BOLTON, Ont. — A Canadian-designed auxiliary power unit (APU) powered solely by waste heat generated by the truck’s diesel engine is now entering Phase 1 of its on-road validation process.

Jack MacDonnell, president and CEO of Enermotion, the company that developed the APU, told Trucknews.com “Phase 1 is progressing well. The first road-going Hyper system will be providing test data this month, with delivery of another Hyper system to one of the original partners shortly thereafter. We have been contacted by several potential joint venture partners and are proceeding with early discussions.”

Trucknews.com first reported on the APU in October. The system mounts to the back of a truck cab and converts excess heat produced by the inherently inefficient diesel engine into power that can be used to provide up to 10 hours of heating, cooling and hotel-load power. The Hyper APU also has the potential to save more fuel than a coventional APU, since it provides heating and cooling when the truck is in motion, eliminating the need for a mechanical A/C compressor.

The APU, which could be the first commercial transport application of waste heat recovery, has caught the attention of some significant, environmentally-conscious fleets, including JD Smith and Sons, which purchased a stake in the company. Other original carrier partners include Challenger Motor Freight, Loblaw and Kriska Transportation. Those fleets will be given the first opportunities to field test the system, MacDonnell said in an October interview with Trucknews.com.

Since a story about the APU was published in Truck News, more Canadian carriers have shown an interest in field-testing the units.

“We have now accepted four new demonstration partners for Phase 2 of our road trial program,” MacDonnell told Trucknews.com this week. The latest fleet partners include; Normandin Transport; Praxair; Dueck Bros. Trucking; and Linamar Transportation.

MacDonnell said the goal is to test the system over as many different duty cycles as possible under a wide range of conditions. Phase 2 is set to launch in May or June, he added.

“We’re still a couple of months away from having consistent operational road test data from the Hyper units in Phase 1 – we are extremely pleased with our progress and the additional support we’ve been receiving,” MacDonnell told Trucknews.com. “This additional level of genuine interest from the industry has re-energized our entire team while providing a catalyst for new investment sources that will help us achieve our commercialization efforts.”

You can read the original Truck News exclusive story about the Hyper unit here.