Power Electronics Machines and Drives: PEMD - The UK’s Next High-Value Sector?
Roger Tall reflects on Charcroft Electronics exhibiting at a successful 2024 CENEX-Expo held at the UTAC Millbrook proving ground. There was much to take in with many different technologies on display.
An article by Professor Mike Capaldi, Chair of Driving the Electric Revolution Industrialisation Centres (DER-IC) caught my eye on the show website and is worth a read. We are fortunate to have a heritage of technological developments and industrial firsts in the UK. From invention of the steam-engine & railway locomotive in Victorian times to radio, television and the internet in modern times - the drive towards carbon reduction has undoubtably led to further breakthroughs.
The PEMD sector has also undergone many years of research and development at UK academic institutions and within industry. It’s encouraging to see institutions emerging offering highly valued skills and expertise in these areas and for at that knowledge to be utilised by UK companies in this fast-growing sector.
Mercedes Benz AMG HPP, based at the Brixworth site, displayed a cut-away of their solid-state battery concept. (1) This technology promises recharge-times comparable to filling up a tank with petrol or diesel.
An interesting point to note with this technology is the need to apply a high level of pressure across the battery-cells - necessary to ensure good interface between the cell layers to allow the movement of electrons. However, something I had not understood, is that as cells are charged, the cells will expand significantly. Hence, there is some care and attention needed to provide a controlled pressure across the cells, as well as allowing them to expand and contract - however, the Engineer I spoke to did not want to expand on how this was achieved!
Hydrogen featured heavily - while not readily available across the UK, electrolysed hydrogen represents a potential energy storage solution for excess renewable (wind, solar, hydro, tidal) as well as baseline nuclear energy at times of low grid-demand. This included an impressive in-situ display of a twin hydrogen fuel cell stack in an HGV, dubbed ‘ICEBreaker’! (2)
The potential for hydrogen fuel-cells was well represented with Intelligent Energy displaying a range of their fuel cells - with mobile versions intended for vehicle integration, to larger static systems intended for use as backup power or providing power in off-grid locations. (3)
ICE Breaker uses power dense Equipmake motors and hydrogen storage tanks integrated into the side skirts, enabled this system to fit the existing form of the HGV-unit.
Equipmake also displayed their new direct-drive heavy-duty electric motor on their stand, with double the power-rating of their existing motor, now achieving 200kW. Their latest inverter-drives were on display and it's great to see this UK company, building a powertrain with UK-manufactured components already powering many forms of transport: from electric-hypercars to re-powered buses, commercial vehicles and even space rockets! (4)
On a subsequent trip to Scotland for customer meetings this week, I happened upon a static hydrogen powered electrical generator setup at the Westmorland Cairn Lodge M74 services in Lanarkshire - while this passed by most of the users, I couldn't help investigating further.
Checking the Westmorland Family website, I found out that after the group saw demand for eV charging increase, they installed 6 high-power chargers - this couldn’t be supported by the local grid, so they took the initiative and installed a hydrogen powered generator from GeoPura - the first of its kind in the UK! (5)
Hydrogen can be used as a direct fuel alternative for combustion engines as JCB have spent much effort in proving and can now provide a low-carbon solution for the construction industry, able to power earthmoving equipment and provide site-power from electrical generators sets (6). Alternatively it can be used as a fuel to burn and provide heating, as set out in a recent Government overview (7).
In yet another global first, the H100 Fife project is building the first 100% hydrogen-to-homes zero carbon network anywhere in the world, to demonstrate the potential for the UK gas network to deliver hydrogen gas. 65% of the planned 8.2km of network has been installed with foundations in place for the hydrogen electrolyser and six storage vessels at the Fife Energy Park. (8)
There are many challenges ahead in the quest to reduce our reliance on carbon-emitting sources of energy - the solution is likely to come from a combination of technologies and most of them will require some form of power and control electronics. This indicates that there is clearly further room for this sector to grow which is good news for the electronics industry in the UK and beyond.
Roger Tall is Technical Director Charcroft Electronics who recently celebrated their 50th year in business. As a UK-based franchised distributor and manufacture of electronic components with field-based engineers and product-specialists, Charcroft specialises in providing tailored support at all stages: design, proof of concept, validation, prototyping, initial and series production as well as support of legacy systems and platforms.
Charcroft will be exhibiting at DVD 2024 www.theevent.co.uk at the Millbrook Proving Ground and InnoTrans www.innotrans.de/en/ at the Messe in Berlin this month.
References and further information:
1. https://www.apcuk.co.uk/impact/funded-projects/mercedes-amg-hpp-hpp-solid-state-battery-concept/
3. https://www.intelligent-energy.com
5. https://www.geopura.com/in-action/cairn-lodge-services-leads-the-charge/
6. https://www.jcb.com/en-gb/news/2024/06/jcb-hydrogen-generator-debut-paves-way-for-zero-carbon-future
7. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hydrogen-heating-overview/hydrogen-heating-overview--2