Does Ocado Get Used For Christmas Stocking Fillers?
I use cotton handkerchiefs because of my skin and buy them in boxes of seven from Marks and Spencer at £16 a box.
Today, I was doing my weekly Ocado order and wondered if they delivered the handkerchiefs.
They appear to sell ten of a lesser quality for &6.33.
Unfortunately, they were out of stock. Have they been bought up by kids for stocking fillers for relatives?
But, Ocado do stock a selection of items from Marks and Spencer’s Autograph range.
Am I Sleeping Better Because Of Ocado?
A couple of months ago, I switched to shopping for food on-line at Ocado, and I am certainly sleeping better.
The only big change in my eating habits, is that I am now having a Marks & Spencer’s Lamb’s Liver and Bacon ready meal once a week.
Is that Vitamin B12 making a difference?
I do wish, that someone would do a proper Italian fegato, like Carluccio’s used to do. It’s virtually unobtainable in London.
After they stopped selling it, I used to have lunch with a friend in a pub in Oxfordshire. But sadly they died a couple of years ago.
If anybody knows of a decent country pub, by a station, that services excellent liver please let me know.
Liver From Ocado
I like to eat liver, as it supplements my B12 injections.
So I was pleased to see that Ocado stock Marks and Spencer’s Liver and Bacon meal-for-one.
Note, that I cooked it in the oven, which is recommended.
I enjoyed it and I will cook it more often, provided Ocado keep delivering it.
ICE Report Shows Majority Open To Net Zero Changes
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on The Engineer.
This is the sub-heading.
A new report has found that a majority of the UK public is amenable to the behavioural changes needed to hit the country’s net zero targets.
These two paragraphs summarise the findings of the report.
Published by the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) and the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Infrastructure (APPGI), the report was based on a survey of 1,000 respondents. It found that 57 per cent were open to change, with 23 per cent described as net zero enthusiasts who were likely to have already altered their behaviours, and 34 per cent wanting change, but feeling they needed further empowerment to achieve it.
However, there is far from universal agreement when it comes to behavioural change around climate action. The report found that 30 per cent of people were ‘reluctant followers’, largely acknowledging that the UK must act on emissions, but not feeling personal responsibility for that action. This segment will likely only change their behaviours if forced to do so or seeing a majority of others doing it first. Finally, 13 per cent of those surveyed were classed as ‘net zero resistors’, people who don’t believe action is necessary and have no intention of doing so.
Summing the figures up gives us.
- Net-Zero Enthusiasts – 23 %
- Wanting Change – 34 %
- Reluctant Followers – 30 %
- Net-Zero Resistors – 13 %
All politicians should be forced to read the full report.
What Would I Need To Do To Achieve a Personal Net-Zero?
My circumstances probably cover a lot of people.
- I am a widow living alone.
- My house is well-insulated with solar-panels on the roof, but heated by gas.
- I don’t have or need a car.
- I do nearly all my shopping by public transport and carry it home.
- When I go away in the UK I use trains.
- If I go to Europe, I either go or come back by train.
- I am coeliac, which means I need to eat some meat to stay healthy.
My largest carbon-emitted is probably my house, but it would be unsuitable for most current solutions.
I would put myself in the Wanting Change group, but I could move to a Net-Zero Enthusiast, if the right technology came along.
- I have seen one bolt-in electric replacement for by boiler and when the right one arrives, I’ll probably fit one.
- An affordable battery to work to with my solar panels and also allow me to use Off Peak electricity would be nice.
- As I’m coeliac, I tend to buy in the same food each week from Marks and Spencer to eat in. I might be able to cut my carbon footprint by getting Ocado to deliver. Especially, as some deliveries seem to be bike.
- If TfL decarbonised the bus, that I use most days to and from Moorgate would that lower my carbon footprint?
I suspect the largest amount of carbon outside of my house’s heating, that I’ll emit, will be tomorrow, when I take a train to Newquay.
How Do We Convert The 13 % Net-Zero Resistors?
The recent protests by French and Belgian farmers indicate, that these farmers are probably in this group. And there are other forthright groups!
The only way, that they’ll be converted, is if technology allows them to earn the same amount of money and have the same outgoings, as they do now!
£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.
- I suspect Ocado will do the road testing.
- BP will probably supply the hydrogen.
- 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?
- Cambustion‘s Engineering Services team provides powertrain development and testing services to a range of global clients from our Cambridge, UK base.
- 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.
- Grayson Thermal Systems are based in Birmingham and specialise in providing HVAC for vehicles and especially zero-carbon ones.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Altair Engineering is a multinational engineering and technology company.
- Emergency One is a Scottish manufacturer of fire engines and emergency vehicles.
- Technical Services Ltd, who are based in Cleckheaton, supply thermal management systems and solutions.
- 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.
- 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.
- Equipmake are based at Snetterton in Norfolk.
- In Equipmake Hybrid To Battery Powered LT11, I describe Equipmake’s conversion of a New Routemaster to battery operation.
- Aeristech are based in Crawley and have developed a range of award-winning compressors for Tier-1, OEMs and other customers.
- 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.
- BorgWarner is a large American automotive supplier.
- Mahle is a large German automotive supplier.
- Cambustion‘s Engineering Services team provides powertrain development and testing services to a range of global clients from our Cambridge, UK base.
- Since the brand formation in 1930 Hartridge, who are based in Buckingham, has become a world leader in diesel fuel injection test equipment.
- 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.
- 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.
- Expert Technologies are specialists in delivering industrial automation solutions. The company is based in Coventry.
- 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.
- JLR is Jaguar Land Rover.
- Custom Interconnect is an advanced electronics manufacturing company, which is based in Andover.
- 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.
Ocado’s Not Very Green Packaging
When I buy beer from Beers of Europe, it comes in a box holding more than a dozen bottles. Ocado doesn’t use anything as efficient as that.
Four bottles are in a cardboard carrier and that is in a plastic bag. That isn’t very green and must be downright inefficient.
My First Ocado Delivery
I finally had an Ocado delivery today.
There are a lot of bags. But then there were a lot of bottles of Celia gluten-free lager and a couple of boxes of Coke.
The Anonymous Widower 