CryoPower

Circular economy. Where do CryoPower technologies fathom in this globally cyclic business model?

By December 24, 2018 No Comments

In a week (WC 17.12.18) which saw Environment Secretary Michael Gove launch the ‘Resources & Waste strategy’ published by DEFRA & the Environment Agency, one very clear message is evident; a circular economy as a business model, is the way our economy can become self-sustaining & design waste out of our manufacturing systems.

In days gone by & in particular in the wake of both World Wars, the ‘make do & mend’ generations were born. Global manufacturing of day-to-day items, was nowhere near as prolific as in the modern era & therefore if something broke or was beginning to show signs of wear & tear, it was mended, repaired & re-used.

The ‘disposable’ mentality of modern generations has gone a long way to causing considerable damage to Earths eco-system, with products such as plastics clogging up the oceans & non-recyclable’s being committed to vast land fill sites. However, the blame can not be solely laid at the Individuals feet. Manufacturers have over the years embraced vast volumes of manufacturing for maximum profit & the materials used having being new, innovative & cost effective in the past; came with little or no knowledge about the impact these materials could have on the environment & the global economies now.

The ‘Resources & Waste strategy’ intentions are to reverse this ‘disposable’ mentality & seek to enable a ‘Circular Economy’ to be rolled out. The current linear economy model currently sees us take natural resources from the ground, process them into something else & ultimately throw them away. A ‘Circular Economy’ see’s the regenerative processing of a deliberately built economy, whereby technical & biological cycles are built in a cyclic way; thus enabling manufacturing & processing products to ultimately be re-used & regenerated.

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation has been spearheading the ‘Circular Economy’ model across cities, engaging with Governments, businesses & academics with the ideology being based thus:

‘Looking beyond the current take-make-dispose extractive industrial model, a circular economy aims to redefine growth, focusing on positive society-wide benefits. It entails gradually decoupling economic activity from the consumption of finite resources and designing waste out of the system. Underpinned by a transition to renewable energy sources, the circular model builds economic, natural, and social capital. It is based on three principles:

  • Design out waste and pollution
  • Keep products and materials in use
  • Regenerate natural systems’ (1)

The foundation distinguishes the regenerative model in to two distinct cycles. The ‘technical cycle’ seeks to ‘recover and restore products, components, and materials through strategies like reuse, repair, remanufacture or (in the last resort) recycling.’ (2) The biological cycle sees food & biological based materials fed back into the system, through composting & anaerobic digestion.

With this in mind, one considers the ways in which the Dolphin N2 CryoPower engine fits into the ‘Circular Economy’ model.

The CryoPower split cycle patented engine designed by Ricardo & now being developed by spin off Dolphin N2, utilizes a key by-product of manufacturing; Liquid Nitrogen.

Liquid Nitrogen is obtained at air separation plants which liquefy & distil air into its constituent parts: nitrogen, oxygen and argon. (3) As a naturally occurring by-product of the oxygenation manufacturing process, Liquid Nitrogen is re-used widely in medical applications, food production & storage facilities.  Therefore, the way in which the CryoPower system for the Dolphin N2 split cycle engine utilizes the Liquid Nitrogen, directly reflects the model of the ‘Circular Economy’ with the re-use of & regeneration of Liquid Nitrogen in to another product; which in this case, is a critical contributor to the reduction of Co2 emissions in heavy duty transportation & energy storage solutions.

‘CryoPower and ThermoPower are Recuperated Split Cycle Engines. The revolutionary step is to separate the “cold” and “hot” parts of the traditional internal combustion engine. A first set of cylinders draw in air and compresses it – in the CryoPower version, Liquid Nitrogen is injected to keep this process cool for maximum efficiency; the simpler ThermoPower omits it. Then the compressed air passes through a recuperator, where the engine’s exhaust heats it up – saving fuel which normally has to do this. The air now passes to the second, hot cylinder set, which are thoroughly insulated – infeasible in a normal ICE where the same cylinder handles hot and cold processes. (4)

‘The Liquid Nitrogen is already sustainable, as air-separation is a major player in electricity “demand-side management“; as use of renewables rise, it has been shown to be an attractive way of balancing the grid.  ‘(4)

The ‘Resources and waste strategy’ seeks to overhaul the ways in which the United Kingdom manufacture, re-use & regenerate. The Government pledge to ensure this happens is reflected in their 25 Year Environment Plan, in addition to the infrastructure laid out in the Clean Growth Strategy. The Prime Minister Theresa May says in her introduction that the United Kingdom will, as part of the 25 Year Environment Plan focus on:

  • using our land more sustainably and creating new habitats for wildlife, including by planting more trees,
  • tackling the scourge of waste plastic
  • making the most of emerging technologies, we can build a cleaner, greener country and reap the economic rewards of the clean growth revolution. (5)

With the acknowledgement of the effectiveness of a ‘Circular Economy’ being recognized in the DEFRA & Environment Agency publication, there certainly does seem to be, as one generic quote recently recognized “the whole clock is moving in the direction of enlightenment” true belief that we are making the right choices for Earths future.

Written by Katy-Jane Mason on behalf of Dolphin N2.

Nick Owen, Technical Director, Dolphin N2 Ltd: [email protected]; +44 (0)7710 052 680

  • https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/693158/25-year-environment-plan.pdf