ClearFlame Engine Technologies announced it has successfully completed an ‘on-road’ demonstration of its proprietary technology that enables a heavy-duty truck diesel engine to operate on 100% renewable plant-based fuels. The demonstration of ClearFlame’s engine technology was implemented by taking a Class 8 diesel truck running on a Cummins X15 500hp 15L heavy-duty engine, commonly used for long-haul truck and off-highway applications, and converting it to run on renewable E98 ethanol. While the wide availability, cost-effectiveness, and lower emissions of ethanol make it the fuel of choice today for the engine, ClearFlame’s technology is fuel agnostic and can run on a range of renewable fuels.
The trucks equipped with ClearFlame’s engine technology will reduce CO₂ emissions significantly, while lowering air quality emissions—particulate matter (soot) and Nitrogen Oxides (smog). ClearFlame has the potential to mitigate carbon in the heavy-duty truck sector faster than any alternative, including hydrogen and battery EV, without compromising engine performance, the company noted in a press release.
ClearFlame’s technology can be used anywhere diesel engines are used today, and leverages existing infrastructure—fuel production and distribution, engine manufacturing and remanufacturing processes, and the heavy-duty parts and services industry. The company is currently focused on heavy-duty markets that don’t have sufficient alternatives to liquid combustion.
ClearFlame will continue testing its trucks under various operating conditions throughout Q1 2022, with customer beta testing underway by the end of 2022. In addition to long-haul trucking, the technology enables emissions reduction for hard-to-electrify applications in a wide range of industries, including agriculture, power generation, and other off-highway markets. ClearFlame is also working with John Deere on a pilot demonstration project for an off-highway engine platform, demonstrating the versatility of the company’s technology as a retrofit option or original equipment integration.
