Dearman’s latest Generation 2 zero-emission transport refrigeration system has begun on-vehicle testing.

The system is powered by an innovative, liquid nitrogen Dearman engine, which replaces the standard diesel engine.  As a result, the system is ‘zero-emission’, producing no harmful NOx or particulates, and helps to significantly reduce CO₂ emissions.

The company began testing a Generation 1 transport refrigeration system on a truck in early 2015. Since then the Dearman engine has been re-designed and is already proving to be 30% lighter, 30% smaller, and 30% more efficient than its predecessor.

Working with its technology partner Hubbard Products, the entire refrigeration system has also been reconfigured, downsizing a number of components and optimising them to deliver maximum efficiency and higher levels of performance.  Dearman’s Generation 2 system will now be tested with support from HORIBA MIRA, before a commercial, on-road, field trial begins with a UK operator in 2016.

Deputy ceo of Dearman, Michael Ayres, said: “This is another important milestone as we develop our revolutionary clean cold and power technology. We have always planned to evolve and continuously improve our core Dearman engine, but to achieve such rapid improvements in weight and efficiency is a significant achievement.

“We aspire to offer systems which are not only cleaner, but that are also cheaper and perform better than polluting diesel alternatives. We are another step closer to achieving that goal.”

There are an estimated one million transport refrigeration systems in operation in the EU, with many more around the world.  The number is also growing rapidly and so is their environmental impact. Dearman is developing its zero-emission technology as an alternative, which will help operators to deliver substantial emissions savings, while also reducing their operating costs.

The zero-emission transport refrigeration system is the first of a portfolio of clean cold and power technologies being developed by Dearman, with eventual applications in public transportation and the built environment, as well as logistics.

This latest testing builds on the Innovate UK-funded Cool-E project conducted earlier this year. It benefits from continued support from project partners, including HORIBA MIRA, Air Products, Loughborough University and Hubbard Products Ltd.