Liquid nitrogen cooling receives funding

UK: A prototype transport refrigeration unit running on liquid nitrogen is to benefit from £2.57m of UK government funding.

The award to Air Liquide Group is part of a £20m government funding programme, announced yesterday by transport minister John Hayes, that is being given to 20 firms to cut emissions and improve air quality. The funding is being delivered by the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) and Innovate UK.

In a project costing a total of £4.93m, Air Liquide will trial biogas as a fuel in 86 lorries ranging from 26 tonnes to 44 tonnes. Five of the vehicles will use refrigeration units with the prototype liquid nitrogen system.

Air Liquide’s solution for cold storage truck transport known as Blueeze avoids the use of a standalone diesel generator. It cools air in the refrigerated container through the circulation of liquid nitrogen cooled to -196°C in one or more hermetically sealed exchangers.