“The future is eclectic not just electric”
The Cenex Low Carbon Vehicle event is a perfect showcase for the very latest low carbon vehicle innovations.
With manufacturers, suppliers, policy makers & Government bodies alike all gathered together for the two day event; it is an incredible opportunity to network & share innovation.
Inside the main halls, there was an audible thrum in the air, as people form all areas of the low carbon vehicle sector gathered to share their ideas, catch up with colleagues & make new connections.
Outside there were plenty of opportunities to test drive some of the latest low carbon vehicles & this year there was a broad spectrum covering electric & most notably hydrogen.
This year the LCV event saw a lot of interest from the electrification mobility sector, with plenty of two & four wheeled examples of the latest EV offerings from manufacturers such as Ford, Toyota & Landrover.
The Government Pavillion which showcased an “ ‘ecosystem’ of Government support for transport decarbonization” had representation from bodies such as Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles, Office for Zero Emission Vehicles, Department for International Trade, Advanced Propulsion Centre, Automotive Council, Innovate UK.
However, one of the buzz words for the entire event was how hydrogen could become a serious contender in the decarbonization of the transport sector. It was therefore refreshing to see representation from several truck & heavy-duty companies highlighting the benefits of hydrogen for the heavy-duty & off-highway sectors.
It was fitting then that this year the Dolphin N2 ThermoPower® Recuperated Split Cycle Engine demonstrator created such interest amongst attendees & on Wednesday in particular the Dolphin N2 stand was never quiet.
Some visitors to the stand were intrigued as to why what looks like a diesel engine on the outside was being showcased at a low carbon vehicle event & others knowing more about the thermopower® technology already; wanted to make connections & discuss more about the way the technology can support the decarbonization of the heavy-duty & off-highway sector.
One of the things a lot of visitors were unaware of is the validation of the Dolphin N2 technology in a practical format.
The ThermoPower® / CryoPower® system itself was first validated using a single cylinder Titan engine with recuperator (the “hot half”), to study low emissions behaviour; since the end of 2020, a multi-cylinder “mule” prototype has been running to validate the whole cycle and develop durable solutions to key systems. (1)
On Thursday CEO Simon Brewster was visited by Bob Dover, Chair of the Advanced Propulsion Centre & Neville Jackson, Non-Executive Director of the Advanced Propulsion Centre.
The level of interest in how the recuperated split cycle engine technology is now not only hydrogen ready but can also run on other eFuels such as methane; were subjects of great interest to many attendees & by the time it was midday on Thursday 8th September, there was a tangible shift in attitude toward the inherent challenges the decarbonization of the heavy-duty, off-highway & marine sectors.
Some of the other companies highlighting the need for flexibility in the heavy-duty/off-highway sectors were Ballards with their Hydrogen Fuel Cell refuse truck, CMB.Tech with their heavy-duty hydrogen fueled cab & Genset, ELECTRA & their hydrogen fuel-cell powered truck & TEVVA fuel cell technologies.
All of these vehicles were a welcome sight at LCV as the heavy-duty sector is still more challenging to decarbonize than passenger & light vehicle & therefore highlighting the needs of this sector at such an event as LCV reaches the right influencers in the low carbon vehicle space.
To find out more about the ThermoPower® Recuperated Split Cycle Engine from Dolphin N2 please follow the link https://dolphin-n2.com/technology/
Written by Katy-Jane Mason for & on behalf of Dolphin N2
- https://dolphin-n2.com/technology/
