The £15 million CEMZEP programme – standing for ‘Cryogenic Engines for Mobile Zero Emission Power’ – is developing zero-emission technology to replace the inefficient diesel engines used for refrigeration in commercial food transport vehicles.
Unlike a transport vehicle’s main engines, systems used for refrigeration are not subject to stringent regulation and offer great scope for improvement.
This technology will play a major role in reducing the environmental impact of these vehicles on the world’s roads, particularly in cities. The project is supported by the Advanced Propulsion Centre.
Productiv supported Dearman’s initial design for the engine’s LIN pump by applying its Production Oriented Prototyping™ process to optimise the design for cost, manufacture and assembly.
Source: Productiv
The prototype pumps were manufactured at The Proving Factory®, Productiv’s Coventry-based facility, less than three months after they were initially designed.
Productiv is now also producing extensive quality documentation and reporting to enable series production of the final pump, once testing and validation are complete.
The pump will now be connected to the LIN cryogenic tank for validation and testing. The tank was manufactured by Wessington Cryogenics, another project partner.
Productiv project leader Matt Hardwick commented, “This is a significant project, not just in reducing vehicle emissions, but in reducing the cost and energy needed to cool large vehicles.”
“It’s a superb example of how our expertise is making a positive difference to cleantech developments – not just in transportation, but across sectors such as energy production and storage as well.”
Additional partners in the CEMZEP project include: Loughborough University, Air Products plc, and Hubbard Products Ltd. It is scheduled for completion in July 2019.