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http://www.dmp.wa.gov.au/documents/Prospect_December_2011.pdf



You’d never know it, but there’s a fleet of

iron ore road trains trundling between

Geraldton and Cue, heralding a new era

of heavy road transport.

The road trains are running on Liquefied

Natural Gas (LNG) – the only place in

Australia this is happening.

The vehicles have been on the road

since November 2010, with technology

developed by the Perth-based

Orbital Corporation.

Hidden in part-suburban, part-industrial

Balcatta, Orbital is revolutionising

the use of alternative fuels in heavyhaul

commercial vehicles, building on

another success earlier in the year –

the launch of its Liquid LPG

technology on Ford’s latest “EcoLPi”

passenger vehicles.

While it once made engines, these

days the company describes itself as a

“portal to an extensive engine, fuel and

transport related knowledge-base”.

Nick Coplin, the company’s Business

Development Manager, says Orbital’s

focus is on breaking down complex

energy-related problems and producing

economical solutions. It does this

through its Balcatta testing facilities,

which are among the most advanced in

the world.

“The core to Orbital’s innovation has

been the facility we operate here in

Perth, from where we have not only

developed many of our own products,

but enabled customers the world over in

fields as diverse as real-time electronics

control to minimisation of their CO2

footprint”, says Nick.

“In developing solutions we try to use

off-the-shelf components, but integrate

them after thorough testing, to produce

unique solutions to fuel-related

problems,” he said.

“We provide the ‘smarts’. We evaluate

new technology to make sure it won’t

‘fall over’. If it makes sense to, we can go

on to supply systems – as we do with the

Ford EcoLPI, which is supplied through

our business in Sydney.”

“Our aim is to consult and

then develop solutions. It’s

about enabling products

to be better, enabling our

customers to make the

right technical choices.”

In the case of the road trains, these are

“big boys” ... Kenworth trucks fitted with

the previous generation Caterpillar 15L

550hp engine, pulling 147tonnes in a

triple-trailer configuration.

The LNG has provided a significant

reduction in fuel costs and carbon

dioxide (CO2) emissions compared with

all-diesel trucks.

“While fuel cost savings is important,

reliability is also a key requirement,”

said Tryon Utley, Orbital’s vehicle group

project engineer.

“Having a vehicle off the road is a big

cost, as it’s lost production,” Orbital

will use the results of its trial to expand

its technical services to other areas in

the resource sector, which eventually

may include mine haul (dump) trucks

and trains.

“Australia is a small market, but it’s

a good testing ground for the world

market,” said Nick. “Orbital plans

to support local industry with

world-class solutions”.