University of East Anglia
ENG-7007B –Fluids Engineering for Renewable Energy
Cwk 002 Feasibility study (team) – summative coursework
Chris Atkin, Lawrence Coates
1. Introduction, the need for supporting learning with real problems
The emphasis on design exercises within this module is because it supports more interesting ways to learn about real world problems as well as opportunities to learn from a multi-disciplinary approach to team work.
The Royal Academy of Engineering in reporting on the first 15 or so years of their visiting professors’ scheme (RAEng 2015) explained why using real problems when educating engineers was important.
They acknowledged that the traditional way of teaching students was to train them to answer very prescriptive questions with one right answer and this could be a bad way to prepare them for their careers. The main aspect that they highlighted was the need to help students to gain experience of open-ended problems so that they experience “coping with incomplete information” and “realising that there is no ‘correct’ solution”. It is in this context that this coursework is established.
2. Overview
The following coursework exercise is designed as a team-based feasibility and estimation challenge.
Since each team is dealing with a different topic and will be presenting to the whole class this also provides an opportunity for wider learning. So in addition to the assessors your target audience for your presentations is the other students.
At first sight some of the questions do not focus on a particular aspect of renewable energy, but in fact a full answer may require some thought to be given to how the energy mix will change, based on current projections and targets for both increased wind capacity, variable nuclear and reduced fossil fuel supply. The scope of each question suggests that you must make optimum use of your team’s resources to succeed, whilst managing the use of your time effectively.
The energy market moves fast. Government schemes come and go. Always check that information which you rely on is up to date.
3. The questions
These questions are based on your team further developing your understanding of how the UK energy mix is likely, or targeted, to change and how affected it is by variability in supply and demand. Intermittency of supply from renewables and short-lived peaks in demand can drive installed and planned capacity in an inefficient way.
A range of responses is being developed. For example Triads are an attempt to deal with the early evening peaks (National Grid, 2021) and electric vehicles are mooted as a means of providing distributed storage.
Each question in effect requires you to form a view on the extent and timing of new renewables generation and the possible solutions for storage.
The questions have been allocated to groups A, B, C and D as shown in table 1. The appendices contain a bit more information about each topic. The references are not especially reputable but chosen to provoke discussion and further research by your group.
Consider the broad range of issues that these questions flag up : demand cycles and peaks, demand projections, decommissioning, government and EU targets, current and future storage techniques of various and novel types, supply mix of sources and respective CO2 outputs, embedded CO2 emissions during both construction and operation, the planned rapid expansion of offshore wind, LCOE, design life, etc.. You will need to make judgments of your own as to what is relevant and should be included in your response.
Although you will undoubtedly find a lot of interesting stuff of peripheral relevance it is important to keep in mind what you will actually produce for assessment. After the first week of research, if work that you are doing will not appear in any deliverable then you should probably not be doing it. There is limited time to
deliver this exercise. In industry you might be contracted to deliver this report by a fixed deadline because it could lead to a bigger piece of consultancy work. Always focus on the deliverables.
Although the questions appear UK-centric you may find value in researching global developments and how they might indicate long term trends. Some countries already have advanced approaches to some of these issues. Many of the issues are transferable.
You are likely to find other people’s estimates of quantities that contribute to your argument. Always attempt your own estimates as well and at least secure multiple sources for anybody else’s estimate that you rely upon.
In getting started you might find the following websites useful : Gridwatch (2021), Elexon (2021), DECC (2013a), DECC (2013b), DECC (2013c). This is deliberately not an exhaustive list.
Table 1. Groups and Topics [Also see Appendices A to D below]
| Group | Members | Question |
| A | Jennie Biggs, Oli Maxwell, Syed Naqvi, Erica Rivaz, Enes Tanis | Respond to a query from a specific community about the possibilities for installing renewables using their local situation and recognising their long-term plans, which could include energy independence. |
| B | Rhema Akinola, Kasper Au, Ellie Udomwong, Matthew Young | Investigate and report on the practicalities and economics of using pumped storage for dealing with the intermittent nature of some renewables. |
| C | Mohammad Ahmadi, Sayli Galphade, Udeme Inyang-Udoh, Mo Komeagag, Karolina Skudaite | Research the possibilities and make recommendations for surplus wind energy by storing it offshore or converting it, to smooth out intermittency, reduce curtailment and ensure that the cables to shore from offshore wind are efficiently used. |
| D | George Kulish, Amin Roudhelehpour, Gulshan Sharma, Luke Turner, Joe Whitley | Construct a briefing report for the appropriate government ministry to explain clearly the benefits and challenges of battery storage for dealing with intermittency of the targeted amount of offshore wind, wave, tidal, and other sources. |
- The Submissions
There are two elements to the submission but they should be seen as a complete package, rather than separate entities.
Your team should prepare a 12-minute oral presentation that effectively acts as a summary and explanation of the report, sets the context and explains clearly the basis for your final response to the question as well as delivering your team’s responses. Credit will be given for evidence of detailed estimations underpinning your answers. All team members should contribute to the preparation of the presentation, but it is your decision as to how many of your team actually deliver the presentation. Those who did not gain experience of presenting in Autumn term should be encouraged to be involved.
In support of your presentation you should prepare a Technical Report of no more than 15-pages of A4 using no smaller than arial 10-point font and including any figures and tables. This may include material that did not or could not appear in the presentation. It will be expected that you will refer the assessors to your nearly final draft of your report during the presentation.
The presentation counts 10% and the technical report counts 20% towards the module mark. The submission dates for the presentation and report will be announced in good time by the module organiser. To allow the report to be improved if necessary in the light of feedback there is usually a short gap between the oral presentation and the final report submission to Blackboard.
In addition to the main report submitted by one student from each group, each student should submit their peer assessment form as a separate document. Please do not attach your peer assessment form to the report as this can make it difficult for staff to separate them to preserve confidentiality.
5. Team working
You will work in teams of 4 or 5 and so a certain amount of planning will be required to maximise input from all team members. It will not be possible to complete this exercise in the time available unless all team members are productive, which in turn emphasises the value of a team skills audit.
A skills audit should be completed together and will identify the skills and interests within the team and map them on to the needs of the exercise; such as proof-reading, team leadership, gathering data, analysis of data etc. This should also identify the team roles that individual prefer to hold, or feel that they are suited to. Remember that it is the responsibility of the whole team to ensure that each member is given work that they are capable of doing to the standard required. There is no point in overloading somebody with something they are clearly going to struggle to deliver.
The watch word in team working is ‘respect’. Everybody in your team deserves to be given respect and your views also deserve to be respected. It is well worth planning a short social event to help your team to gel from the start.
In the past many teams have acknowledged with hindsight that they should have taken the advice of doing a skills audit at the beginning.
6. Technical Report
A professional technical report is required. There is a 12-point report-writing checklist at the end of this assignment brief to guide you to some extent. The report should have a clear structure with numbered section headings, figures and tables that support the presentation and reinforce the main messages. It should be easy to dip into any section and extract its essence, which is why it will be provided in draft form to the assessors on the day of the presentation. The primary aim of the oral presentation is to highlight the key messages in the report.
It will be acceptable to include (in appendices outside the page limit) a small selection of calculation sheets or well-presented spreadsheets demonstrating some of your team’s analyses. You may choose to provide a few pages in support of your presentation for your peers to refer to. If so please provide a copy by email to Lawrence Coates before 8am on Monday 6th June in case printing them out is appropriate. If COVID means that this becomes an online session other arrangements will be made.
7. References
DECC (2013a), 2050 Pathways : Exploring how the UK can meet the 2050 emission reduction target using the web-based 2050 Calculator, https://www.gov.uk/2050-pathways-analysis [Accessed 26 Apr 2022]
DECC (2013b) The UK 2050 Calculator, with Guide, http://2050-calculator-tool.decc.gov.uk/#/home [Accessed 26 Apr 2022]
DECC (2013c), The UK 2050 Calculator, Classic View, http://2050-calculator- tool.decc.gov.uk/pathways/1111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111/primary_ene rgy_chart [Accessed 26 Apr 2022] (Although surprising, this URL is correct)
Elexon (2021), Balancing Mechanism Reporting System, http://www.bmreports.com [Accessed 26 Apr 2022]
Gridwatch (2021), UK National Grid Status, http://www.gridwatch.templar.co.uk/index.php [Accessed 26 Apr 2022]
Gridwatch (2021), UK Electricity National Grid Demand and Output per Production Type, http://gridwatch.co.uk/ [Accessed 26 Apr 2022] [One of Ben Milner’s friends]
National Grid (2021), Triad Data, https://www.nationalgrideso.com/industry- information/charging/transmission-network-use-system-tnuos-charges/triads-data [Accessed 26 Apr 2022]
RAEng (2005), Educating Engineers in Design, Lessons Learnt from the Visiting Professors Scheme, The Royal Academy of Engineering https://www.raeng.org.uk/publications/reports/design-engineering [Accessed 26 Apr 2022] ISBN 1-903496-17-9
Appendix A
Respond to a query from a specific community about the possibilities for installing renewables using their local situation and recognising their long-term plans, which could include energy independence.
The focus of your study is the British Channel Islands: Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney etc.
The Atlas of UK Marine Energy Resources (on Bb) indicates significant tidal stream energy in the region of the British Channel Islands. It is perhaps surprising therefore that Jersey Electricity defends its position in not pursuing near-shore tidal power because of its cable link to the La Rance Tidal Power scheme run by EDF in France. Alderney on the other hand allegedly does not use enough electricity to justify moving away from diesel generation. Like so many energy-related issues there are political and economic elements at play.
This topic was triggered by concern about relying on a connection to another country and whether the communities involved are planning far enough ahead to maintain a sustainable energy supply in the event of cable loss, for whatever reason. Further research revealed the different approaches between the islands.
Jersey have been active in considering their position over many years and several reports are available. Recent developments in marine and offshore energy may warrant a further review.
You are tasked with preparing a report for an independent lobbying group who are concerned about reliance on the links to France. They have assured you that they will maintain an open mind on the issue and wish for an unbiased report that reflects the recent development of the various options.
Despite the realism of this topic you must not contact the Channel Isles organisations directly. You should attempt to gather your own information from the public domain.
If you are uneasy about any communications that you might nevertheless wish to make do consult your lecturers.
References A
Crown Estate Scotland, (2018), Offshore Generation, Energy Storage & Systems Feasibility Study, Everoze Partners Limited, Document CES001-P-01-C, Available online.
Blackfish (2021), Renewables in the UK – Part 4 Channel Islands, https://blackfishengineering.com/2021/03/23/renewables-in-the-uk-part-4-channel-islands/ [Accessed 25/04/2022]
Jersey Electricity (2022), Tidal power and renewables, https://www.jec.co.uk/about-us/our-vision/tidal- power-and-renewables/ [Accessed 25/04/2022]
Appendix B
Investigate and report on the practicalities and economics of using pumped storage for dealing with the intermittent nature of some renewables.
This topic was triggered by discussions about plans in Scotland for building pumped storage facilities and whether they will be large enough to cope if there are low wind speeds across the UK for a week or indeed high winds for a week (GWPF, 2019). Dinorwig works well because it is used on a daily cycle.
Pumped storage conventionally requires high-head low-flow turbines. But work on the possible Severn Barrage identified the benefit of pumping water into the basin when the water level differential across the barrage is low and recovering more energy than was put in during the subsequent generation mode. This may merit some consideration.
Comments about seemingly obvious solutions (Wilson, 2021) need testing with real numbers. References B
GWPF (2019), Grid Scale Electricity Storage Can’t Save Renewables, Global Warming Policy Foundation
https://www.thegwpf.org/new-paper-grid-scale-electricity-storage-cant-save-renewables/ [Accessed 26 Apr 2022]
Norconsult (2013), Wind power based pumped storage, Pre-Feasibility Study, Suðuroy, Faroe Islands, https://www.nordicenergy.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Wind-Power-Based-Pumped- Storage_Pre-Feasibility-Study_Suduroy-Faroe-Islands_2013.pdf [Accessed 26 Apr 2022]
Wilson, M., (2021), Could pumped hydro be Scotland’s secret weapon in reaching net zero? https://www.insider.co.uk/profile/could-pumped-hydro-scotlands-secret-24273280, [Accessed 26 Apr 2022]
Appendix C
Research the possibilities and make recommendations for surplus wind energy by storing it offshore or converting it, to smooth out intermittency, reduce curtailment and ensure that the cables to shore from offshore wind are efficiently used.
Curtailment is a most unfortunate consequence of the lack of synchronisation between renewable supply and electricity demand. Having to pay operators to switch off their devices would seem to indicate that something is wrong with the energy supply system. Also in the onshore case the increase in renewables connected to the un-monitored low voltage grid appears to the operators as a reduction in demand.
Some engineers believe that offshore storage in some way would make more efficient use of the cables to shore. This might also benefit from hybrid combinations of wind with other renewables. Are there techniques that can be used economically to store the energy locally? Can hydrogen play a role in solving this issue?
References C
Parnell, J., (2020), UK Struggles with Sagging Power Demand and Surging Renewables, https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/smart-flexibility-could-slash-uk-coronavirus-curtailment- costs [Accessed 26 Apr 2022]
BNP Paribas (2021) Can green hydrogen solve renewable energy’s intermittency conundrum? https://cib.bnpparibas/can-green-hydrogen-solve-renewable-energys-intermittency-conundrum/ [Accessed 26 Apr 2022]
DECC (2013) Electricity Market Reform: Update on Terms for the Contract for Difference, p36,
_Update_on_Terms_for_the_Contract_for_Difference_v8.pdf, [Accessed 26 Apr 2022]
Appendix D
Construct a briefing report for the appropriate government ministry to explain clearly the benefits and challenges of battery storage for dealing with intermittency of the targeted amount of offshore wind, wave, tidal, and other sources.
Companies such as Flexitricity (n.d.), Tesla, Belectric, etc are constructing large battery units. Their decisions are based on possible profit. Should that be the only consideration (Elliot, 2019)? Include in your considerations the rate at which electric vehicle ownership is likely to grow and the possibilities for vehicle batteries to be included in smart storage solutions. This may require estimates of EV vehicle take up.
References D
Elliot, D., (2019), Can grid-scale storage solve intermittency problem, asks Global Warming Policy Foundation, Physics World, https://physicsworld.com/a/can-grid-scale-storage-solve-intermittency- problem-asks-global-warming-policy-foundation/ [Accessed 26 Apr 2022]
Gov.uk (2014), East Inshore and East Offshore Marine Plans – Executive Summary, https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/312493
/east-plan-executivesummary.pdf , [Accessed 26 Apr 2022]
Flexitricity (n.d.), UK’s largest battery set to help keep the nation’s lights on, https://www.flexitricity.com/resources/press-release/uks-largest-battery-set-help-keep-nations-lights/ [Accessed 26 Apr 2022]
ENG-7007B Fluids Engineering for Renewable Energy
Group No. – Student’s ID:
| Statements of excellence | Max Mark | Actual Mark | Comments |
| Technical Report Submission | |||
| Executive Summary: Structured, headings, free-standing and allowing decisions to be made. | 10 | ||
| Structure & Introduction : Structured for ease of assimilation, language use, well- edited. Background, aims & objectives stated. | 20 | ||
| Originality: Evidence of thought about how to tackle the exercise. Methodology clearly explained. | 10 | ||
| Technical Details, Research & Referencing : Is the content appropriate to master’s level, in sufficient depth, critically discussed and underpinned by relevant literature? Are useful summary statements about costs included? | 40 | ||
| Conclusions & Recommendations: Are clear conclusions, recommendations & suggestions for further work stated? | 20 | ||
| Team Oral Presentation | |||
| Introduction : A good introduction. A clear talk structure. Introduction to the brief included. | 10 | ||
| Engagement: Visual aids, Time-keeping, Enthusiasm & interest. Effective use of notes/ cards or other aids to memory, well- planned links between speakers Presentation skills (eye contact, use of room layout etc.), Effective use of team members. | 10 | ||
| Delivery: Effective use of PowerPoint A good balance between text, tables and graphics to explain the information. | 10 | ||
| Content: Good choice of content appropriate for the brief and the target audience. Appropriate Cost information. | 10 | ||
| Conclusions: Clear conclusions and justified recommendations made. | 10 | ||
| Totals | 150 | Overall Mark : % |
| Assessor’s name: L E Coates _ | DATE: | 2018 | |
| <40% = Unsatisfactory, 60 to 69% = Good, | 40 to 49% = Pass, 70 to 79% = Very Good, | 50 to 59% = Credit, >=80% = Excellent. |
ENG-7007B Fluids Engineering for Renewable Energy University of East Anglia –School of Mathematics – Engineering 12-Point Report-Writing Checklist
| Item | Comment | Tick |
| 1 | Use a standard title page that satisfies the requirements : “if it was found by somebody who was not a member of the UEA would they be able to return it to you easily?” There is a standard form on Blackboard / Engineering Communications. | |
| 2 | Make sure you choose the most appropriate pre-report section. An Abstract is really for technical journal papers and teases the reader. An Executive Summary gives everything away and allows a busy executive to make decisions without reading the report. Everything in these sections must also appear in the report. They should not read like an Introduction. | |
| 3 | A contents page will list numbered sections and sub-sections using a numeric system. Page numbers will be included. Page 1 always has section 1 on it and preceding pages use i, ii, iii etc, achieved by inserting a Section Break. Sub-sections should be indented to make the structure clear. References is a numbered section; appendices are not. Sub-headings should usually be informative, not too generic. | |
| 4 | Everything should be numbered: Sections, Pages, Figures, Tables, Equations, etc., so that it is easy to refer to them by number elsewhere in the text. A test of this would be “if somebody is discussing the report with you on the phone is it easy to refer them to a specific item?” So it should never be necessary to state “…the figure below…”. | |
| 5 | Figures should have a number and caption underneath the figure. Tables should have a number and caption above the table. Items are either Figures or Tables. Don’t use Graphs, Diagrams, Images, Photos, etc as words describing an item. When acknowledging the source of a figure or table use the same reference pointer system as you would within the text. Don’t use a URL or full citation; save that for the List of References. | |
| 6 | The first paragraph of your Introduction is one of the most important. Spend time on it. The opening sections of a report will usually start with the wider context and gradually get more detailed as they move towards describing the specifics of the report. Avoid leaping straight in without establishing the context. | |
| 7 | Aims are overarching statements of intent. Objectives are a list of tasks that must be completed in order to achieve the aims. Objectives are often a bulleted list. Most people expect your Conclusions to demonstrate whether or not you achieved your Aims. | |
| 8 | When presenting data it is usual to separate the initial presentation of the raw data from the analysis of the data. This enables your reader to draw their own conclusions before being influenced by your interpretation. | |
| 9 | Technical reports should be written in third person past tense. So not “..our team gathered some data and my contribution was to plot graphs so we could present them.” But “…an individual was tasked with plotting the data gathered during the experiment to facilitate its presentation”. [N.B. its not it’s. it’s is short for it is.] | |
| 10 | Conclusions must highlight the key points already made in the report. Inevitably this means there will be repetition of things that have appeared earlier in the report. Do not start discussing new ideas in the Conclusions. Never combine Discussion with Conclusions. The discussion must be included in the main body of the report. Start with “This report has described…” to acknowledge that some readers start at this section. | |
| 11 | References must be scrupulously consistent down to the last comma, use of italics, use of initials or first names etc. Never use Footnotes for References. Footnotes are for clarifying things in the text without stopping the flow of the text. Study referencing guides. | |
| 12 | Appendices A, B, C etc attached at the end of a report are not formally part of the report. They contain supplementary information that would obscure the flow of the argument. A typical reference to an appendix might be “See Appendix A for further details”. An incorrect reference might be “See Figure 6 in Appendix B”. It must be possible to understand the report without access to the appendices. |
