Engineering news
Sainsbury’s has become the first company in the world to introduce a refrigerated truck cooled by a liquid nitrogen powered engine, which will eliminate all emissions associated with refrigeration.
The zero-emission cooling unit – supplied by cooling technology specialists Dearman and its partners Hubbard Products (refrigeration systems), Air Products (liquid nitrogen supply and infrastructure), Dawsonrentals (the trial vehicle) and Solomon Commercial (the creation of the refrigerated vehicle) – harnesses the rapid expansion of liquid nitrogen to deliver zero-emission power and cooling.
The system is being trialled on an 18-tonne truck, but can go as big as necessary, and could be used on the largest 44-tonne vehicles.
The truck will operate from Sainsbury’s Waltham Point depot, delivering chilled goods to stores in the London area. The trial is due to start imminently, initially doing test and validation runs, alongside training the drivers. It will begin to collect data when it starts carrying groceries.
The companies hope that during the three-month trial the vehicle will save up to 1.6 tonnes of carbon dioxide, 37kg of nitrogen oxides and 2kg of particulate matter, compared to a similar diesel system.
The new engine has also been designed with safety in mind. Liquid nitrogen is a non-flammable substance, which is used extensively in industry and food preparation and is transported safely on the UK’s road network.
Toby Peters, Dearman founder and chief executive, said: “Sainsbury’s is demonstrating real leadership by embracing cutting-edge British engineering that delivers performance alongside positive environmental impact. The first commercial deployment of Dearman’s zero-emission transport refrigeration system is a significant milestone for the company, for our technology and for our vision to make the world a cleaner, cooler place.
“Demand for cooling is increasing worldwide and new technologies are urgently needed to ensure that growth can be achieved sustainably. The Dearman system is one such technology, and alongside our partners, we’re proud to be debuting it with Sainsbury’s, a company renowned for their respect for the environment.”
Dearman told PE that a larger series of trials in the UK and Europe will be held later this year and it expects full manufacturing to begin from the second half of 2018.