Creating value in Transport
We’re at the heart of progress in making better vehicles as manufacturers commit to reducing emissions.
We’re responsible for fluid control innovations for many industries and have in-depth expertise in the commercial transport sector. Among the areas in which we’re working with customers is on applications directly associated with emissions control in diesel engines, and in the alternative fuels space.
The newer the diesel vehicle, the greener the engine
We add Value Today for customers through our expertise in managing exhaust cleanliness to meet increasingly stringent emissions requirements. Heavy duty truck emissions are up to 97% lower than than 30 years ago. It’s a major step change.
As diesel is phased out, truck manufacturers have two main options: battery electric and hydrogen. Currently, both have their challenges, but the technology is improving fast. Our high-flow, motorised valves, for example, help customers get almost five times more power from hydrogen fuel cells than they could two years ago.
What will the future look like?
As well as developments in low-emission fuels, we’ll see a complete overhaul of how people and products are moved around in the coming years. The trend towards greater localisation in manufacturing will, in turn, change transport requirements. There will be more short-haul commercial freight and a focus on greening the last mile.
From jumping into a driverless taxi to opening the door to a delivery by drone, the what-next of transport will look totally different to where we are now.
Trials with autonomous vehicles including trucks are already taking place in the USA, Germany, China and Japan, amongst others. Roads, or the way we use them at least, will see a transformation too. The long-term vision for fleets involves automated platoons of trucks, slip-streaming to reduce fuel use and therefore emissions. A sophisticated kind of cooperative adaptive cruise control – a version of which many cars have already – will keep individual vehicles connected and closely coupled to the truck in front.
Customer relationship
There’s no single, linear pathway to the future and this is where our competency at key account management comes into its own. We’re mindful of the trends we’re seeing in the industry and we’re a strong partner in the innovation process because of our engineering capability, because of our flexibility and because of our skills in truly listening to what the customer wants.
From decarbonising their value chain to making sure they’re not reliant on materials that are going to be obsolete, our customers have a long list of problems that they want to solve. It’s the customer – and society – that sets the agenda. But we’ll be with them every step of the way.
Making hydrogen fuel cells more powerful
IMI’s fluid control technology is helping a hydrogen fuel cell manufacturer in China make more powerful fuel cells.
Key fuel cell facts:
» Our fluid control technology works by controlling the thermal dynamics and flow of gases going into the cell
» The high-flow, motorised valves we’ve developed enable greater energy generation
» Fuel cell output has jumped from 50kW (70 horsepower) two years ago to 240kW today
“The alternative fuels space is a completely new playground. There’s some uncertainty around which fuel will ultimately predominate, but with our technology supporting many future solutions, we are helping our customers keep their options open.”
Chris Prince
Global Engineering and Operations Director
