1982 Rolls-royce Corniche on 2040-cars

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Rolls-Royce signs deal to trial hybrid-electric train conversions

LONDON — Rolls-Royce has signed an agreement to conduct a trial conversion of diesel trains to hybrid-electric engines in Britain, in a deal which could be rolled out to hundreds of trains across the country starting in the 2020s. The British company, which is best known for making aircraft engines, said on Wednesday that its German Power Systems business had signed an agreement with Porterbrook, the UK's largest owner of passenger rolling stock. Rolls-Royce's Power Systems unit, which sells engines used on ships, yachts, trains, trucks, mining and nuclear power stations, is one of the fastest growing parts of the company, and its boss said hybrid technology is behind that. "We expect hybrid technology to grow at above the current growth rates of diesel," the CEO of Rolls-Royce Power Systems, Andreas Schell, told Reuters. The Power Systems business is expected to post low double-digit revenue growth this year and is a bright spot in a company grappling with the negative headlines and cost of fixing a problem with its Trent 1000 aero-engines. Diesel trains can be fitted with Rolls-Royce Hybrid PowerPacks to turn them into hybrid trains that can also run on battery power, reducing carbon emissions and making them cheaper to run for operators while also making them much quieter when, for example, they approach stations. From RR's press release: The MTU Hybrid PowerPack is an environmentally friendly drive system which combines the advantages of diesel and battery-powered rail traction. The version for Porterbrook incorporates an MTU diesel engine which fulfils future EU Stage V emissions regulations; plus an electric machine, which can be used either as an electric motor or generator; and an MTU EnergyPack battery system, which stores the energy recovered during braking. This enables very low-noise, emissions-free battery-only electric operation in urban areas and around stations. The hybrid initiative comes as Britain seeks to phase out diesel-only trains by 2040. Adding the powerpacks to trains allows railway networks to be partially electrified without the need for expensive overhead infrastructure. The Institution of Mechanical Engineers says that 42 percent of Britain's rail network is currently electrified, which means that the country lags behind electrification rates in other European nations. Last year the British government scrapped electrification projects in some parts of the country, saying it would look to hybrid technology trains instead.

Bloodhound hits 210 mph in test for land speed record run

It was actually 210 miles per hour, 10 mph faster than promised. The rest of the day went swimmingly, and on schedule, by the Bloodhound land speed record team. "The car ran for 20 minutes, and it did two full-power runs, with full power for 5 seconds, and 0 to 200 mph in just under 9 seconds," said Mark Chapman, Bloodhound's chief engineer. "So the exciting bits were about 18 seconds long, but people were here from dawn to dusk. The atmosphere was unbelievable." Bloodhound, which will travel at 70 mph simply on the idle of its EJ200 jet engine, had to be held back on the brakes before wing commander Andy Green floored it for 5 seconds. The jet flamed and roared on afterburner and then it was over. I might have given a little squeak; it was mightily impressive. "This is a really big engine," said Richard Noble, Bloodhound project director and former land speed record holder, "and when it runs, there's a flame and a crackle and boom, and people think, 'My goodness, that's really something.'" It was, and Green might well have thought so when he first came to apply the brakes in testing for the inaugural public run last week on the runway at RAF St Mawgan near Newquay in Cornwall. "We've had some interesting times working out how carbon brakes work, because they do take a while to warm up," said Chapman. "The cockpit footage online shows Andy's eyes looking like dinner plates when he puts his foot on the brake and nothing happens for a bit." Typically, Green took it all in his stride. He is one of just three people alive to have traveled at 600 mph on the ground (Richard Noble and Craig Breedlove are the others) and was hugely impressed with Bloodhound. "The car is absolutely fabulous," he said. "From day one, it felt right: crisp and precise, you can feel it on the road; it's super. There was only one slight surprise on the braking and that was more to do with the engine over-swing." This meant that the Rolls-Royce Eurofighter engine wouldn't shut off immediately when Green lifted from the throttle. "That delay was a real surprise to us," he said, "because all previous jet cars have had mechanical fuel-control systems where a rod closes a valve and a quarter of second later, all thrust has gone. The EJ200 engine, though, manages its own fuel supply based on what the digital throttle request is, and it takes quite a lot longer to stop.

'Most expensive safety deposit box in the world' has a Rolls-Royce ferry

Ultra-high-end security and storage company International Bank Vaults (IBV) has several locations around the world, but as of next week, none will be more exclusive than the London branch. IBV is set to open a new vault with what's claimed to be the most expensive safety deposit boxes in the world. With price come perks, however, including a personal Rolls-Royce Ghost chauffeur to take customers to and from the vault. According to The Guardian, IBV, owned by South African millionaire Ashok Sewnarain, decided to open the new vault as a response to rapidly increasing demand for private wealth storage from the world's richest people. “We wonÂ’t deal with millionaires," managing director of the new facility Sean Hoey said. "We will be dealing only with billionaires.” For the top tier of the rich, a full room can be rented out for about $3.3 million per year. On a much lower scale, the cheapest available safety deposit box will cost about $785 to rent per year. Those boxes are pretty small, however, at about two inches high, 6.3 inches wide, and 19.3 inches deep. Hoey says it's enough space to store jewelry or "a fair few gold bars."  At this location, when the customers need to deposit or withdrawal spare gold bars in between polishing sessions, a chauffeur will arrive in a Rolls-Royce Ghost for proper luxury transportation. To get to the underground vault, two door people will take clients through fingerprint and iris scans. The vault itself is secured from theft attempts by steel lining in the walls, ceiling, and floor. Read more and see photos of the building on The Guardian. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.