Dearman Engine Company - Zero Emission Vehicle Applications

该项目将为一种创新的零排放原动机提供市场证明，其液体燃料已经有了一个分销网络，并有潜力在吸收间歇性可再生能源方面发挥重要作用。Dearman热机使用低温液态空气或氮气作为“燃料”，并利用环境或低品位废热来驱动高效蒸发过程。作为原动力，它在使用中提供零排放，与EV相似的范围，与ICE相似的成本，快速（等于汽油/柴油）用液体加油，以及由于在其构造中使用普通材料而非常有利的嵌入式碳。利用非高峰期电力、电网缓冲以及与液化天然气蒸发的协同作用，为低温液化过程的脱碳提供了一条有前途的途径，使从井到轮的排放类似于未来的氢汽车。Dearman发动机的设计和开发正在投资者资助的一个平行项目中进行，该项目的目标是作为重型ICE的废热回收装置，使用低品位冷却剂热量。然而，Dearman发动机的热循环意味着热交换器中收集的环境热量足以实现合理的效率，引入了将其用作ZEV原动机的可能性。ZEV用于公共和私人交通的环境需求是众所周知的，尽管现有的解决方案没有实现高吸收，即使有补贴。然而，还有其他ZEV市场，其数量较低，价格较高，受运营需求的驱动，如室内货物处理和采矿，这将为更广泛的ZEV市场提供有吸引力的垫脚石。本研究将通过对每个市场中技术的商业案例进行技术经济分析，了解市场驱动因素和需求，对这些市场进行证明。将制定市场进入战略和商业计划，并考虑环境热交换器的具体要求。

This project will deliver a proof of market for an innovative zero-emission prime moverwhose liquid fuel already has a distribution network, and has potential for a significant role inabsorbing intermittent renewable energy.The Dearman heat-engine uses cryogenic liquid air or nitrogen as a “fuel”, and draws ambientor low-grade waste heat to drive a high-efficiency evaporation process. As a prime-mover, itoffers zero emissions in use, similar range to an EV, similar cost to an ICE, fast (equal topetrol/diesel) refuelling with a liquid, and very favourable embedded carbon due to use ofcommon materials in its construction. Use of off-peak electricity, grid buffering and synergywith evaporation of Liquid Natural Gas offers a promising route to de-carbonising the cryogenliquefaction process, giving well-to-wheel emissions similar to a future hydrogen vehicle.Design and development of the Dearman Engine is on-going in a parallel project funded byinvestors, which targets application as a waste heat recovery device for heavy duty ICEs,using low-grade coolant heat. However the Dearman Engine’s thermal cycle means thatambient heat harvested in a heat-exchanger is sufficient to achieve reasonable efficiency,introducing the possibility of using it as a ZEV prime mover.The environmental need for ZEVs for public and private transport is well known, althoughexisting solutions are not achieving high uptake, even with subsidies. However, there areother ZEV markets with lower volumes and higher price-points driven by operationalrequirements, like indoor goods handling and mining, which would provide an attractivestepping-stone to the wider ZEV market. This study will develop a proof of those markets,through techno-economic analysis of the business case for the technology in each market,understanding market drivers and needs. A market entry strategy and business plan will beproduced, and the specific requirements of the ambient heat exchanger will be considered.