< Previousbmta.co.uk THE EXPORT SUPPORT SERVICE (ESS) Paul McComb, Director – UK Exports, Department for International Trade The last six years have highlighted first-hand the importance of resilience in business – from adapting to the UK leaving the EU, to a global pandemic and most recently the incredibly sad events in Ukraine. Exporting can be an important way to secure your business through challenging times and whilst it is completely understandable for businesses to look inward, I would encourage businesses to consider the opportunities international trade present, and the support available from the Department for International Trade to navigate those opportunities. 10 Last year, the department announced a refreshed cross-government Export Strategy: Made in the UK, Sold to the World. As part of the ‘Race to £1 Trillion,’ we are setting an ambition to boost exports to ensure the UK recovers from the pandemic and builds back better and greener. The strategy seeks to address the range of barriers to exporting experienced by UK businesses, particularly Small-Medium Enterprises (SMEs), such as the costs, lack of knowledge, constraints in capacity and networks often cited as issues. We are committed to working together with businesses to help them to succeed in the global marketplace through a first-class export support framework that will support jobs and economic growth across the UK. Through the strategy’s 12-point plan, we have set a clear direction of travel to ensure the UK’s support services for exporters meet a changing trading landscape. One that allows UK businesses to seize the opportunities secured through our new Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) and our broader efforts to remove market access barriers which will level up the UK, project Global Britain and support our transition to Net-Zero.bmta.co.uk 11 At the centre of the Export Strategy and our drive to transform the UK’s system of export support is the Export Support Service (ESS). Launched on 1st October, the ESS can help UK businesses get answers to practical questions about exporting to Europe by accessing cross-government information and support all in one place. We have listened to businesses and responded to their ask for easier access to government support for exporters. This service will help UK businesses take advantage of new trading opportunities and help them on their exporting journey, growing their businesses and international exporting potential. The Department is committed to working with businesses and business representative groups from all sectors, in all parts of the UK, to help make the service as useful as possible for businesses at every stage of their exporting journey. The ESS will initially focus on questions businesses have about trading with Europe. However, we have expanded the remit from focusing on questions about trading with Europe to answering those regarding sanctions and trade with Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus, and will continue to expand to more global markets this year. The service is available for any UK business and is completely free. Businesses and traders can contact the ESS online via the digital service at https://www.gov.uk/ask-export-support-team or by phoning the helpline (0300 303 8955) to get in touch with one of our dedicated export support teams. The new service brings together well-established government support and helps SMEs navigate existing sources of information (such as HMRC’s Customs and International Trade helpline and Defra’s Rural Services helpline). It sits alongside the Department of International Trade’s wider package of support for exporters, helping UK businesses export more and with more confidence. Sitting behind the service, is a dedicated Policy Team, working with colleagues across Government to understand the challenges that businesses are facing exporting, advocating, and driving policy changes to boost exports. And as part of our efforts to continuously improve the service, the Department of International Trade will continue to work with businesses and business representative groups from all sectors, in all parts of the UK, to help make the service as useful as possible for businesses at every stage of their exporting journey. To contact the team please visit https://www.gov.uk/ask-export-support-team or call 0300 303 8955.bmta.co.uk NATIONAL METROLOGY SKILLS ALLIANCE Charlotte Blake, Trevor Toman, Phil Bamforth, Steff Smith The Midlands Centre for Data-Driven Metrology (MCDDM) has recognised this as an important issue and, through a number of industry-focused events, is taking a lead on the development of a framework for metrology skills. Upon investigation by the Institute of Measurement and Control (Inst.MC), it was found that in the framework for engineering chartership, the words ‘measurement’ and ‘metrology’ do not appear in the document. The development of the metrology framework is being led by Trevor Toman (Coventry University), Phil Bamforth (Rolls- Royce) Katie Blake (University of Nottingham) and Steff Smith (Institute of Measurement and Control). To ensure that this work is responding to the needs of industry, a group of companies who are willing to invest time to address this issue has been established as the National Metrology Skills Alliance (NMSA). Companies include Rolls-Royce, BAE- Systems, Reliance Precision, National Physical Laboratory, SuirFlo, Jaguar Land Rover, Sellafield and many more. Discussions held by this group have identified key areas of metrology needs in the manufacturing industry: ●Standardised skill sets to validate hiring practises for expert metrology roles ● Awareness of metrology practices for managers, design engineers and other non-metrologists to better understand the value of metrology in the manufacturing process chain ● Definitions of the competency requirements for different tasks and disciplines within the framework. ●Clear career development paths for metrologists ● An international standard that formalises the framework and competency requirements ● An assurance/accreditation process to enable: ● Demonstration of an internationally recognised level of competency and professionalism. ● Training providers to demonstrate consistent quality of their products to the standard. ● Organisations to have confidence when they recruit and train their staff. As David Torr, Head of Metrology at Reliance Precision says: “At Reliance Precision, skills and competence play a leading role in the success of our business, none more so in the verification of product conformance. The subject of metrology plays a pivotal role in ensuring measurement processes are defined and fit for purpose – this means the competency of people working in the subject is vital. We wanted to be involved in the project to ensure that we, as a business, can contribute our knowledge of metrology so that the standard reflects how we approach metrology training – and what the important subjects are. We hope the standard helps with recruitment, internal training and evidencing our capability to our customers for the subject of metrology.” In addition, a focus on ‘competency not certificates’ was highlighted as a priority area, to ensure that real-world skills and knowledge are valued within the framework. The importance of practical skills and the application of theoretical teaching has been strongly emphasised by hiring managers represented in the Alliance. This year, the project has accelerated at pace and now a core steering group has been formed. This group, now formalised as a Special Interest Group (SIG) within the Inst.MC, is made up of representatives from large industrial organisations and manufacturing SMEs alike. Their goals for the framework, including plans for writing and delivery timelines for the standard were outlined in March. Three working groups of key manufacturing disciplines – Flow Metrology, Force Metrology and Dimensional Metrology – alongside a working group for a core framework underpinning all disciplines and the key capabilities required for this career path. Thr following is a diagram outlining the structure of stakeholders and deliverables involved in and expected to contribute to the development of the standard Metrology training framework under development. Whilst the current project is UK-focused, the group are planning to expand internationally in the future as appropriate. As manufacturing becomes increasingly reliant on digital technologies which require sharing of large amounts of data between different parties, the importance of metrology in validating data is growing rapidly. The metrologist is therefore emerging as a key role in data validation but for many years there has been poor recognition of that role both in terms of definition and in the establishment of career progression. 12bmta.co.uk 13 The first draft of competency frameworks is expected to be ready for delivery by September 2022. In this draft, the initial fields of Flow, Force and Dimensional Metrology will be trialled with a view to expanding to all other fields of Metrology in future iterations. The initial group of topics have been chosen for relevance to the manufacturing industry at large, in addition to the primary pull of users interested in the framework proposal; however, this list is not exhaustive and recommendations of additional areas for consideration are welcomed. The Manufacturing group has now expanded with volunteer organisations and individuals from industry, developing the first draft populated with industrial needs and delivery solutions documentation, including methods and metrics for validation of skills, knowledge and competencies at different levels within the framework. To date, this has been set out as four work packages (see architecture diagram below). These organisations will be asked to stress-test the standard against their existing training schedule and hiring practices for metrologists in their company. If you are interested in offering your time to this endeavour, please contact Prof. Trevor Toman at t.toman@coventry. ac.uk or Dr Phil Bamforth phillip.bamforth@rolls-royce.com for further information. “Engineers of all disciplines are required to ‘measure’ and use aspects of ‘metrology’ whether Electrical, Mechanical, Chemical, Digital etc. Currently, there are adequate Standards to enable successful assessments of Engineers to award the appropriate Professional Qualifications. There is a body of Engineers who have the necessity to utilise detailed measurement knowledge from multiple disciplines, typically Flow Measurement Engineers, when adequate assessment proves difficult. A subject qualification covering ‘metrology’ could be utilised to assist in the assessment process and give a Professional Qualification status” - Gordon Fish, Director, SuirFlo Ltd. Diagram outlining the architecture of the training frameworkbmta.co.uk DIGITAL WATER NETWORK ANALYSIS Carl Wordsworth, Head of Water Sector TÜV SÜD National Engineering Laboratory Action is required now to reduce demand, increase supply and apply the principles of a circular economy to meet future freshwater requirements. There could be enough water to meet the world’s growing needs, but only if we dramatically change the way water is used, managed, and shared. Currently, the estimated daily personal water consumption rate in the UK is on average 142 l/day1 (as per 2020) equating to an estimated total usage of 14 billion l/day. By mid-2041, it is estimated that the UK population will rise to over 72 million people, increasing this demand further. It is expected that the estimated population increase will probably occur in areas of the country where water scarcity is likely to already be an issue, ie the south-east. This coupled with climate change is going to have a significant impact on the volume of usable freshwater available. By 2025 it has been estimated that two-thirds of the world’s population may face water shortages. In recent years the UK Water Industry has made great strides in leakage reduction. However, with the Ofwat requirements for a 16% reduction in leakage by 2025, much more work is required. Therefore, in order to be able to reduce leakage levels to those required by the water regulator, it will be important to use new technologies in leakage reduction. TÜV SÜD National Engineering Laboratory is taking digital analytical technologies that have been developed for the oil and gas industry and applying these to the water industry. 14In the last few years, the availability of inexpensive computing power and measurement databases has enabled the development of powerful data analysis techniques that allow metering networks to be monitored daily. Such techniques can give operators details about meter performance and leakage and are much more effective than the traditional water balance calculation over the distribution network. A range of techniques will be discussed here and an explanation of how they could be used for leak detection and prediction will be given. Flow Measurement Flow metering is essential for measuring water usage and managing water supplies. Most water meters around the world are small and primarily used to record domestic water consumption. However, larger meters, whilst smaller in number, measure an equivalent volume of water and are key to managing both resource and demand. It is principally through the use of larger meters that we quantify how much water is being abstracted from underground aquifers, rivers, and other water bodies to provide clean water supplies to our cities. Both small and large meters are therefore essential for effective, economic, and sustainable water management. The need for accurate measurement of large diameter transmission (trunk) mains is of vital importance to the global water industry, to optimise water resources, accurately estimate leakage and calculate the water balance across the water distribution system. A significant proportion of modern flow meters rely on assumptions about the flow profile in the pipe. Bends, valves and other pipe components upstream of the measurement device will affect the assumed flow profile and the accuracy of the meter. For example, swirl in the flow will impact the rotor of a turbine meter and, depending on the direction of the swirl, will cause an under or over-reading. By using modern data analytical techniques, it is possible to analyse the diagnostic data that is generated by most modern electronic flow meters and use this to determine meter performance, locate leaks and predict future leaks in water networks. Modern digital analysis techniques: TÜV SÜD National Engineering Laboratory has undertaken extensive research into digital analytical techniques to improve the information gathered by modern flow meters. Based on a huge database of testing a range of different flowmeters under a range of different conditions, TÜV SÜD National Engineering Laboratory has developed a range of software tools to help develop: ●Data visualisation tools – for historical data evaluation ● The use of flow meter diagnostic data – in the development of fault diagnostics ●Remote monitoring – looking at undertaking a health assessment of the flow meter ● Predictive analysis – by utilising machine learning tools to predict the remaining useful life There are two types of computer models used for solving engineering problems such as those experienced in oil and gas production: physics-based models and data-driven models. These two classes of computer models differ in the way they represent physical processes. Physics-based models attempt to gain knowledge and derive decisions through the explicit representation of physical rules and generating hypotheses regarding the underlying physical system. Physics-based models driven by physical processes can normally be described by a set of mathematical (theoretical) equations. For example, Navier-Stokes (N-S) equations explain the motion of fluids and can govern Newton’s second law of motion for fluids. On the other hand, data-driven models uncover relationships between system state variables without using explicit instructions. These models employ algorithms to perform statistical inference and pattern recognition wherein a model maximises its performance through an iterative learning process. It should be noted that such models do not contain the full complexity of the true physical bmta.co.uk 15bmta.co.uk 16 phenomenon. Instead, they provide a less complex (but valuable) abstraction that approximates the real system. Because these models do not necessarily require knowledge about the physics of the processes, they are very flexible when testing different hypotheses and making predictions. Condition-based monitoring (CBM) Condition-based monitoring can be used to determine the health of the flow meter and also to monitor the calibration requirements of the device to understand if it’s possible to move from a time- based calibration approach to a more dynamic calibration approach. By making use of the diagnostic data that most modern flow meters generate it is possible to use data analytics to determine the health and performance of the flow meter. Recently TÜV SÜD National Engineering Laboratory has undertaken studies looking at both Coriolis meters and ultrasonic flow meters. The knowledge gained from these two studies can be transferred to electromagnetic flowmeters for use in the water industry. TÜV SÜD National Engineering Laboratory now wants to move to the next stage of development in condition-based monitoring by transferring the knowledge it has gained in other industries and applying it to the water industry. Data validation and reconciliation (DVR) One cost-effective way of increasing confidence in flow meter data accuracy is to use a technique known as data validation and reconciliation. This is a statistical method that may be used to evaluate the quality of flow measurement data from all types of industrial plants. Data validation and reconciliation can be applied to many different types of industrial plant, from simple systems consisting of only a few measurements to complicated systems with several hundred. Due to the large number of calculations involved, data reconciliation is particularly suited to software applications. So, what do data validation and reconciliation tell us? First and foremost, it may be used as a diagnostic tool to pinpoint exactly which meters are operating outside their uncertainty bands. This may indicate that operators have made incorrect assumptions about the uncertainty of the meter. This can be changed and the reconciliation re-run with the new value. Alternatively, it could mean that the meter has drifted out of calibration or that a fault has developed. Either way, the ability of the technique to highlight anomalies will allow operators to target maintenance at specific equipment – with obvious financial benefits. The data redundancy required by the method also gives the reconciled data greater accuracy and reliability than the unchecked data. Data reconciliation is not magic – it does not introduce new data that is not there already. What it does is allow operators of plant to make the most of the data that they have – with the accompanying financial and operational benefits. Fault prediction analysis - by making use of historical data and using machine learning techniques it should be possible to predict where leakage is likely to occur in the water networks. Combining multiple data analysis techniques such as these will allow modern software techniques to be developed that will enable water companies to: ● Verify the performance of modern electronic flow meters ●Perform network analysis and identify leakage on their networks ● Predict where leakage events may happen in the futureData is the most valuable asset Optimising data utilisation is an operational imperative, especially to water companies under environmental, regulatory and resource pressure. Failure to protect significant metering investments, by not complementing it with modern and cost- effective data analysis techniques, risks increased capital and operational expenditure through poor targeting of effort. Therefore, smart metering and network analysis will have to be used together to achieve the improvements necessary to meet the challenges facing the water industry today. This will give water companies much more confidence in their data, alongside their investment decisions and operational expenditure levels. The application of these techniques, along with the recent advances in electronics and computing power, will give water companies the tools to meet the challenges facing them in the 21st century. 1 UK: daily water usage per person 2020 | Statista bmta.co.uk 17 CONTRIBUTE TO OUR NEXT NEWSLETTER We encourage our readers to send in thought leadership articles and opinion pieces on a wide range of technical, operational and commercial issues impacting any aspect of the UK measurement and testing industry. To provide the best possible coverage for you within the newsletter we ask that alongside the article that you provide a 50-100 word synopsis which we can use to highlight the article before publication via news feeds and the BMTA website. Feature articles are usually between a half A4 page and two A4 pages of text in length. In addition to this, we would ask that you provide supporting images, at print ready resolution, together with a headshot and short biography of the author. If you would like to contribute, please email Laura Vallis at editor@bmta.co.ukbmta.co.uk EV BATTERY TESTING Gareth Hinds, NPL Fellow and Science Area Leader Electrochemistry Group, National Physical Laboratory (NPL) We all know why this is happening. EVs are a critical component of the drive to decarbonise the transport sector. The UK government is committed to its ban on the sales of new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030 in order to contribute to greenhouse gas emissions targets and improve air quality. Charging infrastructure is being rolled out, although the indications are that it may struggle to keep pace with the growing number of EVs on our roads. The key component of an EV is the battery, which provides a highly efficient means of storing electrical charge to power the motor. The battery pack in an EV consists of hundreds (or sometimes thousands) of individual cells, which are arranged into sub-units called modules. Complex algorithms for the charge, discharge and cooling of each module are controlled by the battery management system (BMS) so that the performance and lifetime of each cell can be optimised. Lithium-ion batteries are the technology of choice for automotive applications. Although they’ve been around since the early 1990s, it’s only in the last decade that their cost, performance and lifetime have improved sufficiently for large scale use in EVs. While a number of alternative battery chemistries are at various stages of research and development, none of these looks likely to displace lithium- ion in the short to medium term. Battery testing is a vital element of cell, module and pack design, onboard diagnostics, lifetime prediction and end-of- life assessment, but as with many disruptive technologies the development of international standard test methods is lagging behind the rapid uptake of EVs. In particular, standard test methods for rapid and non-destructive assessment of performance, lifetime and safety are urgently required to underpin investor, regulator and end-user confidence in lithium-ion battery technology. As anyone with a smartphone or laptop knows only too well, the amount of charge that can be stored in a lithium-ion battery decreases gradually over time in a process known as ‘capacity fade’. This is due to a range of material degradation mechanisms within the cell that combine to reduce the 18 The boom in sales of electric vehicles (EVs) shows no signs of abating. According to the Society for Motor Manufacturers & Traders, 190,000 new EVs were sold in 2021 (11.6% of all new car sales). This is more than in the previous five years combined and comes against a backdrop of an automotive market that has stagnated due to the Covid pandemic and a global semiconductor shortage. There are now just under half a million EVs registered in the UK and that number looks set to continue its exponential increase.amount of lithium that can be stored in the electrodes. The state-of-health (SoH) of a lithium-ion cell is a key metric in the lifetime of the battery, which is usually defined as the capacity of the cell as a percentage of its original capacity. Automotive manufacturers typically set a limit of 70- 80% SoH for their EV battery packs; when this value is reached (typically after several thousand charge- discharge cycles) the battery pack is replaced to restore the full range of the EV. The used battery pack does not necessarily have to be discarded; it may still be useful for so-called ‘second life’ applications where the energy or power density requirements are less demanding, for example residential energy storage. Testing has an important role to play in the cost- effective triage of EV batteries at the end of their first life. Conventionally, measurement of SoH is achieved by integration of current with time during slow discharge, which is expensive and prohibitively time-consuming, particularly as the number of used battery packs increases. Much research is focused on rapid and non-invasive techniques for SoH assessment, which can provide the basis for informed decisions on remanufacturing, repurposing or recycling. This is particularly important given the increasing scarcity of some of the critical raw materials, including cobalt, nickel and lithium. Recent research at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), in collaboration with partner laboratories across Europe in the LiBforSecUse project, has demonstrated the potential of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) as a rapid means of assessing SoH at cell level. Key innovations include the development of low impedance standards for calibration of EIS instrumentation, tight control of experimental parameters such as cable length, terminal connection and measurement protocols, and establishment of the correlation between SoH and EIS data via well-defined and controlled life cycle testing. As a result of the metrological infrastructure established in the LiBforSecUse project, the uncertainty in measurement of SoH has been reduced from around 10% to less than 1%. This enables Li-ion cells to be sorted rapidly and accurately according to their SoH at end of first life, significantly extending their performance and lifetime when assembled into a second life module/pack. The next steps will be to extend this measurement capability to module and pack level, making it available across a wider range of second-life applications, and to progress the test method to an international standard. Standard test methods are also critical for efficient investment in materials R&D. The scientific literature is characterised by poor reproducibility due to a lack of standardisation of common laboratory test methods. The result of a measurement often depends to a large degree on the specific equipment used and the skill of the operator, meaning that test data from different organisations cannot be easily compared. In collaboration with partners in the FutureCat project funded by the UK’s Faraday Institution, NPL is developing and maintaining a suite of standard protocols for fabrication, testing and post-mortem characterisation of Li-ion coin cells used in the development of next- generation cathode materials. Improving the quality and inter-comparability of data allows decisions to be made more rapidly on identification of the most promising new materials and ‘fast fail’ of others, accelerating the transition from the laboratory to real-world application. In parallel with advances in battery testing standards, there is also a huge skills gap that needs to be addressed to support the seismic shift in automotive propulsion technology that will occur over the next decade. A new generation of electrical engineers and technicians capable of testing, diagnosing and repairing EV batteries need to be trained and deployed across the country in garages, MoT centres, test houses and research establishments. This will require significant investment in training courses, apprenticeships and accreditation by learned professional bodies. A final important point is that increased UK engagement in the development of international standard test methods is urgently required to ensure the future competitiveness of UK companies in a growing global market. Without this, international standards will be imposed on the UK by the rest of the world, potentially hampering the commercial interests of UK companies. There is very strong representation from other European countries, the Far East and the USA on many international working groups through which future battery testing standards are being developed, but the UK is currently lagging behind in this area. One potential reason for this is that the UK has a higher proportion of SMEs in the battery space compared to other countries and there is often a challenge around prioritising standardisation activities with limited resources. However, this may change going forward with the recent move to virtual meetings, meaning that committee and working group representation no longer requires international travel and lengthy in-person meetings. It is now possible to fit these activities much more efficiently and cost- effectively into an average working day via relatively short video conferences with a specific focus. BMTA are a Nominating Body for BSi Standards Making Committees and that if anyone is interested in joining BSI PEL/21 – Secondary cells and batteries, BSI PEL/69 – Electric vehicles, or any other of the BSi Committees please email greg.waxrd@bmta.co.uk. bmta.co.uk 19Next >