FORMULA ONE's Williams team is used to fine-tuning the performance of drivers such as Rubens Barrichello. Now it has taken on a new challenge by adapting its simulation technology to help Sainsbury's van drivers minimise fuel consumption as they deliver the weekly shop.
The F1 team is also drawing up plans to develop technology that uses the principle of the flywheel to store energy and this could be installed at the supermarket chain's shops and warehouses.
Williams claims Sainsbury could cut its energy bill by smoothing out spikes in power usage, easing pressure on the grid and helping more variable sources of energy, such as wind, to flourish.
Damien Scott, general manager of the Williams technology centre, said:
"Any company that introduces more variability [surges] in its power usage gets charged more. So, during the spikes you can take power from the flywheel instead of going to the grid."
Scott and his team are based at the Williams technology centre in Qatar, which the company opened in 2009 with the sole purpose of commercialising the technology it has developed over more than 30 years of competing in F1.
For example, Williams intially developed its range of vehicle simulators for training F1 drivers. It is now seeking to extend their use in an attempt to capture a new market in training professional drivers.
While a simulated grocery delivery in Surbiton does not evoke the same thrill as a lap round the track at Monza, there are suggestions the computer assisted program could help Sainsbury's staff develop driving
skills that could cut its fuel bill by up to 30%.
The simulator does this by producing data to benchmark a driver's performance, which can then be used to suggest changes that reduce fuel consumption as well as limit the general wear and tear on a vehicle.
Like many other companies, Sainsbury knows it could save a lot of money by becoming more energy efficient. It has set a goal for cutting carbon dioxide emissions — by next year they will be 25% down on the 2005 level.
The supermarket chain is also exploring how using flywheel technology in its stores and warehouses could cut its bills as well as ease its impact on the environment.
Flywheels act as a form of battery and have been used to store and stabilise energy for hundreds of years — the spinning wheel is a prime example. However, in the past two decades, huge technological advances have been made and their application is now being considered for modern energy conservation schemes.
The flywheel was originally held back by the lack of suitably strong materials, resulting in slow, heavy machinery. This problem has since been resolved by advances in carbon fibre composite technology, which
have improved both strength and lightness.
Williams has patented its own version of the kinetic energy recovery system (Kers) used by F1 teams, which allows cars to collect and store energy during braking. The system is then able to re-introduce this
power into the car's drivetrain, boosting performance by up to 10% for about seven seconds.
The technicians at Williams soon realised that the electrically driven system had the potential for much wider usage as an environmentally friendly power storage medium. They now plan to scale it up to build a
one tonne prototype for Sainsbury that could help the chain smooth out expensive spikes in its power consumption.
Scott believes that the lack of energy storage across Britain is holding back the development of more variable forms of energy, such as wind. He feels that there is still too much pressure on the grid at peak demand times, so it remains reliant on more stable generation sources such as nuclear and coal.
He hopes that the prospect of lower energy bills may now tempt others to follow Sainsbury's lead.
Better driving could cut fleet fuel bills by up to 30%
(Article taken from the Sunday Times - www.sundaytimes.co.uk)
