The exploits of Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton and his all-conquering Mercedes team might seem about as far removed from the world of the UK utility companies as it is possible to be.
However, the electricity, gas and water sectors could be able to learn lessons, and potentially find solutions to some of their problems, by drawing on the experience and expertise involved in designing, building, transporting and racing an 850bhp car in exotic locations around the globe.
At least that is the hope of the Motorsport Industry Association (MIA) and the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), which have jointly launched a “Horizontal Innovation” initiative to boost the transfer of valuable know-how out from the British motorsport industry and into other sectors. As IET president Naomi Climer said at the initiative’s launch event, it aims to ensure that innovative ideas and products are not “locked into one sector or industry, or even one company”, but are shared with other sectors for mutual benefit.
There are a number of ways in which motorsport can potentially have a direct impact on the efficiency and performance of utilities by transferring either technical innovations or approaches to innovation that have been honed through intense competitive rigour. Indeed, Williams Advanced Engineering – the engineering arm of the F1 team – has already had an impact (see case studies, right).
MIA chief executive Chris Aylett says the motorsport industry has a good record of commercialising its innovations, but there are opportunities for more motorsport-derived solutions to solve problems in other sectors, including utilities. “It is just about getting the right people in the right room and having that first conversation,” he says.
Thinking outside the silo of an individual sector – something the keynote conference at Utility Week Live (see box) aims to help address – is key, according to Aylett, especially given the expertise within his industry.
“There is a wealth of 100 years’ worth or knowledge in solving weird problems – not about a car but about performance,” he adds. “The engineers are solving weird problems all the time. It is a vast reservoir and it’s about getting a person with a problem asking this sector whether they may be able to help.”
From the track, utilities may be able to learn more about improving the aerodynamics of their assets, not only in terms of improving air or water flow around an asset component – like a turbine – but also in terms of improving the placement of assets, such as windfarms. Aylett even says that models of whole cities and new buildings have been created, predicting how weather conditions will affect them and their surroundings. This is an approach that could boost the resilience of new utility assets as well as their efficiency.
The way in which assets are built, delivered and managed could also benefit from racing knowledge. Modular construction and new techniques in racing team factories, such as mobile workstations that shift around the car while it is being built, speed up the development of the car.
“Delivery on time is a religion,” says Aylett. “No race is ever held up by a failure to deliver. There are shipping solutions that other sectors could benefit from” in order to improve approaches to shipping replacement parts in the event of an asset failure for instance. Or, as the MIA chief says, to help speed up the construction of a new windfarm or treatment works.
Former Innovate UK chief executive Iain Gray is one of the many who are pushing for utilities to look beyond their own boundaries. “There are some great technology projects within the sector – in water, energy, lighting, waste – but in isolation, they are not enough,” he tells Utility Week.
While there is not the same competitive edge in utilities as in motorsport – there are no trophies for being the quickest to build a gas power station, for example – there is the drive to build value for money assets as successfully as possible.
Therefore, taking innovative solutions from elsewhere and utilising them is crucial, and could help to boost investor returns and customer experience.
Lessons from motorsport
Aerodynamics: Managing airflow can result in some energy efficiency savings (see case study), but it could potentially lead to more efficient turbines. Computational fluid dynamics modelling, used to help design the cars, could also be used to help plot out where a new asset could be placed so that it is least affected by its surrounding environment.
Heat management and transfer: This could help to improve the efficiency of thermal generation plants by improving the understanding and control of heat, and therefore how much of the energy is translated into electricity.
Materials: The development of lightweight and strong materials, such as carbon fibre, could have beneficial implications across utilities and the development of new assets.
Batteries and storage: Hybrid technology is now an important part of F1, with the storage technology being used to provide a boost of up to 120bhp for around 30 seconds per lap. Utilising the efficient storage solutions developed on track would be a significant step for utilities.
Modular construction: In the event of a crash, the modular design of racing cars means the damaged part can be easily removed and replaced. This also allows for updates simply to be bolted on. Adopting these techniques may help to reduce costs further for the assets of utility companies.
Case studies: Williams reaches out
Williams has been competing at the pinnacle of motorsport since 1977 and is third most successful constructor in Formula 1 history – surpassed only by McLaren and Ferrari.
The Oxfordshire-based outfit extended its operations in 2012 and set up Williams Advanced Engineering. This division is the technology and engineering services business of the Williams Group and provides “world class” technical innovation, engineering, testing and manufacturing services to other sectors.
Aerofoil Energy
Williams Advanced Engineering collaborated with UK start-up Aerofoil Energy to develop an aerodynamic device that can reduce the energy consumed by refrigerators in supermarkets and convenience stores.
Open-fronted multi-deck refrigerators that line the aisles of supermarkets consume excessive energy, with some of the cold air used to cool produce spilling out into the aisles, resulting in increased energy consumption and “cold aisle syndrome”, which can be unpleasant for shoppers.
Aerofoil Energy is working closely with Williams to refine the aerofoil concept, utilising Williams’ proven expertise in aerodynamic design and testing from four decades of success in Formula 1 racing. Williams Advanced Engineering is using computational fluid dynamics to model and simulate new designs before testing them at the Williams factory in Oxfordshire.
The device forms part of a retrofit aerofoil system that keeps more of the cool air inside the refrigerator cabinet, leading to energy savings. Currently, five per cent of the UK’s electricity goes into supermarkets, of which around 60 per cent is used for refrigerators – this alone accounts for around three per cent of the country’s electricity usage.
Williams Advanced Engineering is also working with supermarkets such as Sainsbury’s and Asda, which have been conducting in-store trials. These trials have already shown an average energy saving of 21 per cent.
Hanergy
Williams Advanced Engineering has signed a memorandum of understanding with Hanergy Solar Power UK, the entity in charge of commercial solar developments and innovative renewable technologies developments for the UK.
Under the terms of the agreement, Hanergy will benefit from Williams Advanced Engineering’s extensive experience in different forms of energy storage technology in two clean energy projects aiming to use advanced energy storage technologies to optimise solar power generation.
Powering Formula E
Williams Advanced Engineering announced in June 2013 that it was partnering Spark Racing Technology to design and assemble a battery system for the 42 cars competing in the FIA Formula E Championship.
Spark Racing Technology was formed in 2012 and is focused on the manufacture of the cars to compete in Formula E, the world’s first fully electric racing series, which began in 2014. Williams Advanced Engineering signed an exclusive agreement with Spark and will be the sole supplier of battery technology to Formula E.
Williams Advanced Engineering’s battery expertise originated from its F1 programme, following the introduction of kinetic energy recovery systems to the sport in 2009. Williams Advanced Engineering is drawing upon the systems used in its F1 cars to create new batteries and battery management systems that are capable of powering a fully electric racing car.