UK Edition
Liquid nitrogen engines set to tackle air pollution in cities
A company that uses liquid nitrogen-powered vehicle engines claims its technology can slash pollution levels.
Dearman says that its tech reduces pollution compared with diesel engines and could help significantly improve the air quality in cities within the next decade.
The company, which has replaced diesel with cryogenic technology, released its findings ahead of early commercial trials with the operators of refrigerated vehicle fleets across Europe.
Early experiments show that Dearman’s engines can cut down poisonous nitrogen oxide emissions by 73pc, and reduce the amount of dirt released by the exhaust by 93pc compared to diesel fumes.
The London-based firm, which relies on science developed by “garden shed inventor” Peter Dearman and has raised £19.5m in venture capital to date, is aiming to replace existing diesel engines in applications that require both energy and cooling.
Pollution from transport refrigeration is forecast to cost EU countries £17bn over the coming decade and air pollution already accounts for 400,000 premature deaths each year in Europe, according to the European Environment Agency.
Each supermarket in the UK runs a fleet of up to 3,500 refrigerated vehicles, while the large logistics firms delivering goods to cafes, shops and delicatessens tend to run between 2,000 and 6,000 vehicles each.
It is estimated that the UK’s entire fleet of 84,000 refrigerated vehicles produce the same amount of pollution as 5.5m diesel cars.
“These trucks come into our cities and streets every day and the fact that diesel drives these refrigeration systems means they are significantly polluting,” claimed Dearman’s Dr Tim Fox.
“Governments have focused on reducing emissions from people’s cars but the evidence shows that this hidden polluter is disproportionately damaging air quality.”
As economies across the world embrace ready-made and convenience foods, the number of refrigerated vehicles across the world is set to rise exponentially, from 2m to 17.5m by 2030.
“If you imagine that Europe’s fleet is equivalent to 65m diesel cars, imagine what 17.5m of these refrigeration units will do in terms of environmental degradation,” warned Dr Fox.
Dearman, which was founded five years ago, has created a number of different products to replace diesel engines.
The vehicle refrigeration alternatives will hit our streets in 2016, the company claimed, while engines that replace diesel back-up systems for buildings such as datacentres will be rolled out from 2017.
Dearman’s technology could also be used to replace existing air conditioning units on buses in hot countries, where 40pc of the diesel in the vehicle is used to cool passengers.
Dearman’s systems have been designed to match the price of existing diesel engines, and the company claims that they reduce the operating costs. Unlike diesel, which is highly flammable, liquid nitrogen is a benign chemical.
“You can’t set fire to it or make it explode,” claimed Dr Fox. “There is currently enough spare capacity of the gas to support 70,000 vehicles and we can make 9,000 tonnes of it per day.”