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The world’s first Hydrogen hybrid sweeper will be unveiled at the Energy Event taking place at the NEC this month.
Stock Sweepers have been working in collaboration with Water Fuel Engineering to develop a low emission auxiliary engine, which powers the vehicle’s brushes and vacuum.
The WFE HydroGen 3.1 electrolyser works synergistically within the conventional diesel engine to introduce oxy-hydrogen gas into the combustion chamber. The richness of the mix reduces fuel consumption by at lest 15% and emissions by as much as 80%.
“We have all become accustomed to having clean streets in our towns and cities thanks to the huge improvements in Road sweepers in the last 10 years”, commented jeff Stock, MD of Stock Sweepers.
“However with this incredible modification to our latest generation of vehicles we really have made a ‘clean sweep’. With modern legislation, we need to be sure we don’t just leave the streets clean, but the air as well, and this vehicle can boast the lowest emissions of any Sweeper on the market”
The Sweeper will be officially launched at 11am on Wednesday 14th September on Stand 5Z150-ZZ151at the RWM “Energy Event.
Yull Brown was born in Bulgaria in 1922, and as an engineer went on to split water into oxy-hydrogen. His discovery about the properties of this unique yet plentiful gas, enabled him to create applications in welding and industrial heating, as well as showing that the gas could be used to power an internal combustion engine.
Water Fuel Engineering have helped to assemble the exhibition, using their experience in the field of Oxy-hydrogen technology to restore Yull Brown’s equipment and reassemble it in its original form.
On a recent trip to Bulgaria, our Marketing Director Phil Davies visited the exhibition in the beautiful Balkan capital.
“It’s very humbling to see the progress made by Yull Brown at a time when resources were very limited,” commented Phil. “Water Fuel Engineering could not have developed its HydroGen electrolyser without the pioneering work of Yull Brown. Our senior engineer, Dragomir Ivanov, is himself a dedicated Brown follower, and e has been able to pick up where Brown left off when he died in 1998.”
“Water Fuel is to Bulgaria what suspension bridges are to the English, and Yull Brown is their Isambard Kingdom Brunel !”
We endorsing the Committee on Climate Changes CCC proposal to limit emissions to 57% lower than 1990 levels between 2028 and 2032 at 1,725MtCO2e. The announcement coincided with the publication of the 2016 CCC Progress Report, which sets out the areas where policy should be developed and strengthened to meet statutory budgets.
The UK HFCA has been campaigning vigorously for an explicit hydrogen and fuel cell strategy which acknowledges the role that hydrogen and fuel cells can play across the energy system, and is pleased to see specific acknowledgement of this need within the Report. In highlighting the benefits that hydrogen and fuel cells bring to the decarbonisation of heat - both at the grid level and buildings sector - and the transport sector, the Report reinforces the importance of a whole systems approach, where synergies can be built upon and outcomes optimized.
Dennis Hayter, Chair of the UK HFCA said: “A holistic approach to decarbonisation, which includes hydrogen and fuel cells, as illustrated in the CCC’s Report, will help the UK to successfully and cost-effectively achieve its Carbon Budgets. We will continue to advocate for hydrogen, as a game-changing energy vector, and fuel cells, as energy conversion solutions, to ensure the realization of the low cost, low carbon and air quality benefits which they offer. In particular, our work with regional and related organisations, and Government and officials, are helping to shape a landscape and energy system where innovative low carbon UK companies can thrive and support economic growth.”
David Joffe, Team leader on Buildings and Industry at the Committee on Climate Change said: “Our annual progress report to Parliament, published last week, emphasises the need for new policies and strengthening of existing ones in order to meet future carbon budgets. Hydrogen and fuel cells could play an important role in meeting future emissions targets across a range of sectors, but will require a strategic approach to decarbonisation from the Government in their emissions reduction plan later this year.”
There is broad recognition that DPFs are not the cure to all the issues connected with emissions and that pre-combustion retrofit technology should play a part in improving fuel efficiency and reducing harmful emisisons.
OLEV are inviting bids from Technology and Engineering companies who specialise in devices that can be installed on current vehicles without the need to purchase new ones.
Speaking for the LoCity team, Venn Chesterton said; "We are held back by out-of-date legislation which is failing to keep pace with emerging technology. We are Eager for trials and demonstrations of new technology to take place”
Andy Eastlake of the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership concurred, saying, “Many small companies are prevented from receiving accreditation by the heavy burden of test costs on are being discouraged by testing procedures which are inconsistent
The Launch event on Thursday 14th July in Solihull will open doors for companies such as Water Fuel Engineering, so that tried and tested technology can be appreciated by the authorities as well as the operators.
Anyone interested in finding out more can visit the website : https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/low-carbon-commercial-vehicle-demonstration-competition-networking-consortia-building-event-tickets-25475578140
Transport for London Commissioner, Mike Brown, said “We need to be focussing on retrofit options should these become available” and Venn Chesterton of the LoCity team agreed that retro-fit options for “white van drivers” were essential if we are to get them to invest in low carbon technologies as they are not able to all go out and simply buy hydrogen vehicles worth £65,000.
“We are held back by out-of-date legislation which is failing to keep pace with emerging technology”, continued Venn. "There are legislative barriers to some alternatively fuelled HGVs. There still appears to be a lack of confidence in alternative fuelled vehicles and OLEV can expect to be lobbied so that they become more imaginative on the legislation”.
Oliver Chadwick of OLEV confirmed that £11m of funding will be made available and spoke about “Low Carbon Truck Trials and Funding opportunities” for alternative technologies that could reduce emissions and reduce fuel consumption.
It was acknowledged that Scotland has stolen a lead on London and that the capital needs to welcome more trials if they are to keep pace with towns like Fife.
Caption: Phil Davies of WFE expresses support for Venn Chesterton’s innovative approach to London’s uLEZ
Delegates learned that Hydrogen supply was still proving to be an issue and with costs in excess of £10/ litre, it remained unappealing to all but the most committed environmentalists.
With this in mind, delegates were impressed by the WFE HydroGentm which effectively supplies sufficient hydrogen from its own onboard electrolyzer.
The industry has some ambitious targets to meet if the Ultra Low Emission Zone is to be achieved by 2020. Haulage companies suggested they would not be able to meet these targets through DPF systems alone and welcomed the opportunity to look into the benefits offered by WFEs retro-fit electrolyser.
Caption: WFEs Phil Davies explores the fabulous Toyota Mira
The Commercial Vehicle Show at the NEC on 27th April showcased everything….. except Hydrogen.
Whilst LDV launched their impressive zero emissions electric van; the EV 80, it was largely business as usual for the rest of the industry as traditionalists stood firmly by the Internal Combustion Engine.
However, many agreed that if hydrogen fuel could be mixed with traditional diesel to reduce fuel consumption and emissions it could represent a breakthrough.
It was even suggested that by combining WFEs HydroGentm electrolyser with the latest Euro 6 DPFs, the pressures on the industry to achieve Euro 7 by 2020, were less onerous.
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