'Transforming' Our Energy

This transformer which was made by Manchester company Ferranti Ltd in 1939. It was installed at Debdale Park where it was used by different electricity companies over the years. It finally developed a fault in 2011 after 72 faithful years on the network. It is now on permanent display in the National Grid area of the Electricity Gallery.

Recharging My Batteries

After a couple of weeks recharging my own batteries, I was thrilled to read about the recent developments powering their way over from the University of Leeds. Puns aside, a new polymer jelly could provide a huge leap forward for lithium batteries - by replacing the hazardous liquid electrolyte which is currently used. This could potentially lead to the creation of smaller, cheaper and safer gadgets.

It's a far cry from our early batteries, such as this rechargable battery cell by Chloride Electrical Storage Co. Ltd, Manchester (c.1935). Being an incredibly heavy duty example, it could in fact power a wireless radio for a week or so!! 

Read the full article here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-14852073 and see a examples of early batteries in MOSI's Collections Centre http://www.mosi.org.uk/collections.aspx

Confessions of a Curator #7

Just back from a research visit from the Science Museum's stores at Wroughton. Great to see a low-energy philosophy informing the retrofit of one of their Second World War aircraft hangars.

Instead of putting lots of energy hungry air handling equipment in the store, the approach has been to increase installation and airtightness with a new external skin on the old frame.  It's become a building which is passive. It's not just green: it's also cheaper to run. Very encouraging.

Drum Roll...for the MOSI Poll!!

Big thanks to all those who took part in our poll to find out what you consider the most important idea from the Energy Gallery Symposium. At number one (drum roll please), with 66% was 'Making it relevant to peoples lives' - closely followed by 'Celebrating how far we've come in the energy story'.  

And I have to say, I think I agree.

Confessions of a Curator #6

Had a meeting with Prof Mohammed Missous at the University of Manchester Microelectronics & Nanostructures Group, to find out about his innovative semiconductor research. He is developing semiconductor materials for ultra high precision sensing, THz (very high frequency) imaging and renewable energy generation.

I was deeply impressed by the amazing quality of the facilities at the University and the innovative nature of the research. Whether in the new Square Kilometre Array to be built at Jodrell bank - a fully digital radio telescope -  or in the electricity meters of the future, these devices are clearly going to be very useful indeed. 

Professor Missous is also an inspiring science communicator - a great meeting, and we hope to collect examples of his work for the MOSI collection and future displays.

These are a few of my favourite things #3

Following a brief holiday to reinvigorate the old energy levels (pardon the pun!) - I thought I'd share a few more of my favourite pieces from our incredible collections. Shifting back to objects we will all be familiar with, here are some of the earlier incarnations of the washing machine...

This washing machine was made by Thor Canadian Ltd, Toronto, Canada and was used in Manchester. In 1936 the company produced the 'Electric Servant' which was a combined washing machine, food mixer, blender and juicer. Needless to say, it was not a success.

In the 1940s, Thor introduced the 'Automagic' hybrid washer/dishwasher complete with both a removable clothes washing drum and a dish washing drum! It was heavily marketed but it wasn't long before it disappeared from the shelves as consumers were put off by washing dirty clothing and dishes in the same machine. Perhaps, in the current age of apartment living, they'll be more demand for these inventive dual purpose appliances!

This fine example of a washing machine was purchased by a Mr Slack. He worked for Metropolitan Vickers which was part of the same group of companies as Hotpoint. Metrovicks offered their employees the chance to buy goods manufactured from their sister companies at very favourable terms. Mr Slack bought this machine under Metrovick's Staff Purchase Scheme.

Confessions of a Curator #5

MOSI featured on radio 4 yesterday when the well-known BBC economist Evan Davies came to Manchester.  He was making a report for the Today programme on the organisation's move north. I was asked to speak on behalf of MOSI, and Evan chose as a background for his report the atmospheric sound-scape produced by the museum's Lancashire loom and one of our gas engines - another part of our Energy story!

Evan and I discussed the story of the Industrial Revolution and the changes that Manchester has seen in recent years. It was great to have a chance to share what MOSI has to offer with the Radio 4 audience, and the team here is excited about working more with the BBC in future as they get settled into Media City.

These are a few of my favourite things #2

Back O’ Th’ Bank generator (or Big Jennie as she’s affectionately known!)

An impressive AC generator with steam turbine, condenser and DC exciter sits in the middle of our current electricity gallery. Used at the Back o' th' Bank Power Station, Bolton, between 1923 and 1984. This turbogenerator was made by the English Electric Company and was one of six in operation in the turbine hall.  This was used to condense the steam once it had passed through the turbine. The steam's movement through the turbine made the blades rotate, producing electricity.

Big Jennie is an imposing object, standing a good 3 or 4 foot taller than the average visitor, so it is doubtful she'll be moving anywhere during the redevelopment - and why would we want her to?!! Proudly displaying some robust engineering clout and still in working order to this day, we plan to bring her story to life through some clever light, sound and projector tricks! 

These are a few of my favourite things #1

Although the Electricity Gallery is lined up for a refurb, it still reveals some absolute gems to the visitors today! Here are just 2 of them, in time for the weekend…

Toaster: c1937, with hinged sides that dropped down for inserting the bread. As the heating elements were in the centre, only one side of each slice could be toasted at a time. To add to the trauma, it had no heat control or timer either. Toasters were initially advertised as a handy appliance for producing fresh toast right at the dining table – just the thing to impress your guests.  But it was somewhat of an art to produce the perfect slice.

The electric toaster was invented in 1893, however the heating elements of this time used iron resistance wire, which was prone to become rusty and brittle. The development of a new metal compound, Nichrome, solved these problems and allowed companies to develop it into what we know (and love) today.

Keeping with a kitchen theme, this sink-top electric dishwasher was made by Electrolux Ltd in 1951. The original owner bought it after seeing one displayed as an example of well-designed British products at the 1951 Festival of Britain. Dishwashers were very rare in British homes at this time, but the lightweight sink-top models were more affordable than the larger floor-standing models. Ownership of dishwashers increased from only 2% of British homes in 1973 to more than 33% in 2006!

Confessions of a Curator #4

I had a productive meeting recently with Ener-G, the thriving Salford-based CHP and energy management company with worldwide operations.  We’re hoping we can work together on issues ranging from the Energy Galleries future plan to practical work at MOSI, such as apprentice placements and maybe putting more CHP on site to make the museum greener and save money.  Thanks Ener-G!

Operations Director, Peter Law, with a CHP unit

Driving me wild!



Vauxhall Ampera

 It comes of no surprise to those that know me that I’m somewhat of a ‘petrol-head’. And, as much as I like to ogle the odd supercar that passes my way, it’s true that with the rising price of oil, diminishing natural fuel resources and increasing worries about carbon emissions, the need for green solutions to our 4-wheeled friends is high.

Seeing the Vauxhall Ampera on the front cover of many a magazine at the moment has got me thinking about how far we have come with green cars, in a relatively short space of time. MOSI has its own battery powered vehicles including a Berlingo Electrique and a Sinclair C5 – a far cry from what’s being produced today. Green cars have finally shaken off their dull image and can now actually be considered - well, rather cool!



E-Wolf

German electric vehicle specialist e-WOLF has been developing a new sports car called the e-WOLF Alpha-2. The company has been renowned for producing electric vehicles for some time and, by using two electric motors to power the rear wheels, they claim they can get 0-100km/h in just 3.9 seconds and a full-charge will offer a range of around 300km!

In Britain, the founder of Gloucestershire-based wind energy company Ecotricity, Dale Vince OBE and his team built the 'Nemesis' - an electricity-powered supercar which can accelerate from 0-100mph in 8.5 seconds. It is powered entirely by 100% green electricity made by Ecotricity’s UK network of windmills!

Ecotricitys 'Nemesis' 

I was also delighted to see one of the new generation electric hybrid double decker buses in the flesh this week. It’s good to see that Greater Manchester is leading the country in the drive to get cash for greener buses, with grants totalling more than £11.9m to get them all on the road by next year. Low carbon buses emit around 30 per cent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than standard diesel buses and use around a third less fuel.

But with this shift towards electric vehicles, for both domestic and commercial use, what impact will this have on our power grid and the originating fuel source? Answers on a postcard please – carrier pigeons accepted.

Confessions of a Curator #3

When clumsy contractors broke the glass of a historic gas lamp at MOSI, it set me on a voyage of discovery. This recuperative gas lamp dates from the 1890s and was used outside shops to throw light downwards onto the pavement to sell goods in the evenings. They used a fascinating piece of pre-mantle technology, a heat exchanger which preheats incoming air to maximise the brightness of the flame and the flame is also inverted. 

After over a hundred years of existence, the lamp had a bad year in 2008. It lost one borosilicate glass reflector panel and its globe, and generally needed some serious TLC! The first challenge was to raise funds for repairs – which came through thanks to the enthusiasm of 2010 IGEM president Bill Maclean.

Dorron Harper of the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway supplied a long-saved British Railways 7" globe to replace the one that had been smashed. Next, University of Manchester engineering department technician David Jones worked with amazing precision to manufacture a new burner out of stainless steel to replace the original ceramic unit. Finally, many hours of careful work were put in by gas contractor David Lane to repair the injector, reassemble the unit and re-fit it on site.

 

It's been a labour of love by many people to get this fascinating lamp back in gas and we think it's the only one of its kind both in gas and on public display in the UK.

The Next Generation of Nuclear

Last Thursday Coalition Government announced plans for the next generation of nuclear power stations in the UK as part of its new Energy National Policy Statements. The strategy laid out the framework for investment in a range of new energy sources, including eight nuclear sites which are all set to be built by 2025.

Whatever your opinion on nuclear power, there is no doubt that the UK faces challenging times ahead to achieve a secure, reliable and low carbon electricity supply. As MOSI plans its new energy gallery, in the light of this interesting announcement about nuclear developments, we will make sure that our visitors get the chance to learn as much as possible about nuclear energy and make up their own minds.

We must consider both the pros and the cons: the hidden benefits for the local economies, the rejuvenation of the supply chain, utilisation of other service companies needed to build and run large facilities, plus the creation of secure jobs. Do these help to neutralise some of the more negative public perceptions of nuclear energy - fears of its safety, concerns about the disposal of waste?  

For those with an interest in the history of nuclear power, then why not join the Newcomen Society for the study of engineering and technology?  They are holding a conference at MOSI on the subject in the autumn of 2012: get in touch with them via the Newcomen Society website if you'd like to attend. http://newcomen.com/

Confessions of a Curator #2

It’s been a productive 2 weeks for the Energy Galleries development – and may I say, a thoroughly interesting one for an Energy Curator!

I spent a fascinating afternoon with Dave Darlow, Sales Manager for Renewables and CE Electric at Garforth, Leeds. Siemens are thinking of donating some high voltage switchgear to MOSI, and I went to have a good look at what they had to offer. Indeed, there was lots of impressive switchgear which we might be able to use in the gallery, but the challenge is finding ways of adapting it so that visitors who are not engineers can understand it.

I also met with 2 members of the delightful team at Clicks & Links – Richard and Olli – as we discussed the possibility of acquiring some equipment and software to give real-time information of energy use in the Gallery. Their software, Greenica, stores energy data allowing the user to analyse their usage in real-time, compare their usage with their own historical data and also compare their usage with other users. Hopefully there’s an interactive to be made somewhere there!

Energy expert Tim Ternent from Tetra Marketing paid us a visit to talk about reaching out to the Energy sector for partnership opportunities. He had some great advice about events to attend, who we should be talking to and how we should spread the word. It’s great to see someone who is so passionate about the Energy sector and we look forward to working more closely with Tetra Marketing – and thanks again for the Energy in Buildings and Industry mag!

Confessions of the Curator

Last week, we were tasked to move our 1920s gas holder weighing nearly a tonne! Unfortunately, because it had to go via an extremely difficult and awkward route into the Gas Gallery (including the added obstacle of stairs!), it was beyond the museum’s in-house equipment. However, thanks to National Grid, we managed to do it! A kind word from NG National Operations Director John Butterworth MBE led to a team coordinated by Pat Jordan making light work of the tricky task. Once MOSI's photographer's back from holiday, we'll post some photos of its new location.

A huge thank you also needs to go to Phil Oldfield and the apprentices from Perkins Engines who came to finish the reassembly of the gas holder. To get the item into the gallery we took off all the vulnerable parts, and Perkins helped to piece it back together. They were up and on the road at 5am to get to Manchester on time, and did a fantastic job. 



The streetlamp-lit entrance to MOSI's Gas Gallery



I’ve also been working hard on MOSI’s brief for the Energy Galleries with the Head of Collections at MOSI. We’re excited about the project and the next step is a space audit and measurement of what might fit and where. Onwards and upwards! Time to start work with the Development Team on fundraising schedules.

Reshaping the Modern Landscape?

Standing over the Stalybridge Canal.
Iain Hart, 2004

Earlier this week, I have to confess I was rather bemused to see an entire section of BBC Breakfast news devoted to those very familiar steel giants - the electricity pylon. But on listening further to the invited representatives from the Pylon Association Society (the fantastically named Flash Bristow) and the Royal Institute of British Architects, it suddenly dawned on me that, love them or hate them, the electricity pylon is an important part of not only our power network but also our modern landscape. 

A competition has been launched to redesign the British electricity pylon - offering the chance to reshape a part of the landscape that has not changed in more than 80 years. The competition is run by the Royal Institute of British Architects (Riba) for the Department of Energy and Climate Change and National Grid and is calling on architects, designers and engineers to come up with new designs for pylons.

There are currently 88,000 electricity pylons in the UK, including 22,000 on National Grid's main transmission network in England and Wales. Their design was chosen by leading architect Sir Reginald Blomfield in 1927, and barely changed since. Considerations must be made to ensure they’re resistant to high winds and lightning strikes and able to cope with the incredible load and tension of the cables.

Quoted in the Telegraph, Energy and Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne said "I hope the pylon design competition will ignite creative excitement, but also help the wider public understand the scale of the energy challenge ahead of us." Let us know your thoughts at energy@mosi.org.uk

A Great ‘Green’ Day Out



A trail to the Mill



At a weekend there’s nothing a Museum worker likes more than a busman’s holiday! But this one was so interesting it deserved a spot on the energy gallery blog! The National Trusts Gibson Mill - a 19th-century cotton mill situated in Hardcastle Crags - is a fabulous ground-breaking project which has developed the Mill as a model of sustainable development, with minimum impact on its environment.

All the energy needed by the Mill to open to the public and function as a building is generated on-site, using renewable sources. It has no mains electricity, and isn't connected to mains water or sewers. In fact, as the charming guide told us, “the only outside service that Gibson Mill is connected to is the phone line.”



Gibson Mill - Copyright National Trust



Energy at the Mill is created by water powered turbines (with battery storage capability), voltaic panels (the main source of electricity in the summer when the water level of the river is too low to drive the turbines), solar hot water panels and biomass from the surrounding woodland (to heat the café). Other green measures include; the use of low energy appliances (lights, fridge etc), maximisation of natural light, utilising a natural spring next to the Mill for drinking water, passing grey water produced through a ‘soakaway’ (clay pipes that help to naturally filter water through the soils before it reaches local groundwater) and installing composting toilets (yes, worms!).

But my particular favourite feature has to be the human powered lift! To combat the obstacle of no mains electricity, this lift uses a counter balance system of pulleys and weights whereby the operator can effortlessly pull visitors to the first floor and back down again.

Sustainability, green energy, dressing-up for the kids and miles of woodland for the dog! A great Green day out!

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-findaplace/w-hardcastlecrags/w-hardcastlecrags-gibsonmill_project/w-hardcastlecrags-gibsonmill_project-sustainability.htm

Friday Night Viewing

Interesting programme on Beeb2 Friday (7pm) – Windfarm Wars – showing what happened when a global wind farm developer tried to build a wind farm in the heart of some of Devon's landscape. Following the Den Brook Windfarm development, it shows the extent of passion both for and against the build as consciences are torn between the need for action on climate change and the fears of the impact on the countryside's peace and tranquillity.

I’m no TV critic, so a rather whimsical review by the Guardians Sarah Dempster – “A story of a delightfully odd eco-battle in Devonshire” - can be found here:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/2011/may/13/tv-review-wind-farm-wars

According to the write-up tomorrow’s episode apparently covers the ‘dramatic Public Inquiry’ – sounds like good Friday night viewing to me.

'A very able cable indeed'

Wind turbines out at sea need a thick strong cable to connect them to the electricity system. Cables, like the one in the picture, can carry a lot of electricity and are not affected by the harsh environment of the sea bed. They need to be self insulating and self protecting unlike onshore overhead lines which rely on air and distance to ground. Not only is the cable strong, it’s also smart. It contains 48 fibre optic lines, allowing high speed digital communication along the power network for optimum performance of systems on the network, or even for commercial use.

This submarine (undersea) cable is a sample of a type used in 2010 to export power from wind turbines. Once the power has passed through an offshore substation which steps up the volts from the turbines (33kv), the cable takes it over the long distance to our power grid - hence the size! To give you an idea, its capacity is 132000 volts - versus 240 in the average home!.  It was made by Prysmian and is of a type used in Vattenfall's Thanet offshore wind farm, the largest in the UK. Wind farms scheduled to be built in England's north-west between 2010 and 2020 will use cables like this.

This section was kindly donated to MOSI by manufacturer Prysmian, and Siemens, who specify cables like this in wind farms designed in Manchester. It’s only about 30 cm high and 25 cm in diameter but still weighs about as much as an average 2 year old!!! 

Revolution Manchester: A taste of what MOSI can deliver

Revolution Manchester 'Energy'

Revolution Manchester is a ground–breaking interactive gallery, created as part of MOSI’s 2010 re-development of the Great Western Warehouse. Its intention is to act as an introduction to all the major themes which feature across the Museum – encompassing 6 small (but excitingly interactive) sections, which tempt you further into each topic. The most relevant for this Blog is, of course, ‘Energy’. 

Manchester's Industrial Revolution needed a huge surge of energy.  The people of the city harnessed the power of coal to make steam and electrical power.  By 1900 the first power stations were built to provide a new energy source, electricity.  Engines in the heart of Manchester drove turbines in the UK's first combined heat and power plant. By the 1920s, Manchester-built machinery laid the foundations for the UK National Grid and for other power grids around the world. Energy is a key part of the North West’s industrial past, present and future.

The Energy section is built around a scale model of the ZETA generator - the UK's first nuclear fusion experiment built in the 1950s by Metropolitan-Vickers of Trafford Park. Using the special Revolution Manchester registration cards (I’m not telling you, you’ll have to come and find out for yourself!) up to 5 players race against one another using touch-screen technology to create nuclear fusion (or rather, a graphic representation).   



The hands-on interactive approach to nuclear fusion!!

Revolution Manchester shows what MOSI is capable of - producing a modern gallery which will excite and engage today’s technology savvy and social media-hungry audiences, offering a new approach to museum interpretation and encouraging further exploration and research. We aim to learn from this approach and apply to the development of the wider Energy Galleries.



MOSI's Energy Symposium

In April, MOSI hosted an event which invited key representatives from the energy sector to discuss what they considered to be the most important stories to tell in the Energy Galleries. It is the first time that MOSI has approached Industry to become involved with a redevelopment at such an early stage and we were unsure whether it would be beneficial - or whether it would even work!! We posed the question:

"If this was your gallery - what would be in there?" 

Thanks to all those who attended, a fantastically energetic and in-depth workshop revealed a wealth of knowledge, passion and a desire to tell the energy story as a whole. Some of the top ideas were as follows:

• Dispel myths about future energy sources
• Offer an unbiased view of all the energy options available
• Celebrate how far we have come already with green technologies 
• Make it relevant to our everyday lives
• Showcase the latest technologies and products

If you have any suggestions about what would be in 'your energy gallery' please let us know by emailing me at energy@mosi.org.uk

Welcome to our new Blog!

MOSI's Electricity and Gas galleries play an important role in telling the story of the North West's energy history and its impact on the wider world. The energy sector is an incredibly fast moving area, both in terms of development of new technology and wider issues of energy generation and consumption. This has resulted in galleries filled with fantastic collections but which are exceedingly out of date. MOSI recognises the need to offer an unbiased overview of the options currently available, the impact we're all making and the future changes that will affect us all.

MOSI hopes to redevelop its energy gallery offer – bringing it up to date and relevant with the help of industry experts and our visitors. This blog will track our developments along the process and hopefully create a platform for suggestions and ideas.

Be a part of shaping MOSI’s energy story!