Developer of Syngas-Based Emissions Reduction System Closes $15.4 Million Investment Round; Picks Up Japanese Automaker as Investor
30 October 2008
 |
| NxtGen Syngas Diesel Aftertreatment System. NxtGen components are in blue. Click to enlarge. |
NxtGen Emission Controls Inc., the developer of a syngas-based diesel emission reduction system (earlier post) has closed a US$15.4 million Series B investment led by Altira Group LLC.
The investment was led by Altira from its US$176 million Altira Technology V Fund L.P. Other new investors in the financing include the corporate venture capital arm of a major Japanese automobile company and ITOCHU Corporation, a major international trading company with headquarters in Tokyo, Japan. ITOCHU will distribute NxtGen’s products in Japanese and Asian markets. Current investors participated in the financing, including Yaletown Venture Partners, GrowthWorks Capital, BC Advantage Funds and Polygon Financial Investments.
The NxtGen system uses a small, non-catalytic, partial oxidation (POX) reformer to produce syngas—a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide—from engine exhaust and diesel fuel. The syngas is then used to regenerate a lean NOx trap (LNT) by converting trapped NOx into nitrogen and water. Syngas also enables active diesel particulate filter (DPF) regeneration through combustion at lower temperatures than diesel fuel, resulting in lower fuel consumption.
NxtGen’s system enables a 50% reduction in platinum group metals costs for the catalytic filters now being implemented to reduce diesel engine emissions and avoids the cost and complexity of Urea-SCR technology.
When retrofitted onto existing trucks, NxtGen’s system is expected to reduce particulate emissions by 85% and NOx emissions by 65%. The syngas technology also has the potential to enable manufacturers to increase fuel economy by reducing fuel requirements for regeneration of diesel particulate filters, according to the company.
The new funds will be used to commercialize NxtGen’s first products for retrofit diesel emission reduction systems for on-road and off-road vehicles, and to complete development of advanced emissions and combustion optimization systems for original equipment manufacturers in North America, Asia and Europe.
Each technology leading us to clean energy and less greenhouse emissions is great. Did you know about the newest real world-changing technology making batteries work for 20 year without recharging? Feel free to visit our post: http://www.sikantisearth.com/earth/?p=232
Posted by: sikantis | 30 October 2008 at 03:32 PM
The partial recycling of exhaust to make syngas is a good idea and recovers much of the energy ordinarily lost in making syngas. The syngas can also be used at high temperature since it does not need to be cooled first. CO2 in the exhaust is combined with carbon of the diesel to form gas CO. H2O in the exhaust is also combined with carbon in the diesel to make CO and H2. Oxygen from the air is combined with the carbon of the diesel to produce the heat required for the reaction and more CO gas. Exhaust recycling was used in a charcoal or wood burning car during WWII. ..HG..
Posted by: Henry Gibson | 06 November 2008 at 02:43 PM