International EV Batteries 2022: Cost-Effective Engineering for Hybrid and Electric Vehicles

Richard Boyd: Senior Technical Specialist, Altair

Dr. Richard Boyd is a professional engineer with over 20 years’ experience in the application of linear and non-linear structural analysis and optimisation across a wide variety of engineering sectors including aerospace, rail, defence and automotive. Deep domain knowledge of engineering solutions of a multi-disciplinary nature, supporting customer-driven design and test activities at various stages of product development, from concept design to final certification. Project managed several EU and UK government-funded collaborations, most recently £2.6million with Rolls-Royce to develop and deploy multi-physics optimisation solutions to UltraFan. This included the development, implementation, and application of Altair’s electro-thermal battery simulation capability.

Andrew Halfpenny: Director of Technology - HBK nCode Products, Hottinger Bruel & Kjaer UK Ltd

Dr. Halfpenny has a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from University College London (UCL) and a Masters’ in Civil and Structural Engineering. With over 25 years of experience in structural dynamics, vibration, fatigue and fracture, he has introduced many new technologies to the industry including: FE-based vibration fatigue analysis, crack growth simulation and accelerated vibration testing. He holds a European patent for the ‘Damage monitoring tag’ and developed the new vibration standard used for qualifying UK military helicopters. He has worked in consultancy with customers across the UK, Europe, Americas and the Far East, and has written publications on Fatigue, Digital Signal Processing and Structural Health Monitoring. He is a founding member of NAFEMS PSE Certification scheme and sits on the NAFEMS committee for Dynamic Testing. He is a visiting lecturer on structural dynamics with the University of Sheffield.

Alex Groombridge: Co-Founder and CTO, Echion Technologies

Alex is a co-founder and Chief Technical Officer (CTO) of Echion Technologies Ltd. He is responsible for the technology vision, the industrialisation of Echion products and strategic development and direction of the business.

Echion Technologies was spun out of the Engineering Department at the University of Cambridge in 2017. Alex has been instrumental in the growth of the business from its early days. He is excited by disruptive innovation and the challenge presented by the decarbonisation of transport and tackling climate change. He is a keen implementer of rapid change and brings that energy and mindset to his role at Echion.

Alex holds an MChem from the University of Sheffield, and a PhD in Materials Chemistry from the University of Cambridge. He is further associated with the Royal Academy of Engineering and is a Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Douglas Johnson-Poensgen: Co-Founder and CEO, Circulor

Circulor offers a software solution that enables its customers to track raw materials through industrial supply chains to demonstrate responsible sourcing and sustainability.

Doug has 25 years international experience working both in leadership roles for large corporates as well as starting and growing companies.

Jane Wright: Systems Engineer, Transport for London

Jane Wright is a Systems Engineer with expertise in whole life carbon assessment and zero emission vehicle strategy. She is an Institution of Civil Engineers Carbon Champion. She currently works for Transport for London in the Engineering Directorate managing the zero emission bus strategy and designing carbon management processes and training for TfL’s Major Programmes.

Julian Fletcher: Systems Engineer, Vivarail

Julian Fletcher read Mechanical Engineering at the University of Leeds, then worked at Perkins Technology (now Caterpillar) developing off-highway diesel engines for a couple of years before spending over twenty years at Rolls-Royce. There he was involved in a broad range of development projects, including vibration and thermal imaging work, testing prototype civil gas turbines and responding to major in-service events. He then moved to Vivarail in response to the environmental and climate change emergency, and over the last 18 months has been working on battery conversion of rolling stock, including shunting locomotives, maintenance vehicles and the pioneering Class 230.

Manos Polioudis: Co-Founder and Director – Electrical Powertrain Technology, Talos Technology

Manos has over a decade experience within the Electric Powertrain Development industry. Having held various engineering and management roles in companies like Arrival, Jaguar Land Rover, Volvo Trucks and Semcon, has a wealth of understanding on state of the art EV PT development. Currently Manos is the founder and CEO of Talos Technology and Talos Mobility, a pair of companies that develop, design and deploy Electrical Vehicles and Systems for Tier1, OEM's and other industry customers. Trained in Six Sigma as a Black Belt and Management he believes in the optimisation of systems as whole, instead of the optimisation of individual components. Beyond EV powertrains, Manos is interested in new technologies, and their integration with traditional engineering and manufacturing, such as AI and artificial neural networks. Automated manufacturing and robotic assembly as enablers for more efficient end to end systems.

Keith Pullen: CTO, Levistor

Keith Pullen began his career with Rolls-Royce who sponsored his first and doctoral degrees at Imperial College London. After two years in the oil and gas sector, he took up academic posts at Imperial and his research in microturbine generators formed a key part of what is now Turbo Power Systems. Developing research in hybrid vehicles and energy storage, he later moved to City University of London, receiving a Chair in 2010. Following consultancies for two F1 teams and co-founding three spin outs, he received a Royal Academy of Engineering Enterprise Fellowship. This facilitated the setting up of Levistor Ltd, focussed on low-cost flywheel energy storage. He now divides his time between CTO responsibilities for Levistor, consultancy in energy technologies and retains links with City University of London as Visiting Professor.