Fuel cells
A 5 kW fuel cell had been first demonstrated at Cambridge in 1959 by Francis Thomas Bacon; the site looked into fuel cell technology. A methanol fuel cell was demonstrated in December 1964.[21] The world's first liquid fuel cell in 1964 was made by the Surface Reactions Division, with K.R. Williams; it was a direct methanol fuel cell, with a sulphuric acid electrolyte, with a palladium-silver membrane.
Work was also conducted at the Koninklijke Shell Laboratorium (now called the Energy Transition Campus Amsterdam). The proton-exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) took over in the late 1980s.
In 1972 it made the world's first fuel cell car, a converted DAF 44.
Aircraft engines
The site had worked on early jet engines in the war, on work for the Comet, and would work on lubrication and fuel for Concorde. By 1961 around 500 scientists and 350 technicians.[22]
Fuel-efficient vehicles
In 1977 made a record-breaking vehicle that did 1141 mpg, with bicycle wheels. In 1977 it was predicted that oil would run out by 1990. [23] A competition run by the centre for fuel efficient vehicles took place on 5 July 1977 at Mallory Park, with teams from 23 universities - the Shell Mileage Marathon. The Shell vehicle had a Honda 50cc engine, and consumed 1252 mpg.
At a Deutsche Shell Mileage Marathon at Hockenheim, it managed 1373 mpg, but three German vehicles consumed less, with one managing 1904 mpg.[24] Shell now run the Shell Eco-marathon, which largely the only international event of its kind.
Environmental research
In 1994, Shell decided to invest £70m in new buildings at the site, when it moved out from its Kent site at the end of 1995, so environmental research and 140 scientists moved to Cheshire.[25] Alfred McAlpine started construction in August 1994.[26] In 1997, Shell took fuel additive research away from Cheshire, when it undertook joint research work with Esso.[27]
Lubricants
Its scientists researched lubrication with the Ubbelohde viscometer. In 1949 Britain's first diesel train, with an English Electric engine, had Shell lubricating oil. Two-thirds of the lubricating oil made in UK was Shell, with Shell conducting £6m of research in 1949. The centre researched tyres, paint, textiles, and detergents. [28] BEA airliners only had Shell lubricants.
In the 1960s automotive companies from Europe would test automotive engines there.[29]
In May 1985, an automated £14m lubrication oil laboratory opened, called ELMA - Engine Laboratory Modernisation and Automation, with sixteen engine test beds, for different driving cycles.[30][31] With ELMA, it developed the petrol known as Formula Shell, sold from 19 May 1986.[32]
Pollution
The site conducted work with British Leyland on pollution in the late 1960s, due to increasing legislation in the US, costing £100,000 a year, overlooked by Morris Sugden.[33] BP conducted similar research at its Sunbury Research Centre.
The site researched fuel for the Ferrari F1 team (Scuderia Ferrari).
