Mobile Organic Rankine Cycle Powersystem with Electrified Ancillaries for Reduced Parasitics

A diesel engine’s waste heat is being captured and turned into usable power, rather than venting into the air. Perkins Engines, DENSO Marston, AVID Technology, and Imperial College London are building a hybrid powertrain that adds an Organic Rankine Cycle system to recover exhaust heat, while electrifying pumps and other ancillaries to cut the engine’s own parasitic energy losses. The £5.2 million, three-year project, launched in January 2015, will end with a heavy-duty engine demonstration. This matters because heavy-duty diesel vehicles—trucks, construction machinery, off-road equipment—waste roughly a third of their fuel energy as heat. Reducing that waste directly cuts fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions without requiring a full switch to electric powertrains, which remain impractical for many heavy applications. If the system works at real-world cost and packaging targets, it could lower operating costs for fleet operators and reduce emissions from sectors that are hard to electrify. The impact would be felt in supply chains, construction sites, and agricultural fields—places where diesel engines will remain dominant for years.