renewable energy. The team manages over 3GW of green power assets worth £5bn across 11 countries. It’s the generation arm of Octopus Energy Group, the global energy tech pioneer, using technology to unlock a customer focused and affordable green energy revolution.

That’s not a bad opening statement.

In Government Hydrogen Boost To Help Power Kimberly-Clark Towards 100% Green Energy Target, I explain how Green Hydrogen 2 and 3 will supply two of Kimberly-Clark’s factories with hydrogen to replace natural gas.

The initial capacity of Green Hydrogen 2 and 3 will be 50 MW. So will Green Hydrogen 1, 2 and 3 all be 25 MW electrolysers?

I wouldn’t be surprised to see Hyro doing more deals with large natural gas users.

H2 Production Plant at High Marnham

H2 Production Plant at High Marnham is being developed by J G Pears in the East Midlands of England.

J G Pears is the driver here and the About page of their web site is a must-read.

This section describes their approach.

From our humble beginnings, we have grown to become one of the largest businesses in the UK animal by-products sector. We’ve achieved this thanks to constant innovation and investment plus a relentless focus on building relationships with customer and partner businesses.

Innovation, investment and customer focus.

We actively look for new and better ways to work, and invest continuously in new ideas and processes. We plan everything we do around the twin goals of making our operations as clean and green as possible and delivering products and services that meet customer needs.

And this section details their story.

We started as a family business, and we’re still a family business. But today, our family now includes a group of companies, customers and suppliers worldwide, and a large workforce across our various sites.

The story starts in 1972, with the Pears family developing a livestock farming business in and around Penistone, South Yorkshire.

As time went on, the family farming business diversified into animal by-product and food waste collection services. More recently we added two by-product processing facilities to the Group’s activity portfolio. This ensures complete control of our end to end collection and processing services.

The original family farm in Penistone is still very much part of the business, continuing our farming heritage and housing the Group’s head office.

They’ve recently added a combined heat and power plant (CHP).

These two paragraphs describe how they use the CHP.

The CHP plant generates renewable energy by providing steam and electricity to our existing businesses as well as exporting its excess electrical power to the National Grid.

This biomass-fired CHP plant will use meat and bone meal (MBM) to replace over 90% of the fossil fuels used in the current business processes. MBM is a sustainable alternative with a calorific value of the same magnitude as coal, meaning that more than 150,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide will be saved per year. MBM can also be sourced more locally than the fuels currently used, which in turn reduces carbon emissions from transport and transport kilometres.

It’s a new one on me, to use meat and bone meal to replace coal.

Their services and products are worth a look.

The company are certainly proof of the old Yorkshire saying of “Where there’s muck there’s brass!”

HyBont

HyBont is being developed by Marubeni Europower on Wales.

Hybont has a comprehensive web site, where this is said about the concept.

We are developing plans for a green hydrogen production and refuelling facility at Brynmenyn Industrial Estate, partially powered by a solar farm at Bryncethin.

A wide number of uses for the hydrogen, including vehicle fuelling are proposed.

HyGreen Teesside

HyGreen Teesside is being developed by BP Alternative Energy Investments in North East England.

HyGreen Teesside has a comprehensive web site, where this is said about the project.

HyGreen Teesside aims to be one of the biggest green hydrogen production facilities in the UK. Green hydrogen is made by electrolysing water using power from low carbon energy sources such as solar or wind.

Located in Teesside, HyGreen Teesside is targeting 80MWe of green hydrogen capacity by 2025 – and targeting growth to 500 MW by 2030, delivering up to 5% of the UK government’s hydrogen target of 10GW by 2030.

It is eventually going to be a large electrolyser.

Langage Green Hydrogen

Langage Green Hydrogen is being developed by Carlton Power in South West England.

Langage Green Hydrogen has a comprehensive web site, where this is said about the project.

Langage Green Hydrogen is an industry leading project, that will use renewable energy to produce green hydrogen fuel which will decarbonise industry, and in the future, transport and heating. The development will have an initial capacity of 10 MW, which will produce enough hydrogen to heat the equivalent of 14,000 homes. The project is part of the wider Langage Energy Park.

 

Note.

 

Quill 2

Quill 2 is being developed by INOVYN ChlorVinyls in North West England.

There is very little about Quill 2 on the Internet.

Personally, I find that a pity, as I used to work on what is now INOVYN’s Runcorn site.

Tees Green Hydrogen

Tees Green Hydrogen is being developed by EDF Renewables Hydrogen in North East England.

This page on the EDF Renewables web site gives this spotlight for Tees Green Hydrogen.

Tees Green Hydrogen, will be a pioneering project, using the green electricity from nearby Teesside Offshore Wind Farm along with a new solar farm, which EDF Renewables UK intends to construct near Redcar, to power its hydrogen electrolyser. The project will supply local business customers with hydrogen to support decarbonisation efforts and a significant reduction in industrial pollution.

There is also an informative animation.

This is said about the capacity.

In its initial phase, the electrolyser will have a 7.5MW capacity. It is hoped that work could begin on site in 2024, with the facility operational by 2026. Future phases will seek to deliver up to 300MW in Teesside before 2030.

Quel énorme!

Trafford Green Hydrogen

Trafford Green Hydrogen is being developed by Carlton Power in North West England.

This is the introduction on the project web page.

Trafford Green Hydrogen is an industry leading project, that will use renewable energy to produce green hydrogen fuel for industry, transport and heating. The development will have an ultimate capacity of 200MW, which will be sufficient to take around 8,000 petrol cars off the road annually. The initial phase will be 20MW.

Carlton are also developing two other projects;

West Wales Hydrogen Project – Phase 1

West Wales Hydrogen Project – Phase 1 is being developed by H2 Energy and Trafigura in Wales.

The best source of information is this must-watch Youtube video.

The company appears to be able to lease you a hydrogen truck on a pay per mile basis, at the same price as a diesel truck.

Get the finance right for your customers and yourself and everybody will be happy.

Whitelee Green Hydrogen

Whitelee Green Hydrogen is being developed by Scottish Power in Scotland.

The Whitelee wind farm is described like this on this web page.

Whitelee is the UK’s largest onshore windfarm, located on Eaglesham Moor just 20 minutes from central Glasgow. Its 215 turbines generate up to 539 megawatts of electricity, enough to power over 350,000 homes*.

With more than 130 kilometres of trails to explore, on foot, by cycle or by horse, with free parking and free entry to our onsite Visitor Centre, Whitelee is a great destination for a day out with the whole family.

I wrote about this project in Whitelee Green Hydrogen Facility To Power Public Transport.

Conclusion

These projects will create a lot of green hydrogen.

These are my highlights.

  • J G Pears, who have developed an animal by-products business with a distinct green agenda.
  • Kimberly-Clark planning three hydrogen plants in Cumbria, Kent and North Wales to decarbonise their paper products business.
  • The up to 300 MW Tees Green Hydrogen being developed by EDF Renewables.
  • The H2 Energy and Trafigura hydrogen truck business in West Wales.

Don’t forget to watch the video for the last project.

 

 

 

August 19, 2023 Posted by | Energy, Hydrogen | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Power Behind Rolls-Royce

My post entitled ‘Spirit of Innovation’ Stakes Claim To Be The World’s Fastest All-Electric Vehicle, was based on this press release from Rolls-Royce, which has the same title.

In the post I talk about Rolls-Royce’s  experimental electric aircraft; Sprit of Innovation.

  • The aircraft set a world record for electric-aircraft of 345.4 mph.
  • the aircraft clocked up a maximum speed of 387.4 mph.
  • The aircraft was propelled on its record breaking runs by a 400kW electric powertrain.
  • Rolls-Royce worked in partnership with aviation energy storage specialist; Electroflight and automotive powertrain supplier;  YASA.

For comparison, my Cessna 340A had two 230 kW engines and a maximum speed of 281 mph.

Electroflight, Evolito And YASA

YASA has this description of the company on their home page.

YASA is at the forefront of eMotor innovation and development. Our axial flux technology motors are up to 4x more powerful than those used in nearly all Electric Vehicles on the road today, whilst being around 50% smaller & lighter.

We already feature in some of the best eMotor applications across multiple sectors, and now as part of Mercedes-Benz, with sites in Oxfordshire and Welshpool, we are accelerating development of axial flux eMotors and Control Systems for of the next generation of Electric Vehicles.

Evolito has this description of the company on their About page.

Evolito was spun out in 2021 by YASA, the world-leading pioneer of automotive axial-flux electric motors acquired by Mercedes-Benz in July 2021, to exclusively commercialise YASA’s next-generation electric motor technology and IP for the rapidly-growing aerospace market. Evolito is funded by a portfolio of private investors including B-FLEXION and Oxford Science Enterprises (OSE).

Electroflight has this company story on their About page.

Founded in 2011 to address battery-electric issues in the aerospace market, we are a UK-based innovation engineering company, taking expertise from across the automotive and aerospace sectors, working with leading airframers to develop and supply next-generation battery technology.

In 2019, Electroflight, Rolls-Royce and YASA partnered to design and build the worlds fastest all-electric vehicle – The Spirit of Innovation. 3 years of dedication from the team involved integrating the full powertrain into a NXT aircraft, optimising the system to peak performance and following rigorous testing processes in an emerging market with new regulations; in 2021 the record breaking flight reached a staggering 345.5 mph!

Following the successful spinout of Evolito (YASA’s Aerospace Division) in 2021, Evolito acquired Electroflight in July 2022 to offer a fully optimised powertrain solution for the electric aerospace industry.

It appears that Mercedes-Benz now own YASA’s technology for the the automotive industry and Evolito have the aerospace technology.

Evolito’s Technology

The Evolito web site has a Technology page, which is entitled The World’s Most Advanced Electric Propulsion Solution.

  • Their Axial Flux Motors are certainly a revolutionary approach.
  • It looks like one of their motors has a peak power of 280 kW, a continuous power of 100 kW and weighs just 35 Kg.

There is also this page, which gives more details about the creation of the Spirit of Innovation, which has this video.

Evolito And Project Fresson

This press release from Cranfield Aerospace Solutions is entitled Cranfield Aerospace Welcomes Ground-Breaking UK Technology Innovator Onboard Project Fresson.

These paragraphs explain the link-up.

Cranfield Aerospace Solutions (CAeS) welcomes Evolito, a ground-breaking UK technology innovator onboard as the motor & inverter supplier for its hydrogen-powered aircraft demonstrator – Project Fresson.

Evolito join Reaction Engines and Ricardo as technology collaborators on Project Fresson, showcasing the UK innovation that is redefining the aviation industry.

Based in Oxfordshire, Evolito is the aerospace spin out of YASA – the world-leading pioneer of automotive axial-flux electric motors.

Producing the world’s most advanced electric propulsion system, Evolito’s motors are smaller, lighter, and typically 4 times more power dense than radial flux solutions, making them ideally suited to the emerging zero-emissions aviation markets.

Evolito’s axial-flux technology requires up to 75% less iron, less copper and fewer permanent magnets than competing radial solutions, making it lighter and more environmentally friendly.

Note.

  1. Project Fresson is a project to develop an electric propulsion system for Britten-Norman Islanders.
  2. There are 700 Islander aircraft in service.

A hydrogen propulsion system, would be useful for new aircraft and conversions.

 

 

July 29, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Fast Train Washer Is Client For Centre Of Rail Excellence

The title of this post, is the same as that of a small article in Rail Magazine.

This is the first paragraph.

The Orange Train Wash (OTW), which aims to clean a train carriage every 22 seconds while using just 1 % of the water of conventional equipment is one of the first commercial clients at the new £400 million Global Centre Of Rail Excellence in South Wales.

Note.

  1. This is the home page of the company’s web site.
  2. It has impeccable environmental credentials.

I also think, it has other applications.

 

 

June 7, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , | Leave a comment

Can ‘Enhanced Rock Weathering’ Help Combat Climate Change?

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.

This is the sub-heading.

In a quarry surrounded by the din of heavy machinery Jim Mann crouches down and picks up a handful of tiny black rocks.

These three sentences introduce Jim and his magic dust.

“This is my magic dust,” he says with a smile, gently rubbing them between his fingers.

He’s holding pieces of basalt. It’s a hard volcanic rock that is neither rare nor particularly remarkable.

But through a process known as ‘enhanced rock weathering’ it could help to cool our overheating planet.

This Google Map shows Orrock Quarry, where the basalt is mined.

The article then gives a simple explanation of enhanced rock weathering.

When one of the companies, I’d backed won a green design award it was presented by David Bellamy. I remember having a very radical conversation with him, about some of the projects, where he’d been an advisor.

Some might have dismissive views about Jim Mann’s work as being too good to be true, but when I see the chemistry, I suspect,I’ll find it to be sound.

It would be a very interesting process to mathematically model!

May 21, 2023 Posted by | World | , , , , , | Leave a comment

£77 Million Investment For UK Heavy Duty And Commercial Vehicle Projects

The title of this post is the same as that of this press release from the Advanced Propulsion Centre.

These are the projects.

Ford to design, develop, and build a fleet of 8 hydrogen fuel cell powered Transit vans, with the latest advances in technology

£8 million awarded by government, matched by industry to a total £16.3 million.

This research project will design and develop a hydrogen fuel cell-powered version of the Ford Transit van, with a Ford Dagenham estate facility re-purposed for upfitting of the vehicle. By bringing the manufacturer, vehicle operator and supply chain businesses together, this project aims to establish a business case for the wider rollout of hydrogen Light Commercial Vehicles.

Project partners include: Ocado, BP, Cygnet Texkimp, Cambustion, Viritech.

Note.

  1. I suspect Ocado will do the road testing.
  2. BP will probably supply the hydrogen.
  3. Cygnet Texkimp are a company based in Northwich and is a leading global provider of fibre handling and converting technology. Have they developed a machine for knitting hydrogen fuel tanks?
  4. Cambustion‘s Engineering Services team provides powertrain development and testing services to a range of global clients from our Cambridge, UK base.
  5. Viritech’s web site has a mission statement of Rewiring the DNA of Hydrogen Powertrains.

Ford seem to have assembled a team of all the talents.

Wrightbus to develop a new world-leading zero-emission battery and hydrogen fuel-cell electric, multi-axle vehicles

£6.4 million awarded by government, matched by industry to a total £12.7 million.

This project will produce a new, market-leading platform for battery and fuel cell electric driven buses. Whilst demand is growing for zero-emission vehicles, there are currently few options available for heavy, multi-axle vehicles like large buses.

Project partners include: Queens University Belfast, Grayson Thermal Systems, Hutchinson Engineering, Translink.

Note.

  1. Grayson Thermal Systems are based in Birmingham and specialise in providing HVAC for vehicles and especially zero-carbon ones.
  2. Hutchinson Engineering are based in Widnes and invest in state-of-the-art machinery and technology to give our customers the most advanced, cost-effective solutions in design, fabrication and manufacturing.
  3. Translink provides public transport in Northern Ireland.

It looks like Wrightbus have excellent partners.

ULEMCo creating a zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell range extender for prototype ambulance, fire engine and road sweepers

£3.9 million awarded by government, matched by industry to a total £7.9 million.

This project will develop a hydrogen fuel cell range extender for electric vehicles used for special purposes, such as ambulances, fire engines and street sweepers. The zero-emissions range extender will be based on existing, proven technology from the Toyota Mirai, and demonstrate how zero emissions vehicles can be used in a wide range of specialised and challenging settings.

Project partners include: Altair Engineering, Emergency One, Technical Services Ltd, Oxon Fire & Rescue Services

Note.

  1. ULEMCo are based in the Liverpool City Region and it is very much in Liverpudlian DNA to repurpose something that works. Hence the use of The Toyota technology.
  2. Altair Engineering is a multinational engineering and technology company.
  3. Emergency One is a Scottish manufacturer of fire engines and emergency vehicles.
  4. Technical Services Ltd, who are based in Cleckheaton, supply thermal management systems and solutions.
  5. Oxon Fire & Rescue Services will obviously be doing the testing.

In Hydrogen-Powered Ambulance Drives Into Glasgow Ahead Of London Trial, I wrote about a prototype hydrogen-powered ambulance, that was built by ULEMCo and industry partners, that was shown at COP26.

Is this project turning the prototype into a system, that can be manufactured in large volumes?

Bramble Energy developing a hydrogen double-deck bus, using innovative, low-cost fuel cell technology

£6.3 million awarded by government, matched by industry to a total £12.7 million.

This project will demonstrate a fuel cell/battery hybrid powertrain on a double-decker bus. This novel product will be cheaper than the equivalents currently available for large vehicles like buses and uses innovative new electronics and energy recovery technologies.

Project partners include: University of Bath, Equipmake, Aeristech

Note.

  1. Bramble Energy‘s Printed Circuit Board Fuel Cell (PCBFC™) is a patent protected, revolutionary design which leverages existing manufacturing routes from the printed circuit board industry to offer a cost-effective, scalable hydrogen fuel cell solution.
  2.  Equipmake are based at Snetterton in Norfolk.
  3. In Equipmake Hybrid To Battery Powered LT11, I describe Equipmake’s conversion of a New Routemaster to battery operation.
  4. Aeristech are based in Crawley and have developed a range of award-winning compressors for Tier-1, OEMs and other customers.
  5. Is the compressor needed to pump a mixture of hydrogen and air through the fuel cell?

I have a feeling, that this could be a very revolutionary design.

BorgWarner developing hydrogen combustion systems for heavy-duty commercial transport

£4.9 million awarded by government, matched by industry to a total £9.8 million.

This project aims to speed up the rollout of hydrogen-burning internal combustion engines, as an alternative to diesel. Hydrogen is a clean fuel, producing only water when burned. Project Cavendish will develop new fuel and air management systems, so that existing heavy duty diesel technologies can be repurposed to use hydrogen as fuel.

Project partners include: Mahle, Cambustion, Hartridge

Note.

  1. BorgWarner is a large American automotive supplier.
  2. Mahle is a large German automotive supplier.
  3. Cambustion‘s Engineering Services team provides powertrain development and testing services to a range of global clients from our Cambridge, UK base.
  4. Since the brand formation in 1930 Hartridge, who are based in Buckingham, has become a world leader in diesel fuel injection test equipment.
  5. Project Cavendish is obviously named after Henry Cavendish, who discovered hydrogen.

In Ricardo Supports Industry Leaders To Develop Innovative Dedicated Hydrogen Engine, I talk about another project involving BorgWarner. Is Project Cavendish a follow-on from the original project or a new one?

Leyland Trucks scaling up the production of electric trucks through innovations in automation and advanced testing

£2.6 million awarded by government, matched by industry to a total £5.1 million.

By better use of automation and advanced testing, Leyland Trucks aim to increase productivity and step up their production of battery electric trucks. A ‘digital twin’ of the Leyland production line will be set up, meaning any changes can be run in simulation before being rolled out physically.

Project partners include: Expert Tooling, HSSMI

Note.

  1. Leyland Trucks is one of Britain’s leading manufacturing companies. It is PACCAR’s established centre for light and medium duty truck design, development and manufacture. The company is based in Leyland.
  2. Expert Technologies are specialists in delivering industrial automation solutions. The company is based in Coventry.
  3. HSSMI is a sustainable manufacturing consultancy.

As I have done a lot of simulation in my time, I’m very much in favour of digital twins.

JLR leading a consortium research project to develop a high-efficiency and highly integrated 800V inverter designed and built in the UK

£6.3 million awarded by government, matched by industry to a total £12.6 million.

This project will explore and develop technology for inverters – a key component in electric vehicles. As well as developing a best-in-class product, this work will support the growth of a UK supply chain in components for electric vehicles.

Project partners include: University of Bristol, Custom Interconnect Ltd, API Capacitors Ltd

Note.

  1. JLR is Jaguar Land Rover.
  2. Custom Interconnect is an advanced electronics manufacturing company, which is based in Andover.
  3. API Capacitors is the UK’s leading designer and manufacturer of high quality power capacitors for power electronic applications. The company is based in Great Yarmouth.

I suspect this invertor will have several applications.

Conclusion

The grants seem to have been widely spread around the UK.

 

 

May 9, 2023 Posted by | Energy, Hydrogen, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Fugro To Monitor Offshore Wind Biodiversity By Using eDNA Samples

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.

This is the sub-heading.

Dutch geo-data specialist company Fugro has launched the BeWild project, aimed at measuring biodiversity at offshore wind farms.

I have a feeling that this fishing-for-DNA technique could have lots of uses, including some very unusual ones.

The article is worth a detailed read and Fugro and their partners certainly seem to be doing a full investigation.

These three paragraphs list the partners and the things they will provide or research.

Support will be provided by Wageningen University which will focus on the DNA sequencing methodology of marine eDNA, researching the governance of these new forms of automated data collection to provide guidance on the design principles for the expansion of nature-inclusive wind energy infrastructures.

Additionally, Stichting de Rijke Noordzee will explore how to integrate biodiversity monitoring with regular asset inspection; Mecal – ATS will develop an improved scour protection system with the potential to enhance biodiversity; Seekable will optimise cable burial monitoring solution; and CrossWind will provide access to an operational wind farm for testing and investigations.

The BeWild project is being developed with the Mission-driven Research, Development, and Innovation (MOOI) subsidy from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate, and implemented by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO).

It certainly appears very comprehensive.

May 3, 2023 Posted by | Energy | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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!

April 26, 2023 Posted by | Energy | , , , | Leave a comment

Cheesecake Energy Collects £9.4m Government Funding

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on UKTN.

These two paragraphs outline how they will use the grant.

Cheesecake Energy will use the government funding to install its energy storage solution as a microgrid in Colchester to help with local grid limitations.

University of Nottingham spinout Cheesecake Energy’s installation will collect energy made by a solar farm with a capacity of 8MW and a central heat pump that supplies a district heat pump network.

Cheesecake Energy have been on my list of possible successful energy storage systems for some time and this sounds like a very neat application for energy storage.

Cheesecake Energy bill themselves on their web site as The World’s Greenest Battery, which is a big claim to make.

This outline of their technology is given on their Our Technology page.

Cheesecake Energy’s eTanker energy storage system is a stationary, medium to long-duration energy storage solution which delivers cheap, reliable, efficient energy storage in a modular, containerised package.

The technology stores energy in the form of heat and pressurised air, re-tasking ex-service truck engines to become zero-emission electrical power-conversion machines for putting energy into storage and recovering it from storage. The resulting system does not use diesel or any fuel. It is safe, straightforward to operate, has a lifetime of up to 25 years and can deliver turnaround efficiencies of around 70%.

I like the idea of using recycled truck engines at the heart of the system.

Conclusion

The World’s Greenest Battery could be right!

April 14, 2023 Posted by | Design, Energy, Energy Storage | , , , | 4 Comments

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