Research & Innovation
Science at the Frontier of Clean Energy Machines
Our research teams work across five energy domains — combining rigorous engineering with advanced computational tools to build machines that use the renewable resource each site already has, rather than globalising energy supply or imposing a single solution on every region.
Engineering & Computation
Precision Engineering, Accelerated by Computation
At Energy Core, our engineers and scientists lead every research decision. We use computational tools — including machine learning and simulation — to accelerate the work, reduce waste, and validate machine designs before physical prototyping. The goal is always the same: machines that are economical to deploy locally, using the energy resource that is already on-site.
Computational screening narrows thousands of candidates — so lab time is spent on what works.
Materials & Catalyst Screening
Computational screening identifies high-potential catalyst and material candidates for hydrogen membranes, biofuel processing equipment, and turbine alloys — narrowing the field before physical lab work begins.
Process Optimisation Modelling
Predictive models trained on lab data identify optimal operating conditions for ethanol processing, transesterification, and electrolyser performance — cutting costly trial-and-error cycles.
Generative Component Design
Topology optimisation and generative design tools produce turbine blade geometries, electrolyser stack layouts, and heat exchanger configurations that maximise machine efficiency at minimum material cost.
Simulation & Digital Validation
High-fidelity simulations run stress tests, efficiency scenarios, and failure modes on every machine design before fabrication — reducing prototyping cost and time to market.
Production Quality Assurance
Computer vision systems used by our manufacturing partners inspect components at micron-level precision, ensuring every machine leaves the production facility within the tolerances our designs specify.
Research Intelligence
Automated monitoring of journals and patent filings keeps our teams current with the latest science — ensuring our machine development programmes build on the best available knowledge.
From Idea to Machine
Our R&D Pipeline
Every Energy Core machine passes through a structured development pipeline — combining human expertise with computational tools at each stage to deliver economical, high-efficiency products that use the local resource your site already has.
Literature Review
Systematic monitoring of journals and patents surfaces relevant science and identifies research gaps.
Hypothesis & Planning
Research teams define experimental directions based on existing data, domain expertise, and identified opportunities.
Computational Screening
Virtual experiments and simulations screen variables and candidate materials before physical lab work begins.
Lab Validation
Scientists validate the most promising candidates in the physical lab, confirming computational predictions.
Engineering Design
Engineers design machine components, optimising for efficiency, durability, and production quality — always with local deployment conditions in mind.
Simulation Testing
Full machine simulations run performance and failure scenarios before physical prototyping begins.
Prototype & QC
Physical prototypes are built and inspected to exacting tolerances before production approval.
Field Feedback
Deployed machines send performance data back to our research teams, informing the next generation of designs — and helping us understand how local resource conditions vary in practice.
Our Approach
Applied Science, Not Just Theory
Every research programme at Energy Core is tied to a machine we intend to build and sell — one that uses a locally available renewable resource, not one that requires a global supply chain to operate. We do not publish for publishing's sake. Our scientists work alongside our engineers so that every breakthrough has a clear path from the laboratory to a machine that can be deployed at a specific site, using what that site already has. Economical design and high efficiency are the two criteria every project is measured against.
Hypothesis to Hardware
Research findings are reviewed by our engineering team within 90 days of publication for potential machine integration.
Open Collaboration
We publish in peer-reviewed journals and actively collaborate with universities, government bodies, and industry partners — sharing knowledge that helps more regions use their own local resources.
Multi-Route Thinking
Our researchers work across energy domains — insights from hydrogen electrolysis regularly inform our biofuel processing machine designs, because local resources often work best in combination.
Research Programmes
Current & Recent Projects
Electrolysis Efficiency at Scale
Our team has achieved a 23% improvement in PEM electrolyser efficiency under real-world operating conditions, reducing the cost of on-site green hydrogen production for operators using locally generated renewable electricity. Computational materials screening identified the membrane catalyst formulation that made this possible.
- 23% efficiency gain over baseline PEM systems
- Validated at 500 kg/day processing scale
- Cost reduction of £4.20/kg at current energy prices
Lead researcher: Dr. A. Osei
Second-Generation Cellulosic Ethanol Processing
Breakthrough enzyme cocktails that unlock fermentable sugars from lignocellulosic biomass — doubling yield from local agricultural residues. Process modelling identified the optimal temperature and pH profile that stabilises the enzyme system.
- 2× yield improvement from wheat straw feedstock
- No food-crop competition — uses local agricultural waste only
- Enzyme system stable at 55°C for 72-hour continuous runs
Lead researcher: Dr. S. Patel
Waste Oil Transesterification Optimisation
A novel catalyst system that processes mixed-quality locally collected waste cooking oil into ASTM-grade biodiesel with 98.7% conversion efficiency at ambient temperature — reducing both energy consumption and capital cost per litre produced on-site.
- 98.7% conversion efficiency at ambient temperature
- Compatible with mixed-quality feedstocks (FFA up to 15%)
- Published in Bioresource Technology, Vol. 412
Lead researcher: Dr. L. Mensah
Turbine Blade Aerodynamics at Low Wind Speeds
CFD modelling and generative design produced novel blade geometries for our wind turbines that maintain generation efficiency at wind speeds below 4 m/s — expanding the range of local sites where on-site wind power is viable by an estimated 40%.
- Efficient generation from 3.2 m/s (vs. 5 m/s industry standard)
- 40% expansion of viable local deployment zones
- CFD-validated; prototype testing underway
Lead researcher: Dr. R. Kowalski
Micro-Hydro Turbine Efficiency for Low-Head Sites
Topology optimisation redesigned our Kaplan turbine geometry for run-of-river sites with head heights below 3 metres — unlocking on-site clean power generation for thousands of previously unviable local waterways at a lower installed cost per kW.
- Viable generation at head heights from 0.8 m
- Turbine efficiency of 87% at design point
- Environmental impact assessment: minimal fish passage disruption
Lead researcher: Dr. Y. Nakamura
Solid-State Hydrogen Storage Integration
Investigating metal hydride storage systems that can be integrated directly with our electrolyser units — targeting a compact, low-pressure on-site storage solution that reduces the overall system cost for operators producing hydrogen from their own local renewable electricity.
- Programme commencing Q1 2026
- Partnership with University of Birmingham confirmed
- Target: 6 wt% storage density at ambient pressure
Lead researcher: Dr. A. Osei
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed & Published
Bioresource Technology·2024
Ambient-temperature transesterification of high-FFA waste cooking oil using a novel heterogeneous catalyst
Mensah L., Patel S., Osei A.
Renewable Energy·2024
Cellulosic ethanol yield enhancement via thermostable enzyme cocktail optimisation
Patel S., Kowalski R.
International Journal of Hydrogen Energy·2023
Degradation mechanisms in PEM electrolysers under variable renewable power input
Osei A., Nakamura Y.
Applied Energy·2023
Low-head micro-hydro turbine performance: a Kaplan geometry optimisation study
Nakamura Y., Mensah L.
Safety & Risk
Work With Us
Collaborate on the Science
We welcome research partnerships with universities, government agencies, and industry. Whether you want to co-fund a programme, share data, or embed researchers in our labs, we are open to conversation — particularly where the work helps more communities use the renewable resources they already have.