New analysis by Dearman, the clean cold technology company, has indicated that zero-emission transport refrigeration systems could cut overall engine pollution from refrigerated vehicles by up to 93% and have a major impact on air quality.
Refrigeration systems on trucks are typically powered by an auxiliary diesel engine. Poorly regulated, these small secondary engines can emit up to six times the NOx and 29 times the particulate matter of a truck’s Euro6 propulsion engine.
The findings of Dearman’s research indicate that equipping a Euro6-standard 17-tonne rigid body truck with a zero-emission refrigeration system, as opposed to a diesel-powered unit, would cut the vehicle’s overall engine emissions of particulate matter by 93%, and reduce NOx emissions by 73%.
Replacing the UK’s fleet of diesel powered transport refrigeration units with zero-emission alternatives could save the same amount of particulate matter as taking approximately 5.5 million diesel cars off the road.
A study released last year found that pollution from transport refrigeration could cost European Union countries €22 billion over the next decade, as the EU refrigerated road vehicle fleet grows to almost 1.2 million by 2025. If nothing is done, the environmental and health impacts of emissions of CO2, HFCs, NOx and PM will impose an annual burden of more than €2.5 billion in 2025.
Toby Peters, Chief Executive of Dearman said: “Air pollution accounts for 400,000 premature deaths in Europe each year, so reducing emissions wherever possible has to be a priority. Companies have already invested billions into R&D to make truck and car engines significantly cleaner. But auxiliary engines, including transport refrigeration units, are lagging behind. By increasingly moving over to zero-emission alternatives, there is an opportunity to have a major environmental impact without forcing companies to change the way they operate. It could be a small change that makes a big difference.”
Dearman technology has the potential to be of significant benefit to operators of temperature-controlled vehicles, and the environments in which they operate. The Dearman zero-emission refrigeration system is a like-for-like replacement that can be cheaper to run than a diesel system and can meet the high operational standards that the industry requires – while being both clean and quiet.
The Dearman transport refrigeration system is powered by the expansion of liquid nitrogen. Unlike conventional transport refrigeration units, many of which are able to use subsidised diesel in operation, the Dearman system emits no NOx, no PM, or other pollutants associated with combustion. The system also offers real CO2 savings over its lifetime and will enable operators to address a large proportion of their fleet’s emissions without having to change the way their fleets function.
The Dearman transport refrigeration system is undergoing final closed-road testing ahead of commercial deployment in field trials.
Source:
www.dearman.co.uk