Cohort one (2015–16)

Students

Ian Brocklebank

Background: MEng Chemical Engineering, University of Sheffield (2014)

Supervisor: Professor Peter Styring, University of Sheffield

Project: Designing a district heating network for a rural location. Heat storage, demand variability and network design for a rural location, using Monte Carlo simulations and Goldsim software (www.goldsim.com) to assess the accuracy of a district heating network powered by waste heat from a nearby industrial lead smelter in the Darley Dale.

Tom Bryden

Background: MEng Mechanical Engineering, University of Warwick (2011), Engineer for Jee Ltd (2011–2014)

Supervisor: Professor Andrew Cruden, University of Southampton

Project: ELEVATE (ELEctrochemical Vehicle Advanced TEchnology). Focusing on the potential type and size of off-vehicle energy stores for high rate EV charging capability; looking into capabilities and costs of energy stores suitable for use as the off-vehicle energy store; future fast charging usage; grid impacts of high power connections, and with experiments to characterise and diagnose a range of energy stores at high C-rates.

Post-CDT career: Tom is an Energy Systems Researcher for Hitachi Europe Ltd.

Andreas Georgakarakos

Background: MEng Mechanical Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (2013), MSc Environmental Engineering, University of Newcastle (2014)

Supervisor: Professor Martin Mayfield, University of Sheffield

Project: Energy storage characteristics of smart grid optimised buildings. Exploring the hypothesis that the energy storage characteristics of buildings will play a crucial role in ensuring that they function as an effective sub-system of a smart grid. Investigating how buildings can be optimised for a smart grid through design and incorporated energy storage systems. Seeking to identify the optimal dispatch strategies and determine the relationship between building design, energy demand and energy storage profiles.

Post-CDT career: Andreas is now a part-time student and is not due to complete until 2022.

George Hilton

Background: MEng Mechanical Engineering, University of Southampton (2014)

Supervisor: Professor Andrew Cruden, University of Southampton

Project: ELEVATE (ELEctrochemical Vehicle Advanced TEchnology). Design, build and test of a high rate electric vehicle charging station, employing an off-vehicle energy store, linked to the ESPRC project ELEVATE EP/M009394/1. Investigation of off-vehicle energy store types, design/control to meet charging demand profile, electric grid modelling and power electronics design.

Post-CDT career: George is an Analyst Consultant in the Sustainable Transport team at Ricardo Energy and Environment.

Alex Holland

Background: MPhys University of Southampton (2014)

Supervisor: Dr Richard Wills, University of Southampton

Project: High specific energy aluminium-ion rechargeable decentralised electricity generation sources. Linked to the Horizon 2020 project (H2020-NMP-2014 ALION) which aims develop a cheap, safe and reliable aluminium-ion battery for use with decentralised energy sources. Materials selection and characterisation (electrochemical techniques, XRD, SEM, XPS) in order to produce aluminium-ion cells using aqueous electrolyte. The performance of these cells will be characterised (energy density, efficiency, cycle life, rate capability) and optimised before comparison with cells produced by ALION project partners which utilise the use of ionic liquid electrolytes.

Post-CDT career: Alex is a Product Development Analyst with Opus Energy (part of the Drax Group).

Richard Johnson

Background: MChem University of Leeds (2013), Chemist for GE Water/Direct Water Maintenance (2013–2014)

Supervisor: Professor Martin Mayfield, University of Sheffield

Project: Energy storage characteristics of future cities. Examining the effect of sizing, location, and control of electrical energy storage on the ability of such technologies to provide voltage, thermal, and security of supply support to LV urban networks. Basic and 'smart' control algorithms are being developed for integration into imbalanced load flow models.

Post-CDT career: Richard is a Research Associate in Urban Power Network and Renewable Energy Analysis in the Department of Civil and Structural Engineering at the University of Sheffield.

Carl Kennedy

Background: MPhys, University of Sheffield (2014)

Supervisor: Professor Ian Reaney, University of Sheffield

Project: High energy density multi-layer solid state capacitors. Linked with EPSRC grant ‘Substitution and sustainability in functional materials and devices’ and affiliated with the NSF funded ‘Centre for dielectric and piezoelectrics’. The project will synthesise/characterise MALI-type phases for capacitor applications, and dielectric-type polymers to optimise interface barrier layers, and produce proto-type MLC devices to demonstrate proof-of-concept.

Nina Meddings

Background: MSc Materials Engineering, University of Cambridge (2001), Senior Analyst for Committee on Climate Change (2008–2014)

Supervisor: Professor Nuria Garcia-Araez, University of Southampton

Project: Li-selective membranes for Li-air batteries. Soluble redox catalysts produce a drastic improvement in battery performance but degradation reactions/battery self-discharge is a problem. Lithium conductive ceramics will be investigated in lithium-air batteries to prevent the reaction of oxygen on the Li electrode.

Post-CDT career: Nina is a Post Doctoral Researcher in the Faraday Institution Multiscale Modelling Fast Start project at Imperial College London.

James Moore

Background: MEng Chemical Engineering, University of Sheffield (2014)

Supervisor: Dr Solomon Brown, University of Sheffield

Project: High density heat storage for homes. Research in the field of phase change materials (PCMs) for high density heat storage in homes. This involves modelling PCM based underfloor heat storage, investigating different materials choices and determining the success of these models by empirical comparison. 2D and 3D models determine what, if any, effect this has on the accuracy of solution and any other associated trade-offs. This investigation via numerical methods is undertaken to improve the thermal properties, system performance or validate and comprehend physical behaviour.

Connor Smyth

Background: MEng Chemical Engineering, University of Sheffield (2014)

Supervisor: Professor Beverely Inkson, University of Sheffield

Project: In-situ liquid microscopy for next generation nanostructured battery design. Novel nanoscale electrode designs to maintain electrode integrity under long term cyclic charging, with nano-fibre and graphene reinforcements, including Si-nanocomposites will be fabricated/evaluated in prototype battery cells. In-situ battery testing using liquid microscopy facilities, in-situ electrochemical cycling to characterise the battery material phase transformations in real time.

Dan Wright

Background: BSc Chemistry, University of Bath (2011), MSc European Mineral Engineering, University of Exeter (2012), Metallurgist for SGS Minerals Services UK Ltd (2012–2014)

Supervisor: Professor Nuria Garcia-Araez, University of Southampton

Sponsor: QinetiQ

Project: Improved battery electrode materials. With Qinetiq. Advanced Li-ion cell systems and materials, including operation at higher temperature, looking at suitable anode and cathode couples as well as appropriate electrolyte compositions. The challenge is to achieve voltage and capacity with a reasonable stability over cycle number and time.

Post-CDT career: Dan is now a research fellow within the Energy Technology Group at the University of Southampton, on a Thermal Runway Faraday Institution project.

Outputs

Publications

A simple approach to modeling rural and urban district heating. Ian Brocklebank, Stephen B M Beck and Peter Styring, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Sheffield. Frontiers in Energy Research, 15 October 2018.
https://doi.org/10.3389/fenrg.2018.00103

Environmental screening of electrode materials for a rechargeable aluminum battery with an AlCl3/EMIMCl electrolyte. Linda Ager-Wick Ellingsen, Alex Holland, Jean-Francois Drillet, Willi Peters, Martin Eckert, Carlos Concepcion, Oscar Ruiz, Jean-François Colin, Etienne Knipping, Qiaoyan Pan, Richard G A Wills, Guillaume Majeau-Bettez. Materials (Basel), June 2018, 11(6), p. 936. Published online 1 June 2018. doi: 10.3390/ma11060936
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/11/11/2090/htm

TiO2 nanopowder as a high rate, long cycle life electrode in aqueous aluminium electrolyte. A W Holland, R McKerracher, A Cruden, R G A Wills, Faculty of Engineering and the Environment, University of Southampton. Materials Today Energy, 10, pp. 208–213, December 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtener.2018.09.009

Utilization of stochastically located customer owned battery energy storage systems for violation management on UK LV residential feeders with varying renewables penetrations. Richard C Johnson, Martin Mayfield, Stephen Beck, Department of Civil and Structural Engineering, University of Sheffield. Journal of Energy Storage, 19, October 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.est.2018.07.005

Methodology to determine the heat capacity of lithium-ion cells. Thomas S Bryden, Borislav Dimitrov, George Hilton, Carlos Ponce de León, Andrew Cruden, Faculty of Engineering and the Environment, University of Southampton, and Peter Bugryniec, Solomon Brown, Denis Cumming, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Sheffield. Journal of Power Sources, 395, pp. 369–378. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpowsour.2018.05.084

Optimal placement, sizing, and dispatch of multiple BES systems on UK low voltage residential networks. Richard C Johnson, Martin Mayfield, Stephen Beck, Department of Civil and Structural Engineering, University of Sheffield. Journal of Energy Storage, 17, June 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.est.2018.03.005

Electric vehicle fast charging station usage and power requirements. Thomas S Bryden, George Hilton, Andrew Cruden, Tim Holton, Faculty of Engineering and the Environment, University of Southampton. Energy, 152, accepted June 2018, ISSN 0360-5442.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2018.03.149
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360544218305589

What are smart grid optimised buildings? Andreas Georgakarakos, Martin Mayfield and Steve Jubb, Department of Civil and Structural Engineering, University of Sheffield, Craig Wootton, Building Services Surveyor University of Sheffield, and Alex Buckman, Energy Technologies Institute. Living and Sustainability: an Environmental Critique of Design and Building Practices, Locally and Globally, volume: AMPS Publication Series 9.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/321490991_What_are_Smart_Grid_Optimised_Buildings

A simple, fast and accurate in-situ method to measure the rate of transport of redox species through membranes for lithium batteries. Nina Meddings, John R Owen, Nuria Garcia-Araez, Chemistry, University of Southampton. Journal of Power Sources, accepted August 2017.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpowsour.2017.08.004

Comparative analysis of domestic and feeder connected batteries for low voltage networks with high photovoltaic penetration. George Hilton and Andrew Cruden, Faculty of Engineering and the Environment, University of Southampton, and Jeremy Kent, Swanbarton Limited, The Old Cake House, The Dairy Farm, Pinkney, Wiltshire SN16 0NX. Accepted July 2017.

Measuring the permeability of lithium-protective membranes. Nina Meddings, John R Owen, Nuria Garcia-Araez. International Battery Association 2017 Conference, Nara, Japan.

Quantitative galvanostatic intermittent titration technique for the analysis of a model system with applications in lithium-sulfur batteries. James W Dibden, Nina Meddings, John R Owen, Nuria Garcia-Araez. Journal of ChemElectroChem.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/celc.201701004/abstract

An aluminium battery operating with an aqueous electrolyte. A Holland, R D Mcerracher, A Cruden, R G Wills. Journal of Applied Electrochemistry.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10800-018-1154-x?wt_mc=Internal.Event.1.SEM.ArticleAuthorOnlineFirst