Manuj Singham, Chief Electrical Engineer/Planning, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC)

"DMRC engaged Hallam Energy at Hallam University to prepare a techno-economic feasibility report of the project. The University has prepared a comprehensive and informative report, covering various technological, social & economic aspects regarding the subject which will help us in taking a conscious decision regarding the matter."

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Dan Chester, Technical Manager, Iceotope Ltd.

'We assessed the options for thermal consultancy in the Sheffield area and were impressed by Hallam Energy's consultants' knowledge, professional attitude and flexibility.

'Hallam Energy provided expert, timely and professional consultancy that allowed us to make informed design decisions at an earlier stage of the project than would otherwise have been possible.

'We were able to confidently pursue several cost reduction options in our first product design that would otherwise have had to await a major design revision, therefore increasing the cost competitiveness of our launch product.'

Sally Moore, Marketing Manager, Danfoss Heat Pumps UK Ltd.

'We chose Hallam Energy because we believe in working within the community where possible, and they have a good reputation for the delivery of such projects. The project required the collection of field data throughout Yorkshire which meant that less travel would be required.

'The benefit of working with Hallam Energy was that meetings could be arranged quickly and conveniently without the need for people having to travel too far. They have previous experience in similar trials and this proved helpful when agreeing the format for presentation of the final report.

As a result of the trial we were able to secure funding for the installation of air source heat pumps for homeowners across the UK.'

Road Tankers Northern Ltd., Operations Director Don McKelvie

Energy engineers give tanker company fuel for thought

Work carried out by Hallam Energy experts at Sheffield Hallam University has helped a Barnsley-based tanker manufacturer potentially reduce a major supermarket's fuel consumption by up to 10 per cent.

Barnsley-based Road Tankers Northern (RTN) has developed a new tanker for Morrisons, which experts say has a lower carbon footprint and is more economical.

Hallam Energy used drag analysis more often associated with Formula One teams to examine the aerodynamic performance of RTN's iconic trailers - a short cab and a long cylindrical trailer.

Using hi-tech computational fluid dynamics (CFD), researchers focused on the space between the two units to improve aerodynamics, leading to lower fuel consumption.

RTN had made attempts to narrow the gap between the tractor and trailer but approached Hallam Energy so it could identify conflicts and transform them into opportunities for innovation.

Dr Andrew Young from Hallam Energy said that the cavity between tractor and trailer can be made more efficient if the mechanisms for drag generation are well understood.

He said: "The challenge of improving the tanker’s aerodynamic performance while retaining its iconic looks required innovations drawing from sectors including motorsport and marine. Essentially, a tractor-tanker pairing is a combination of short tractor and long tanker objects, which have different drag characteristics.

"Any disruption to the air flow caused by the tractor has to be tolerated by the tanker, and this is where significant gains in performance can be realised.

"By reducing the induced drag and setting-up the flow to progress more smoothly, we were able to identify massive potential cost savings that go beyond existing research into tanker fuel consumption."

Professor Alan Smith, head of business development for STA at Sheffield Hallam, said: "The successful completion of this project has given RTN a unique selling point - they can demonstrate that their tankers are more fuel efficient with reduced customer costs and carbon footprint.

"By using advanced CFD technologies in real world scenarios we have given the company even more scope to make subtle changes to their fleet that can lead to even greater savings."

RTN operations director Don McKelvie added: "This project is a superb example of industry and academia working together to make a very saleable product.

"Even the tiniest design changes can have a massive effect on the amount of fuel that is used by these tankers and we are planning to collaborate with Hallam Energy on future projects to see if further savings can be identified.

"The company has been able to redesign its tankers with the proven knowledge that they are lighter and more aerodynamic which translates into fuel efficiency and carbon savings without loss of structural integrity."

Neil Bracewell, Director, DEXT Heat Recovery Ltd.

Energy experts help to recover waste heat in commercial kitchens

Dext Heat Recovery came to us because they needed a technical partner to help develop a product that recycles the wasted heat from industrial kitchens. Using cutting-edge techniques and facilities, we were able to help them reduce energy costs and environmental impact for major restaurant chains, including Nando’s and Frankie and Benny’s.

In commercial restaurants, food is heated from refrigerated temperatures to high temperatures relatively quickly. This requires a lot of energy and often generates a considerable amount of waste heat. Our energy specialists were able to help Dext successfully develop innovative heat exchange systems to recover that waste.

The heat recovery system had to deliver high performance in a challenging environment, working to recover low-grade waste heat and reintroduce it to the system while overcoming real-world problems like grease fouling and flame protection. Using state-of-the-art modelling techniques including CFD (computational fluid dynamics), a series of experimental runs and analytical engineering methods, we helped Dext to develop a heat recovery plate that can be installed close to the main heat source within the kitchen, either directly behind a chargrill or cooker, or within a canopy.

The heat is absorbed by the plate and transferred into a sealed water circuit, which is circulated through a coil in a cylinder for hot water generation, providing substantial energy savings for the end user.

As well as showing very good performance under difficult operating conditions, these systems are effective, robust, relatively low cost and easy to clean.

After the initial trials, the system is being installed at a number of restaurant chains, including Nando’s and Frankie and Benny’s. The initial consultancy work resulted in a successful Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) with a KTP associate working between the company and the University. The associate has since been taken on by the company in a senior role to help develop the company's new technologies and future products.

'We had created a new technology that could not be tested to any normative standards, so we approached Sheffield Hallam to gain some independent validation to offer to our potential first client. The client had indicated they were prepared to trial our system if it proved viable.

'Sheffield Hallam seemed best suited to our needs – lateral thinkers and able to work around our budget and timescale. The initial work exceeded our expectations and we have since established a close working relationship with the team – they are our 'go-to-guys' for any viability or improvement studies and CFD modelling.'

Neil Bracewell, Team Dext

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