A key milestone has been reached in a seemingly ground-breaking environmental transport programme led by Dearman Engine Company working with venture engineering specialist Productiv, with the delivery of a prototype of an innovatively-designed liquid nitrogen (LiN) pump.
The £15 million CEMZEP programme – standing for ‘Cryogenic Engines for Mobile Zero Emission Power’ – is supported by the Advanced Propulsion Centre and is developing zero emission technology to replace the inefficient diesel engines used for refrigeration in commercial food transport vehicles. This will play a major role in reducing the environmental impact of these vehicles on the world’s roads and particularly in cities, suggests the group.
Dearman’s initial design for the LiN pump for the engine has gone through Productiv’s own “Production Oriented Prototyping” process, which aims to optimise the design for cost, manufacture and assembly.
The pump will now be connected to the LiN cryogenic tank manufactured by Wessington, another project partner, for validation and testing.
Unlike the main engines which propel the vehicle, systems used for refrigeration are not currently subject to stringent regulation and offer great scope for environmental improvement.
Productiv project leader Matt Hardwick commented: “This project is set to prove enormously significant, not just in reducing vehicle emissions, but in reducing the cost and energy needed to cool large vehicles.
“It represents a superb example of how our expertise is making a significant positive difference to important cleantech developments – not just in transportation, but across sectors such as energy production and storage as well. We love collaborating with market focused cutting-edge technology developers such as Dearman.”
With grant funding from the Advanced Propulsion Centre, CEMZEP also involves Wessington Cryogenics, Loughborough University, Air Products plc, and Hubbard Products. It is scheduled for completion in July 2019.
For further information visit www.productivgroup.co.uk.
