About Us

Dolphin N2
  • Innovate project “StepCo2″consortium of UK manufacturers and universities was formed in 2017 and led by Ricardo PLC to develop the split cycle technology and to produce a demonstration engine.
  • Dolphin-N2 was created internally in Ricardo as a separate group
  • Dolphin N2 is purchased by FPT Industrial in December 2019 and takes the lead in StepCo2 project.
  • Dolphin N2 develops the technology for first scale demonstration in 2020, and forms a further APC grant funded consortium to showcase hydrogen capability.
Technology
Dolphin is developing three variants of split cycle technology:

  • CryoPower®; which includes liquid Nitrogen injection in the compressor
  • ThermoPower®; which includes Water injection in the compressor
  • ThermoPower® will be the first technology to be introduced for road transport and power generation.
Status
  • June 2021: Engine running on hydrogen
  • December 2020: first full-scale demonstration
  • August 2020: Awarded APC ARMD grant
  • December 2019: acquired by FPT Industrial
  • January 2018: Proof of concept for combustion system using single cylinder engine at University of Brighton

Dolphin N2 was created by Ricardo PLC to continue the development of the Split cycle engine. The name “Dolphin” is taken from the first engine developed and produced by Sir Harry Ricardo, the popularity of which laid the foundations of Ricardo PLC.

In December 2019 Fiat Powertrain limited purchased Dolphin N2 to support the development.

The split cycle engine has the potential to reduce fossil fuel use by up to 30% whilst simultaneously reducing air pollutants to below any future planned legislation.

The concept is covered by 8 international patents and a single cylinder proof of concept engine has been running in Brighton University on an Innovate UK programme to reduce carbon emissions from heavy transport.

Simon Brewster

CEO Dolphin N2

Simon Brewster gained a First in Automotive Engineering from Loughborough University in 1992. Since then, he has forged a career as a commercially focused general manager & gained extensive international experience in start-up of innovative technologies, products & teams, through to successful market and B2B business creation.

Simon has a track record of managing full life-cycle product strategies and development within vehicle OEMs, suppliers and consultancies.

Having joined Ricardo PLC in 2011 as a Chief Engineer, Simon has seen several roles including: Head of Industrial & Large Engines, Director Industrial Engines, Director Industrial & Defence before heading up the team with Dolphin N2 in 2017.

Simon’s role as CEO at Dolphin N2 allows him to establish Dolphin N2 & the CryoPower de-carbonizing technologies, amongst global heavy-duty transport, power generation & energy companies.

Nick Owen

Technical Director Dolphin N2

Nick is Technical Director at Dolphin N2, where he is responsible for development of the innovative, Hydrogen-fuelled Recuperated Split Cycle Engine.

He previously led programs on advanced engines, hydrogen and electrification at Ricardo and E4tech, and developed a zero emission power unit for mobile refrigeration at Dearman.

He joined Dolphin N2 in 2018.

Joelle Timperley

Finance Director Dolphin N2

Joelle Timperley obtained a BA Hons in Business and Finance in 1998 and after leaving university embarked on a successful career in finance spanning a variety of industries . Continuing success and experience followed with roles at major corporates such as Granada PLC, Veolia PLC and General Atlantic Group, culminating in her most recent role as a Finance and Operations Director in the HVAC arena.

As the sole UK board member of a large multinational company, she was instrumental in the defining of strategic direction of the company, taking them into new markets and diversifying their portfolio. This was all achieved whilst also managing finance, engineering operations, IT and HR teams.

Joelle joined Dolphin N2 in late 2019 as Finance Director, becoming part of the senior leadership team. She is responsible for all aspects of the company's finances including developing a financial strategy to support the company's objectives.

Benjamin West

Operations Manager Dolphin N2

Benjamin West gained a BEng from Loughborough Engineering in 1996 & an MBA in International Business Strategy in 2007. Since leaving university, Benjamin has worked for some of the industry giants in engineering excellence including the role of Senior Development Engineer at Rolls Royce, Principal Development Engineer at MAN Diesel and turbo, Global Commercial manager at Sulzer Metco and Product Engineering Manager at Delphi Technologies.

A successful business man in his own right, Benjamin West brings a wealth of business expertise with a solid engineering background, to the Dolphin N2 team.

Benjamin has recruited, coached & managed effective international sales and technical teams. As a strong negotiator, Benjamin is also confident conducting business and technical discussions in French and German to build solid commercial relationships and key accounts.

Rhys Pickett

Chief Engineer Dolphin N2

Rhys Pickett studied at the University of Exeter & received a Master of Engineering, Mechanical Engineering in 2008. After leaving university, Rhys joined Ricardo PLC in 2008 & has undertaken a progressive series of roles, including: Project Engineer, Performance & Calibration, Project Engineer - Engine Performance Development, Senior Project Engineer - Ricardo Innovations & Senior Project Engineer - Disruptive Technologies, Ricardo Innovations.

Rhys joined the Dolphin N2 team with a keen understanding of the technologies for the split cycle CryoPower engine & has been instrumental in collaborating with The University of Brighton in the building & testing of the cryo rig.

Paolo Ortolani

Chief Design Engineer Dolphin N2

Paolo Ortolani studied Mechanical Engineering at Alma Mater Studiorum University in Bologna. He is a Licensed Engineer for the industrial sector and in 1998, after a freelance period, he joined a large Italian company in the R&D engine division where he gained further competences in powertrain design, analysis and simulation and project management.
Paolo was formerly Chief Engineer in Ricardo Engine Product Group, he also covered different roles such as: Project Leader, Technical Customer Interface, Coordinator of a dedicated team for projects, Technical Authority.
He has an extensive experience in heavy duty engine design spanning 21 years. Moreover, he has led a numbers of new design project from “clean sheet to production” for global application on HD/LD propulsion, high performance engine, motorcycle, including innovative solutions for CO2 reduction.
He is now leading the prototype design studies at Dolphin N2.

Fabrizio Treccarichi

Systems Simulation Engineer Dolphin N2

Fabrizio gained a First Class Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Universita de Catania in 2015. Fabrizio is currently undertaking a Master of Science (MSc) in Racing Engine Design engineering at Oxford Brookes University.

Fabrizio joined Ricardo UK Ltd in September 2018 as the Systems Simulation Engineer for Dolphin N2.

Paul Metcalf

Consultant Project Engineer Dolphin N2

Paul received a 1st in Mechanical Engineering, Master of Engineering (MEng) from the University of Liverpool in 2007. He then went on to complete a Master of Philosophy, Mechanical Engineering (MPhil) in 2012.

Paul joined Energetix Group Plc as a Graduate Development Engineer in 2007, advancing to Development Engineer in 2009. He then went on to join Flow Group Plc as Lead Development Engineer in 2010 & subsequently Development Engineering Manager in 2012.

Paul moved to Dearman in 2014 as Head of Applications, where he developed commercial applications in automotive markets for the Dearman Engine, a novel zero-emission engine that delivers cost and performance benefits for users requiring cooling and power.

In January 2018, Paul founded Cloudforest Technologies, an engineering consultancy specialising in technology development and commercialisation through the use of computer-aided design, engineering and data analysis tools.

Paul has a wealth of specific industry knowledge & expertise and is supporting the Dolphin N2 team with Project Engineering and consultancy services.

Chris Skoyles

Design Engineer Dolphin N2

Chris graduated from Coventry university with a BEng in Motorsport Engineering & an MSc in Motorsport Engineering.

Chris started his career as a design engineer at GE Precision in Northampton, before moving to Mahle Powertrain in 2011 where he held Design Engineer & Senior design Engineer roles until November 2020. During this time Chris worked on different areas of internal combustion engine design & also on electrification projects.

Chris joined Dolphin N2 in February as a Design Engineer, providing design support for the existing technology demonstrators.

Helena Parrott

Executive VA & Business support Dolphin N2

Helena Parrott, VA/Director of Virtually Smart Ltd brings a wealth of business management skills & processes to the Dolphin N2 team. With over 20 years executive support experience, Helena has a track record of supporting senior leaders & providing operational support to ensure efficient delivery of business activities within a range of sectors including engineering, technical consultancies, local government and finance.

Helena Parrott's business acumen & expertise in analysing & improving businesses & business processes, allows her to support the Dolphin N2, whilst also making recommendations for streamlining work flow & supporting process re-engineering to improve operational efficiency.

Helena joined Ricardo PLC in 2016 supporting the MD & leadership team with operational business support & business & strategic planning. Helena joined the Dolphin N2 team as a VA & has been supporting the team with their day to day business operations, administrative expertise & executive support solutions.

Katy-Jane Mason

Social Media & Content Manager Dolphin N2

Katy studied BA English with Art at The University of Chichester & gained her PGCE Secondary in English in 2010. Having worked in a variety of roles after graduating in 1995, Katy-Jane came to English Secondary teaching in 2009/10.

After just over 8 years teaching English in secondary schools, Katy-Jane moved away from the classroom & found herself working with her partner in their business & supporting Helena Parrott VA/Director of Virtually Smart Ltd.

Having always been a keen writer & with an excellent grasp of language & grammar; Katy-Jane now supports companies, including Dolphin N2, with their media dissemination, blogging, content & business support needs.

Colin Bennett

Chief Engineer Dolphin N2

Colin gained a First Class degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Surrey in 1989, and was awarded a PhD from the University of Sussex in 2014. Joining Ricardo as a graduate he specialised in control of Noise, Vibration and Harshness, becoming Global Technical Specialist for NVH with a broad experience of internal combustion engine design, development and simulation spanning 2-stroke two wheelers to stationary power generation machinery. He maintains a strong interest in mechanical and fluid dynamics.

More recently Colin has held Technical Lead and Chief Engineer roles with a number of automotive and clean energy companies, ranging from Formula 1 powertrain, through solid oxide and PEM fuel cells to zero emissions transport refrigeration - all involving novel technologies, challenging timescales and start-up business environments. He particularly relishes the journey from Technology Readiness Level 2/3 towards 6/7, steering a concept through to proven prototype.

James McCartney

Test & Development Engineer Dolphin N2

James McCartney graduated from Loughborough University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering in 2000. He joined Ricardo on their graduate scheme and over the following 12 years worked on a wide variety of projects including technology demonstrators, aftertreatment control software development and engine calibration for production applications.

In 2013 James joined Jaguar Land Rover where he led a team of engineers responsible for emissions, noise and fuel consumption on the new Ingenium 4-cylinder engine. His role included day-to-day management of his team, hands on calibration in test cells and support to climatic development trips. When the engine entered production in 2015, he returned to Ricardo as a Chief Engineer in Engine Performance Development.

During this period he led a variety of projects and managed Ricardo’s vehicle and engine benchmarking activities. 2017 saw a return to Jaguar Land Rover to develop the next generation Ingenium engine for the 2021 model year vehicles and Eu6d final emissions.

James joined the Dolphin N2 team in October 2020 and he is looking forward to taking the Dolphin N2 engine through to production.

Simon Harvey

Development Engineer Dolphin N2

Simon is an Engineering Doctorate candidate & graduate from the University of Brighton. He received a Master of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering with first-class honours in 2017.

After his master’s degree, he started an Engineering Doctorate investigating the inlet & combustion dynamics in the Recuperated Split Cycle Engine. This involved work on the single cylinder proof of concept engine at the University of Brighton in collaboration with Ricardo UK & Dolphin N2.

With a keen interest in automotive engineering, Simon pursued & completed automotive based projects throughout his academic studies. Designing the drivetrain for the University’s first Formula Student car in his third year, before leading the University’s Formula Student team to their first Silverstone competition in his master’s year.

For his master’s team project, Simon successfully designed a battery pack for a high voltage electric motorcycle for a Brighton based start-up. During his doctorate, he took on a part time role as Chief Technical Advisor in the University’s Formula Student academic coordination team.

In January 2022, Simon joined Dolphin N2 as a development engineer & is looking forward to seeing the advancement & real-world implementation of split cycle technology.

Daniel Robb

Systems Engineer Dolphin N2

Daniel Robb graduated from Coventry University with First Class in Automotive Engineering in 2013.

After completing a successful initial industrial year as part of the degree programme, he continued working in a professional capacity within the Mechanical Development function at Cummins Inc. Daventry. His role within Cummins expanded when he moved into a Mechanical Integration role, responsible for the integrity of mechanical system development at the engine programme level.

Having gained a solid foundation in the practice of engineering from 5+ years at Cummins, he moved back into a hands-on role at Mahle Powertrain, characterising and assessing mechanical system behaviour and performance.

He joined Dolphin N2 with the prospect of utilising and building upon those established skillsets as applied in the development of mechanical systems capable of delivering this new and ground-breaking technology.

Guy Rogers

Systems Engineer Dolphin N2

Guy studied Mechanical & Production Engineering whilst employed developing & commissioning hydraulic systems specific to subsea well-head control as well as civilian and military avionics.

The general demise of the North Sea oil business saw Guy transition his skills to automotive engineering & a move to Ricardo. This has provided Guy with more than 30 years practical experience in the automotive & wider engines technology industry covering a wide range of applications from small scooter engines through F1, truck & heavy duty to large powergen & locomotive applications.

More recently Guy has held Principal engineer roles leading multi-disciplined Systems & Design engineering teams providing new technology development from clean sheet design through to series production.

In this new era of alternative propulsion technologies & climate consciousness, Guy is excited with the innovation & challenges which Dolphin N2 is bringing to this arena & the solutions they will deliver.

Gilbert Sammut

Simulation Engineer Dolphin N2

Gilbert Sammut has 23 years automotive experience & prior to joining the Dolphin N2 team he worked for one supplier & three OEMs, 16 years of which in CAE Thermofluids.

After obtaining a Bachelors Degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Malta, he became a product designer at an automotive supplier. Later Gilbert moved to Michigan, USA as a customer liaison & local engineering support at Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, Michigan.

Gilbert subsequently obtained a Master's Degree in Automotive Engineering at Oakland University , followed by joining General Motors in Pontiac, Michigan to work on the Gen V Small Block V8 as a CAE 1D Engine Performance Prediction Simulation Analyst.

Moving back to Europe, Gilbert joined DAF trucks in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, transitioning from passenger car petrol engines to heavy duty diesel truck engines as a Thermofluids Analyst in base engine / advanced engineering group .

Having moved to the UK, Gilbert worked as a Thermofluids CAE analyst at Jaguar Land Rover in Whitley. This last position was in engine performance prediction focusing more on in-cylinder phenomena & combustion of passenger car diesel engines, later providing Real Time running engine models for engine calibration.

Gary Kite

Business Systems Integration Support Dolphin N2

Gary completed a HND in Mechanical & Production Engineering at Farnborough College of Technology whilst serving his apprenticeship with the National Gas Turbine Establishment (NGTE Pyestock) in 1982.

Since then, Gary has gone on to become a business systems specialist. Gary has developed his design & manufacturing experience working in the fields of Aeronautical, Power Transmission, Scientific Instruments & Motorsport for companies in such as Xtrac, Mclaren & Marshal Aerospace.

An expert in manufacturing ERP, CRM & PLM systems, Gary has successfully implemented, developed, maintained customer & data centric business systems utilizing requirements gathering, programming, data management, process improvement techniques, training & project management.

Gary is supporting the Dolphin N2 team with the implementation of key systems that will transform the effectiveness, efficiency & quality of the business whilst reducing its risks.

Andrew Roddham

Chief Engineer Dolphin N2

Andrew studied mechanical engineering at the University of Bradford, graduating in 1986. He then joined Paxman Diesels as a designer & applications engineer. In that role he designed & oversaw the commissioning of several marine & rail traction engine installations.

Moving to the Paxman Design Office, Andrew was one of the small team which designed the Paxman VP185 engine, an advanced high speed diesel engine which is still in production almost 30 years later!

Andrew moved to Perkins engines as a mechanical development engineer. He remained with Perkins & its parent company Caterpillar for almost 20 years, working in all areas of engine testing & development & in various technical management positions.

Before leaving Caterpillar, Andrew had spent 2 years in China working to set up a remanufacturing factory, had led the development of the Perkins 400C product range & led the team developing Perkins’s & Caterpillar’s first exhaust aftertreatment products.

Leaving Caterpillar in 2012, Andrew worked as Chief Programmes Engineer for Productiv, a technology developer incubator; Chief Engineer – Product Development at Dearman - a company developing an innovative liquid nitrogen powered engine & subsequently as a Technical Business Manager at Ricardo, a well-known automotive consultancy.

Andrew also set up WCL Engineering in 2015, an engineering consultancy specialising in technology & product development.

Andrew joined Dolphin N2 in 2020 as a consultant engineer, supporting the productionising of this innovative technology.

Nathan Tars

Programme Manager

Nathan Tars gained a First in Automotive Engineering From the University of Huddersfield in 2008 and has forged an An accomplished career in the aerospace sector, developing & leading M&E teams; end-to-end program implementation and project management, SME in technology development program implementation, strategically advancing manufacturing technologies while producing operational improvements and substantial business growth, internationally.

Nathan has a documented track record of complete cradle to grave program execution, from initial concept into serial production while simultaneously developing new and pioneering technologies along the way. Delivering certification and worthiness to said technologies, responsible for the end to end program, budget, procurement and team expansion and development, Nathan has been pivotal in many major aero programmes and brings this extensive technical, engineering and program knowledge and experience to Dolphin N2 in Q3 of 2022.

Dr. Kumara Gurubaran Ramaswamy

Simulation Engineer, Dolphin N2

Dr. Kumara Gurubaran Ramaswamy is a very enthusiastic & highly academic engineer with MS by Research (2005) & a PhD in Aerospace Engineering (2009) from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, India.

He obtained a Marie-Curie European Fellowship to work on Engine Efficiency at Shell Global Solution, UK & was first in the world to demonstrate a generic multi cylinder diesel engine running on a gasoline fuel in a Gasoline Compression Ignition mode of combustion.

Dr. Kumara Gurubaran Ramaswamy moved to Imperial College London, UK in 2012 as an Experience Research Fellow & was instrumental in setting bespoke test facilities (Constant volume combustion vessel, Optical engine and synthetic EGR, and Super charger system)& investigation of condensate formation in low pressure EGR system.

In 2017, he moved to SAIC UK Technical Centre as a core member of staff with his own specialised area of combustion chamber thermal management & bespoke powertrain control system development for Advance Engines –Powertrain Technology team.

Dr. Kumara Gurubaran Ramaswamy led & successfully delivered the project from initial conception to final system integration into powertrain.

In 2019, Dr. Kumara Gurubaran Ramaswamy lead the Virtual Calibration activities for Perkins medium engine platforms & was responsible for the development of tools, methodologies & performance system integration of the medium engine platform.

Mario Borromeo

Purchasing & Stores Support, Dolphin N2

Having worked within the engineering industry over the last 30+ years, Mario has extensive experience in a wide range of roles, including Production Management and Supply Chain Management.

In Mario's previous employment the company manufactured precision-machined components for the Medical, Aerospace and Oil & Gas Industries. My main responsibilities were to manage a team to strategically procure all items, to facilitate the engineering of these specialised components. This would include the requirement to subcontract processes (including material) where required, to ensure the timeliest and cost-effective outcome.

Something that motivates Mario is the chance to build positive and prosperous working relationships with my colleagues and suppliers alike.

The opportunity to explore a new challenge with Dolphin-N2 provides a new, exciting motivation.

Are you passionate about the environment and want to make a real change to emissions from transport?  Do you enjoy working in a team and developing new solutions?  The Dolphin N2 team is growing and some of our current open positions are here.  Click on each icon to discover more. If you are interested then please forward an e-mail with your CV and a covering letter to [email protected]

Open Positions