Nitrogen systems help truckers save fuel

Truckers transporting freight in, out and through Zimbabwe can save up to 6% on fuel a year while extending tyre life by 20% by simply replacing the air in their tyres with pure nitrogen. Fleet operators can fill the tyres themselves using ‘plug and play’ systems that can be used anywhere in Africa, says Gerald Quinlivan, commercial and sales manager of the Intaka Tech gas division. Intaka Tech is the African agent for NitroFill. “We recently sold our first model in Uruguay to a Mercedes truck dealership that wants to target the bus industry,” he adds. According to Quinlivan, the costs of the equipment will be recovered within months by operators with ten or more trucks and “doing the kind of mileage they cover in Zimbabwe”. Zimbabwean truckers or tyre fitment centres investing in this technology will have first-mover advantage through lower costs, he says. “In the past, the equipment needed to produce nitrogen was large and expensive. Using the latest technology, PSA generators produce nitrogen from the air we breathe on your workshop floor,” he says. “As far as we know there are no PSA generators in Zimbabwe at present. With Nitrofill equipment you have a practical solution to reduce your operating costs.” Benefits of using nitrogen in tyres have been linked to a more consistent tyre pressure, longer tyre life, enhanced safety and improved fuel efficiency. Water vapour and oxygen in conventional air-filled tyres makes the rust in a rim increase to the point where it bubbles up and allows a path for air to escape. “Another lesser-known effect of oxidation is that according to laboratory research, oxygen works its way into the rubber molecules in the tyre. “The reason this is important is that when oxygen reacts with rubber it changes its chemical properties making it more susceptible to wear.” INSERT Truckers can save up to 6% on fuel a year while extending tyre life by 20% by simply replacing the air in their tyres with pure nitrogen. – Gerald Quinlivan CAPTION Gerald Quinlivan of the Intaka Tech gas division with the model E-170 nitrogen separator.