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Green transport revolution for Venice
A Southampton company, supported by engineering researchers from the University, has developed an innovative hybrid diesel-electric boat engine that could revolutionise transport in Venice by cutting emissions and helping to protect the city’s unique but fragile architecture.
Alumnus Dr Dennis Doerffel (PhD, 2008) and Professor Suleiman Sharkh of the University discuss the engine technology, the challenges of sustainable innovation and the importance of University-industry links.
Dr Dennis Doerffel
Dr Dennis Doerffel, Founder and Chief Technology Officer, REAPsystems Ltd
I founded REAPsystems in 2003 to apply the knowledge from my PhD in hybrid electric technologies to industry. What drives me is the belief that we’ve built our quality of life on foundations that are unsustainable; we have to work together to change things – including the way we generate and use energy – so that we are on a more sustainable footing.
With support from University researchers, REAPsystems has developed a hybrid diesel-electric engine that can be dropped into existing diesel boats. The system uses the latest diesel engine technology paired with a high-power, compact and efficient electric motor and inverter as well as a modern lithium-ion battery and advanced system control unit.
This technology really makes sense for a city like Venice, where around 20,000 leisure craft and 550 taxi boats serve millions of visitors each year. In the smaller canals electric power can be used, cutting out noise, vibrations and emissions. For longer runs – such as water taxi trips to the airport – the diesel engine automatically takes over and the electric motor works as a generator to recharge the batteries.
Fuel efficiency is the easiest benefit to put a figure on – we think the engine will use at least 50 per cent less diesel – but there are lots of other advantages. The reduction in air pollution, noise and vibrations, for example, will improve the environment for residents and visitors, enhance the health and safety of boat operators and help to protect the fabric of the city’s ancient buildings.
However, as with all new technologies, people won’t believe it until they see it, so we are aiming to take our demonstration water taxi to Venice to convince the city’s boat operators and decision makers that the new engine is reliable and efficient. The local authorities there are discussing new emission regulations; if we can show them what’s possible with this new engine we can hopefully influence the regulations and give hybrid technologies a boost.
Mutually-beneficial relationship
Our relationship with the University is continuing in a number of ways. We recently succeeded in gaining a £1.3m Innovate UK consortium grant to develop this technology for larger boats, with the University as one of the project partners. We’re also involved in the Centre for Doctoral Training in Energy Storage and its Applications, run by the universities of Southampton and Sheffield. This means we can help the University to identify real-life industry problems to tackle through research, as well as identifying potential future employees.
Getting green technologies to market is a huge challenge, particularly for a small business like ours. You’ve got to invest in getting the quality and reliability of your product right, at the right price for consumers.
Uncertainty caused by changes in government sustainability policies, perceptions of what a small business can deliver and finding staff with the right skills are just some of the issues we face. I’m keen to continue working with the University to help it to produce graduates with the practical design and project management skills that will help us achieve our goal of creating a more sustainable world.
Suleiman Sharkh, Professor of Power Electronics, Machines and Drives and Head of Mechatronics Research Group, Engineering and the Environment
Hybrid electric cars are now a common sight on our roads – over 11 million hybrid vehicles have been sold worldwide since the first models went on the market in the late 1990s. But this sort of change doesn’t happen overnight. The underlying technology takes a long time to develop. In order for it to really take off, you also need the right levels of consumer awareness and, ideally, legislation to help promote the technology. It’s great to see REAPsystems’ work on the hybrid marine engine come to fruition; the plan to demonstrate it in Venice should help to create the conditions for wider adoption.
At the forefront of developing technologies
At the University, our strength is in looking ahead and working at the forefront of developing technologies. In the field of electric vehicles, my own research includes investigating vehicle-to-grid (V2G) systems, where electric vehicles can give back power to the grid to support it at times of high demand. This work, undertaken with Professor Andrew Cruden at Southampton and partners in the UK and China, has enabled us to test the feasibility of charging and discharging batteries and model ways to make the process more energy efficient.
However, we need to work with industry to take innovations forward, and that’s why partnerships with companies like REAPsystems are so important.
Test runs of the water taxi demonstration vessel, for example, have shown us how the prototype engine works in practice, giving us operational experience and highlighting areas for further research.
We’ll be exploring some of these areas through the new Innovate UK consortium project. Woking with a number of industry partners, the plan is to convert a marine research vessel to run on a hybrid electric system in order to maximise fuel efficiency and minimise emissions. REAPsystems will focus on the battery technology, which is its area of expertise. The University will bring specialist knowledge to the development of the electric machines that interface with the engine hardware.
Hydro boat engine
Versatile hybrid engines
The end result will be a hybrid system that can be used in boats such as tugs, fuel boats, service vessels for the gas and oil industry or military vessels, as well as in research vessels. It is an open architecture project, which means the control software will be made available to enable others to design compatible components, encouraging wider adoption of the technology.
As well as providing opportunities to work on real-world engineering problems, our links with industry are vital for our educational aims. Our fundamental function is to produce graduates who are equipped with relevant skills for today’s engineering roles. That’s something Southampton is very good at, but we can always do more. We have recently introduced the Semester in Industry scheme, where masters students gain hands-on experience within a company. The Centre for Doctoral Training in Energy Storage and its Applications, funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, is also a great opportunity for students to learn through industry-based projects while benefiting the partner company. We’re always keen for more companies to get involved and offer placements, helping us to educate the next generation of engineers and innovators.
