MHW Magazine News and stories from the Materials Handling Industry
Norbert Dentressangle has revealed that it is one of six companies taking part in a field trial of a pioneering LPG combustion enhancement system which could improve mpg and reduce CO2 emissions by more than 15%.
Developed by vehicle monitoring equipment supplier, Btrack, the system – branded EASI-LPG – has attracted £92,000 ‘proof of concept’ co-funding from the UK’s innovation agency, the Technology Strategy Board, in order to evaluate the potential for a highly cost-effective control system to manage the amount of a second fuel added to the air intake of a diesel engine.
Unlike typical ‘dual fuel’ diesel/LPG systems, EASI-LPG uses only small amounts of LPG to enhance the combustion of the diesel and increase energy release and is being referred to as an ‘LPG enhancement’ system. According to leading fuel efficiency consultant, Dr Michael Coyle, who has invested in the development of the system, a single tank containing 45kg of LPG is sufficient for a week’s operation of a typical truck and is expected to deliver a 20% increase in torque, translating into an overall fuel economy improvement of at least 15.5%. CO2 savings are expected to be in line with the fuel savings, with even greater reductions in particulates and NOx.
The system is being fitted to one of Norbert Dentressangle’s 18 tonne Renault Premium rigids with automatic transmission, one of six vehicles taking part in a six month ‘in-service’ trial which will test the system under real operational conditions.
Norbert Dentressangle already owns Europe’s cleanest fleet, with 95% of its trucks meeting Euro IV and V standards and was the first company to take delivery of a Euro VI vehicle. The company already operates a number of diesel-electric hybrid vehicles, both in the UK and in mainland Europe and continues to invest in technical and operational solutions which optimise vehicle capacity and utilisation, e.g., double-deck trailers, longer semi-trailers, composite tankers and aluminium semi-trailers, and works closely with customers to measure the carbon footprints of their transport operations, using its Bureau Veritas certified CO2 emissions calculator.
