Nikola Highlights Its Integrated Hydrogen Solution And Introduces New Hydrogen Energy Brand “HYLA”
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from Nikola Motor.
This is the first paragraph.
Nikola Corporation, a global leader in zero-emission transportation and energy supply and infrastructure solutions, announced at a special event today that it has created a new global brand, HYLA, to encompass the company’s energy products for producing, distributing and dispensing hydrogen to fuel its zero-emissions trucks. More than 300 fleet, government, supplier, energy and media representatives were on site for the announcement at Nikola’s U.S. headquarters in Phoenix, which highlighted the progress made by Nikola’s energy and truck businesses.
The CEO is also quoted as saying.
Nikola is the only company that is successfully integrating a revolutionary new product, the hydrogen fuel cell truck, and the full hydrogen energy infrastructure supply chain under one roof
I suspect that other companies are or will be making similar claims, about similar products.
JCB are certainly showing everything you need for hydrogen-powered construction and agricultural equipment on their web site, as I pointed out in JCB: Building A Hydrogen Future.
When I see anything about Nikola Motor, I feel Elon Musk made a big mistake.
He chose well with the name Tesla, but shouldn’t he have registered Nikola and all its derivatives.
The Stadler Data Sheet For A Class 777 IPEMU
This data sheet is now available on the Stadler web site.
These are my observations.
Battery Charging
The datasheet says this about battery charging.
While an IPEMU is running on the electrified network, the batteries can be charged from the third rail, as well as through regenerative braking.
I’m glad to see the trains have regenerative braking, which in a train with frequent stops saves electricity.
Battery Charging Time
The datasheet says this about battery charging time.
IPEMUs can be recharged in less than 15 minutes.
That time compares favourably with Hitachi’s time.
Expected Battery Life
The datasheet says this about expected battery life.
The IPEMU battery can undergo more than 10,000 charge/discharge cycles, which is about four times the lifetime of a battery used in EVs.
Stadler also give the battery a minimum expected life of eight years.
Transition Between Electrification And Battery
The datasheet says this about this important transition.
Transition between electrified and non-electrified networks without interruption, reducing travel times.
Stadler certainly do the changeover from electric to diesel smoothly on a Class 755 train.
A Comparison To Tesla
This is a paragraph in the introduction of the data sheet.
The battery/vehicle weight-ratio of a Tesla is about 25 per cent, while the ratio of the IPEMU is only about 6 per cent.
I suspect the rolling resistance, is also a lot less, than the rolling resistance of a Tesla, due to the superior properties of steel wheels on rail, as opposed to rubber tyres on road.
Battery Range
The data sheet gives the following.
- Installed battery capacity – 320 KWh
- Maximum speed (IPEMU mode) – 62 mph
- Range in battery operation – 34 miles
- Maximum demonstrated range – 84 miles
Note.
- I would assume the 55 km given for range on the datasheet is a guaranteed range.
- The maximum demonstrated range is from New Merseyrail Train Runs 135km On Battery.
- All other figures are from the datasheet.
In an article in the October 2017 Edition of Modern Railways, which is entitled Celling England By The Pound, Ian Walmsley says this in relation to trains running on the Uckfield Branch, which is not very challenging.
A modern EMU needs between 3 and 5 kWh per vehicle mile for this sort of service.
I don’t think the terrain of Merseyrail’s services are much different from the Uckfield branch, so what are the figures for the Class 777 trains on battery power?
- 55 km range – 2.353 kWh per vehicle mile
- 135 km range – 0.952 kWh per vehicle mile
The train appears to be very miserly with electricity.
But if the attention to detail in the electrical system of the train is of the standard of a Swiss watch, I don’t think they are unreasonable.
Operation With 25 kV Overhead Electrification
The datasheet says nothing about this, but the Wikipedia entry for the Class 777 train says this under Design.
Because current regulatory policy makes it unlikely that future extensions of Merseyrail’s unshielded third rail traction power supply will be approved, Class 777 units will be delivered with provision for the future installation of 25 kV 50 Hz AC overhead line traction equipment.
This is probably needed for charging at locations without third-rail electrification.
Second Life Energy Storage Firm Smartville Inc On Modules vs Packs, Ramp-Up Plans And Tesla’s Approach
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Energy Storage News.
I like the concept of taking the life-expired batteries out of electric vehicles and giving them a second life as grid batteries.
Smartville seem to have taken this simple and useful idea to a new level.
These are my thoughts.
The Internet Of Batteries
By the use of clever software, it appears, that they can control different types of battery packs, in a manner that could be called the Internet of Batteries.
They can also measure the state and performance and calculate the replacement date of each battery pack.
The Mother Of All Batteries
The implementation of this concept in their MOAB product allows the controlling software to manage a number of battery packs precisely to deliver a battery of the precise number of MWh, that the customer ordered.
- Provided an interface driver can be written, any type and make of battery pack can be incorporated.
- Nearly new, salvaged or elderly battery packs cab be used.
- The operating system can predict, when a battery pack must be replaced.
- Smartville are planning to install a 4MWh grid battery in central California that will be co-located with an existing power plant.
In some ways, the controlling software, is like the Chief Coach of a tug-of-war team, of mixed sexes, weights and strengths, that by asking for the right level of power from each member, gets the required performance.
Working With Tesla
The article talks about why, they don’t work with Tesla, where this is said.
Our experience in the US is that Tesla does not seem to be interested in working with outside partners. They’ve also publicly stated that they’re not focused on battery repurposing, not in their current business model at least, which I think might change over time. But that’s their public stance at the moment. We’re absolutely open to working directly with them but the opportunity hasn’t presented itself.
Does this indicate, that Tesla and Elon Musk are not the easiest people to deal with?
Conclusion
I shall be following Smartville.
Harmony Energy Income Trust Eyes IPO To Develop 213.5MW Of Tesla Battery Storage
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Solar Power Portal.
The article is a very detailed look at Harmony and their development of energy storage, using Tesla hardware and software.
It also has things to say about the energy storage market in general.
This is a paragraph.
Paul Mason, managing director of the Investment Adviser, said battery energy storage offers exciting growth potential, with an expected requirement of up to 43GW by 2050 from just 1.2GW now.
It is certainly looking that companies like Harmony Energy Income Trust will be important in funding this extreme growth of energy storage.
Tesla Batteries Power UK Energy Storage Plan
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on The Times.
Britain’s energy problems could be alleviated by a new scheme to build power-storage sites across the UK using batteries produced by Tesla, the electric carmaker.
Six sites will be built by Harmony Energy Income Trust.
- The trust intends to raise £230 million in a stock market listing.
- The trust was registered on the 1st October 2021.
- The batteries will be built in rural locations.
- The sites will use Tesla Magapack batteries and Autobidder software.
- These batteries charge up in two hours and provide energy for two hours.
- The sites are “shovel ready”
- All planning permissions and contracts have been signed.
It would appear that everything is ready to go.
This is a paragraph in The Times article.
The trust is a spin-off from developer Harmony Energy, which found the six sites and obtained the permissions for construction. The developer will retain a minority stake after the listing.
It is also said in the article that two sites at Holes Bay in Dorset and Contego in West Sussex, have already been developed using Tesla batteries.
The Harmony Energy web site lists fifteen wind projects and thirteen battery projects.
- The average size of the battery projects is an output of 44 MW.
- If they can supply that for two hours, the average capacity would be 88 MWh.
The company does appear to be developing smaller batteries than the two established energy storage funds; Gore Street and Gresham House. But then everyone can use their own plan.
Megawatt Charging System Set To Rapidly Reduce Fuelling Time For Commercial EVs
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Electric Autonomy Canada.
This is the sub-title.
An international task force says their recent high power “charge-in” event has yielded promising results with successful testing of novel connector prototypes that could overhaul the long-haul industry.
The problem of charging heavy freight trucks is a big market in North America and it seems that the event attracted some big players, like ABB, Daimler and Tesla.
- In the trucking industry, speed and range count for a lot.
- Trucks need to be charged during a driver’s rest break of about thirty minutes.
- In the U.S., transport made up 28 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions.
- Charging lots of trucks on typical state-of-the-art car chargers would probably crash the system.
The Megawatt Charging System aims to solve the problems.
How Would It Work?
This paragraph from the article, outlines the problems.
But how, one may ask, could such a massive electrical draw — as much as 4.5 megawatts — be supported by a grid, especially when the usage scale is not just one truck charging up, once a day, but thousands of 18-wheelers rolling and charging across the country.
The MCS Task Force seem to be suggesting that these systems will work as follows.
- A large battery or energy storage system will be trickle charged.
- The truck will be connected and the electricity will flow into the truck.
- It could all be automated.
It sounds very much like Vivarail’s Fast Charge system, which uses batteries as the intermediate store.
As an Electrical and Control Engineer, I would use a battery with a fast response.
I think I would use a Gravitricity battery. This page on their web site describes their technology.
Gravitricity™ technology has a unique combination of characteristics:
- 50-year design life – with no cycle limit or degradation
- Response time – zero to full power in less than one second
- Efficiency – between 80 and 90 percent
- Versatile – can run slowly at low power or fast at high power
- Simple – easy to construct near networks
- Cost effective – levelised costs well below lithium batteries.
Each unit can be configured to produce between 1 and 20MW peak power, with output duration from 15 minutes to 8 hours.
Hydrogen Is A Top Contender In The Race To Zero-Carbon
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Forbes.
It is written by influential academics at the Gutierrez Energy Management Institute at the University of Houston, who make some strong points about hydrogen.
- Hydrogen can’t by mined or extracted without a manufacturing process.
- They are warm on electrolysis. Does the US have an electrolyser factory?
- Hydrogen is ideal for medium trucks upwards.
- Research into hydrogen deployment is needed.
- I don’t think, that they’re impressed with Government response.
- Although they do say that the European Commission’s plan with $75billion of funds to deploy the technology is ambitious.
But their strongest comments are reserved for a comparison between the heavy trucks of Tesla and Nikola.
Innolith Claims It’s On Path To 1,000 Wh/kg Battery Energy Density
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on InsideEVS.
This is the introductory paragraph.
Innolith, the Switzerland-based company with labs in Germany, announced that it is developing the world’s first rechargeable battery with an energy density of 1,000 Wh/kg (or simply 1 kWh per kg of weight). Such high energy would easily enable the production of electric cars with a range of 1,000 km (620 miles).
If they achieve their aim, a one MWh battery will weigh a tonne.
I am sceptical but read this second article on CleanTechnica, which is entitled Swiss Startup Innolith Claims 1000 Wh/kg Battery.
Innolith has a working battery at Haggerstown, Virginia, but say full production is probably 3 to 5 years away.
The CleanTechnica article, also says this about Tesla’s batteries.
Let’s put that into perspective. It is widely believed that Tesla’s latest 2170 lithium ion battery cells produced at its factory in Nevada can store about 250 Wh/kg. The company plans to increase that to 330 Wh/kg as it pursues its goal of being a world leader in battery technology. 1000 Wh/kg batteries would theoretically allow an electric car to travel 600 miles or more on a single charge.
So it would appear that Tesla already has an power density of 250 Wh/Kg.
Conclusion
I am led to believe these statements are true.
- Tesla already has an energy density of 250 Wh/Kg.
- Tesla will increase this figure.
- By 2025, the energy density of lithium-ion batteries will be much closer to 1 KWh/Kg.
- Innolith might achieve this figure. But they are only one of several companies aiming to meet this magic figure.
These figures will revolutionise the use of lithium-ion batteries.
The Anonymous Widower 