A consortium led by the Dearman Engine Company has been awarded close to £2 million in the latest round of IDP10 funding from the Technology Strategy Boardto support the development of a heat-recovery system for urban commercial vehicles. This innovative technology offerspotential fuel savings today of up to 25%, and life-cycle CO2 savings of up to 40%.
IDP10, the latest Integrated Delivery Programme competition run by the Technology Strategy Board, is a £10m funding scheme focused on providing support for low-carbon vehicle initiatives.
There is a pressing need for more cost-effective technology to improve the efficiency of urban mediumand heavy-duty commercial vehicles and buses. Electric hybrid systems are seen by some as a solution, but costs remain high, leading to long payback periods (10-12 years for a bus). Full electric propulsion also remains expensive and remains limited by its range, and both options are well-to-wheel energy and carbon-intensive.
This project will deliver a production-feasible waste-heat recovery system for urban commercial vehicles, which offers life-cycle CO2 savings of up to 40%, fuel savings of 25% – with the potential of up to almost 50% – and potential payback in less than three years. The project uses the Dearman Engine, a highly-efficient liquid nitrogen or air (LiN) engine that harvests low-grade heat sources and, in this configuration, is most effective in urban duty cycles, working with the internal combustion engine (ICE) as a hybrid powertrain.
Using the Dearman Engine allowsefficient use of the waste heat, leading not only to greater economy, but also offering the potential for improved air quality. The technology uses readily-available materials with low embedded carbon, and operates with commercially-available liquid nitrogen, which is readily available and is frequently produced using off-peak electricity,with great potential for storing wrong-time renewables.
The project will cost £3.25 million, £1.9 million of which has come from the Technology Strategy Board grant. Dearman isworking withMIRA, Air Products, Productiv, The Manufacturing Technology Centre, CENEX and TRL, bringing together expertise in the Dearman system, industrial gases, ICEs, vehicle systems, legislation and standards and manufacturing. The consortium will deliver an on-vehicle demonstration of the hybrid system over the next two years as well as engage the potential supply, demand and legislative chains. The project creates significant UK advantage in a future globalurban medium/heavy duty truckand bus market of more than 3 million units per year.
Toby Peters, founder and CEO of the Dearman Engine Company, said: “All vehicle manufacturers are under pressure to develop cleaner, cheaper vehicles, but producing alternative technologies can be an expensive, and not always efficient, process.
“This grant from the Technology Strategy Board to support the engine’s use in a heat-recovery system is welcome validation of the important role this technology can play in creating more efficient medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, and we look forward to working with our partners on this ground-breaking programme.”
Chris Reeves, Commercial Manager of Future Transport Technologies at MIRA Ltd said: “Liquid air technologies have the potential to significantly reduce well-to-wheel emissions. This exciting project builds on a programme of activity already underway jointly with Dearman and it will validate the use of liquid nitrogen hydride powertrains in urban applications.”
Chris Walsh, Head of Technical Support and Consultancy at Cenexsaid: “We are very pleased to be working with the Dearman Engine Company on this innovative solution to reduce the cost and carbon from urban heavy duty vehicles.”
Jon Trembley, Technology Manager for Cryogenic Applications, said: “At Air Products we are very pleased to continue with our collaboration with Dearman. This project is an exciting development for new liquid nitrogen applications technology.”
Liquid air and the Dearman Engine were recently recognised as a potential road transport energy vector by the European Road Transport Advisory Council (ERTRAC). ERTRAC is the European technology platform for the road transport industry and is seeking to deliver the accelerated development of sustainable, integrated transport solutions. Called ‘Energy Carriers for Powertrains’, the ERTRAC report seeks to establish a road map for how the industrialised countries of Europe and elsewhere can reduce the production of greenhouse gases in the road transport sector by up to 80% by 2050 when compared to 1990 levels.
This comprehensive report, which reviews all potential fuel choices, highlights liquid air as “an adaptable energy vector which can be created and consumed using traditional mechanical engineering technologies, stored safely in un-pressurised containers, and made from a free abundant raw material”. The report adds that liquid air can be used in many applications to improve or replace existing transport solutions.
The report concludes: “Zero emission applications as a primary source is certainly of interest in urban scenarios for light duty, short range applications. For heavy duty applications, it may provide opportunities for more efficient and cost effective waste heat recovery from internal combustion engines”.
