Atisn14722doc5 0.Pdf

November 2018 Advisory Board Report Contents Foreword 03 Who’s who 04 Project updates 06 Demonstration Area 12 Young Researchers Conference 14 Stakeholders 15 3 November 2018 Advisory Board Report Foreword The past six months have seen a flurry of exciting developments for FLEXIS. Of particular note is the progress made on the FLEXISapp, which is in the business planning stage with the Welsh European Funding Office (WEFO, aiming for a January 2019 start. We are delighted to be formally partnering with Neath Port Talbot Borough Council (BC) so that our Demonstration Area may become a testbed for low carbon technologies which are commercially viable. The FLEXISapp business plan is near completion, while an MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) between Neath Port Talbot BC and ourselves is in draft. FLEXIS will have a new base within the Demonstration Area and we are in talks with Baglan Bay Innovation Centre, located in the Baglan Energy Park – a flagship business centre created by Neath Port Talbot BC’s successful regeneration scheme. We are recruiting a Project Manager and other team members to support the overall development of the Demonstration Area. In terms of general project progress, we have received very positive feedback from the Mid-Term Evaluation Report. Whilst we are on track to achieve our targets of increasing research capacity in Wales as set out in our initial Business Plan, our ambition is not to stop there. Our goal is very much to lead on energy transformation to help address local and global issues of air quality and fuel poverty. To this end, through insightful discussions within our team and with our evaluators, one of our final objectives is to engage with additional large organisations and commercial partners to form a platform for long-term relationships. It is also acknowledged that energy transformation is an expensive and ongoing enterprise, and that FLEXIS may serve as a pump-priming initiative. Our Neath Port Talbot traction projects are well underway and include work on real-time energy monitoring, low emission vehicles, evaluating electrical grid constraints and mine water heat recovery, all with a view to enabling Port Talbot to become a smart low carbon town. We continue to make excellent progress on a number of short-term scoping projects run with Tata Steel Port Talbot. As well as looking into means of waste heat recovery, initiative include a hot strip mill-skid cooling system (a significant issue worldwide), power flow analysis in order to unlock flexibility and assessment of the potential for export of BOS gases to assist Tata with its goal of energy self-sufficiency. Last month we had the pleasure of presenting FLEXIS to the Minister of State for Energy and Clean Growth, the RT Claire Perry MP, as part of Cardiff University’s #GreenGB Week events. FLEXIS continues to be represented at industry events including the Low Carbon Networks & Innovation Conference 2018 and we are delighted to be attending the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP24) in Katowice in December. Finally, I must take this opportunity to draw your attention to the FLEXIS Young Researchers’ Conference, which took place in July. We invited all of our early-career researchers to meet for the first time and share their work as well as identify opportunities for collaboration and gain an overview of the project. Over 100 project staff attended the event, with 49 academic posters on display and a tour of the demonstration area. A better illustration of the breadth of our research capacity would be hard to find. Prof Hywel Thomas 4 November 2018 Advisory Board Report Who’s who FLEXIS is made up of approximately 100 academics, researchers and administrative staff from three of Wales’ leading universities – Cardiff, Swansea and the University of South Wales. Prof Hywel Thomas Lead Principal Investigator and PI of Sustainable Earth Energy Dr Aleksandra Koj Project Manager Principal Investigators Prof Nick Jenkins Network & grid integration of renewables; low carbon energy infrastructure in Wales Cardiff University Prof Alan Guwy CymruH2Wales2 – hydrogen and fuel cells University of South Wales Prof Phil Bowen SMART-POWER: enabling integrated energy systems Cardiff University Prof Andrew Barron Energy safety research Swansea University Prof Manu Haddad Alternative environmentally-friendly gas for electrical networks insulation Cardiff University Profs Nick Pidgeon & Karen Henwood Public response to energy systems technologies Cardiff University Dr Petar Igic Power electronics Swansea University Partners Advisory Board John Scott (Chair) Dr John Newton Director, Chiltern Power Ltd Managing Director at ITM Motive Prof Paul Beasley Dr Iliana Portugues Head of R & D UK at Siemens Head of Innovation for National Grid Electricity Transmission Owner Ben Burggraaf Energy Operations Manager at Stephen Phillips Dwr Cymru Welsh Water Chief Executive at Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council Martin Brunnock Research, Development and Technical Dave A Roberts Director for Tata Steel UK Director of Smart Interventions, EA Technology Dr Mike Colechin Director of Cultivate Innovation Ltd Prof David Slater Honorary Professor, School of Prof Bill David Engineering, Cardiff University Professor of Chemistry at the University of Oxford Nick Smailes Head of Business Development Ceri Davies at Energy Systems Catapult Executive Director – Knowledge Strategy and Planning at Mahesh Sooriyabandara Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru / Associate Managing Director at National Resources Wales Toshiba Telecommunications Research Laboratory, Toshiba Steven Edwards Research Europe Ltd Director of Regulation & Commercial at Wales & West Utilities Dr Mark Winskel Chancellor’s Research Fellow Robert Harper on Energy Innovation, Science Gallium Nitride Programme Manager, Technology and Innovation Studies, Compound Semiconductor Centre University of Edinburgh Roger Hey James Yu Future Networks Manager at Future Networks Manager at Western Power Distribution SP Energy Networks Prof Ron Loveland Energy Advisor to the Welsh Government 5 6 November 2018 Advisory Board Report Project updates Integrated Energy Flexible Power Plant Energy Storage to Power Supply Systems During the last few months, grants In a significant strategic development A world-first facility demonstrating of £888,102 have been won from for Cardiff University’s Gas Turbine the potential use of ammonia as a the EPSRC, Royal Academy of Research Centre (GTRC), two new flexible energy storage medium was Engineering and National Grid. projects have been won with innovation- unveiled at the Science & Technologies based companies Renishaw and HiETA Facilities Council Oxford site in June. These awards allow the Cardiff relating to the utlisation of additive layer University team, in particular, Dr Liana manufacturing (ALM), commonly known A project between Siemens, Cardiff and Cipcigan, Prof Jianzhong Wu and Dr as 3D printing, in the power sector. Oxford Universities and Innovate UK, Meysam Qadrdan to expand research the demonstrator comprises a 20kW in electric vehicles and integration ALM introduces an exciting, disruptive wind turbine source which supplies and flexibility of energy systems. technology to the sector, enabling grid power when required and a green the creation of innovative component source of hydrogen when demand Fast-track project work with Tata Steel designs (burners, recuperators, injectors or price is insufficient. Ammonia is Port Talbot continues apace. Two projects etc) which can’t be manufactured generated as the hydrogen carrier by have met their first objectives as follows: traditionally. This opens up the potential the Haber-Bosch process and then for benefits such as higher efficiencies utliised when needed to generate power (1) Unlocking flexibility - develop and lower-weight components. The through a converted reciprocating an understanding of the energy projects focus on the first application of gas engine, running an optimised distribution networks and power ALM swirlers in GTRC’s model gas turbine hydrogen/ammonia fuel mixture. systems within the steelworks. combustor, alongside the development Whilst hydrogen conversion of course (2) Waste heat recovery - identify of ALM liquid fuel injectors, with detailed introduces a cost penalty, industrialists the gaps and potentials for combustion performance appraisals. claim this can be offset by the advantages optimising the energy systems. EPSRC-funded research conducted at of significantly lower liquefaction Two Knowledge Transfer Partnership GTRC via the FLEXEPLANT consortium, conditions, storage-related costs and (KPT) projects placed researchers co-funded by 12 leading energy associated ease of transportation. on secondment with private British companies, has indicated a new The demonstrator has led to a series companies seeking to futher develop their predictor for Liquefied Natural Gas of high-profile academic publications expertise in applied Power Electronics. (LNG) fuel variability when the Wobbe Number is insufficient. This could serve including an invited review in the Progress Research related to Power Electronics and to explain the cause of gas turbine in Energy Combustion Systems journal. the Demonstration Area is ongoing. The combustion instabilty reported in 2012 The Cardiff-based team are represented team purchased equipment, software by UNIPER, despite the Wobbe Index on the Royal Society Policy Review Board licences and other components, setting being within European specifications. for Green Ammonia Energy and

Load more