The planned expansion, which will more than double the size of the Dearman Technology Centre, will allow the company to assemble an increasing number of engines and refrigeration systems to support this expanded trial program. It will also enable the company to integrate its technology onto vehicles and conduct whole system testing on site.

The extended facility will also provide more space to house Dearman’s advanced technology program, which is developing further applications of the Dearman Engine for use in transport, logistics and the built environment.

Dearman’s technology uniquely harnesses liquid air to deliver zero-emission power and cooling. The Dearman Engine is the basis for a suite of zero-emission power and cooling technologies being developed by the company, which have applications across transport and the built environment.

The Dearman Engine operates by the vaporization and expansion of cryogenic fluids. Ambient or low grade waste heat is used as an energy source with the cryogen providing both the working fluid and heat sink. The Dearman Engine process involves the heat being introduced to the cryogenic fluid through direct contact heat exchange with a heat exchange fluid (HEF) inside the engine.

The Dearman transport refrigeration system incorporates the best of cryogenic refrigeration systems, coupled with a Dearman Engine for extra efficiency and a vapor compression refrigeration cycle for extra performance. The Dearman system can deliver rapid pull down rates and high cooling capacity. It is 50% more efficient in producing cooling compared to systems that rely on evaporation alone, and generates its own power to run ancillary systems.

Replacing a conventional diesel-powered refrigeration unit with a Dearman system can reduce a truck’s overall engine PM emissions by more than 90% and NO_x emissions by more than 70%.

At the same time, Dearman’s high-efficiency system can deliver significant reductions in CO₂ and prevent the need for vehicle idling.