BCCES Facilities
Birmingham has one of the largest concentrations of Chemical Engineering expertise in the UK, with an excellent reputation in learning, teaching and research. This reputation is reflected in our REF rating. Chemical Engineering at Birmingham combines teaching from lecturers who are global experts in their field, together with leading edge teaching facilities and laboratories to enhance the learning experience for our students.
The Birmingham Centre for Cryogenic Energy Storage (BCCES) is the first in the UK to have a research facility for energy storage using cryogenic liquids, comprising new laboratories, state of the art equipment, and a major demonstration plant. The new facility, which is housed on the University of Birmingham’s campus, is also connected to the University’s electrical grid, providing a small amount of power to the campus.
Novel cold storage materials
With an aim to further increase energy storage density and life-span, improve charge-discharge kinetic performance and reduce costs. These materials can help further reduce the footprint of CES plants and tank size of cryogenic liquid fuelled vehicles.
New thermodynamic cycles and processes
With an aim of developing more efficient cycles and processes. These cycles and processes can help improve energy efficiency of gas liquefaction plants – one of the largest electricity consumers. The work can also help develop novel cooling and refrigeration technologies.
Systems integration, control and optimization
We aim to develop tools for designing new technologies through integration of CES with energy networks and industrial processes, and for assessing and optimising the performance of integrated technologies under current and future energy scenarios.
Pilot-scale liquid air energy storage facility testing
We aim to carry out detailed study for both component and system level performance improvement, to validate our work on integration and optimisation, and to provide an education and training base for undergraduate and postgraduate students and engineers working in the area.
Cold Economy
Our research aims to investigate the societal and economic impacts of the cold chain for the UK and abroad; providing a guideline to the scientific and technological research.