The ND-1 is a simple yet innovative way of saving millions of litres of fuel on a global scale. Anyone who has pumped fuel before has noticed the drops that fall to the ground after you’ve removed the nozzle from the vehicle. We’ve designed a method of retaining these drops, which initiates a recycling process whereby the next customer in line receives the fuel that would have been otherwise wasted. These drops may not seem like a significant amount, however when taken into account globally, these drops amount to approximately half a billion litres of fuel that falls to the ground and is evaporated into our atmosphere every year. Our drip retainer mesh design utilizes a combination of pressure differentials and surface tension to retain fuel within the spout.

FAQS

Who Benefits?

Everyone benefits. The consumer benefits because they are now getting exactly what they paid for. The fuel companies benefit in the short term and long term. They benefit in the short term by creating a more pronounced, Eco-friendly image for themselves. In the long term, we need to consider the next 40-50 years when the planets fuel sources begin to dissappear, what happens to the fuel companies? They go out of business. By implementing this technology and exercising conservative practices from now, we are extending the life of the industry and hence the life of the fuel companies. Most importantly the environment benefits because we’re now reducing the amount of unnecessary toxins emitted into our atmosphere and we are minimizing our carbon foot print on the planet.

How much fuel would be saved by installing this device?

Using statistics from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)and the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), it’s projected that globally approximately 300 Million litres of fuel are evaporated into our atmosphere due to these drops. The ND-1 will be able to mitigate these losses.

How significant are the effects of wasted fuel at the pump on the environment?

The effect of wasted fuel leakage on the environment is significant. Due to the high reactivity of the volatile organic compounds contained in petroleum, the wasted drops start to react immediately with the atmosphere. Sunlight reacts with the air containing the volatile organic compounds and nitrous oxides resulting in the formation of ozone directly at the source of the waste. Even though ozone is a necessary component in our atmosphere, when found at ground level it results in negative health effects such as inflamed airways, and it aggravates diseases such as asthma, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis. Ozone also disrupts the photosynthesis process in vegetation, bringing harm to sensitive ecosystems.

Does the fuel retained in the spout of the nozzle evaporate?

With our attachment we have stabilized the evaporation process. Where without our attachment evaporation is dependant on how much fuel is dropped to the ground as well as the evaporation of the residual fuel left in the spout after pumping. With our attachment, we’ve eliminated the drippage variable thus making evaporation purely dependant on the fuel in the nozzle. When contained within a nozzle fuel evaporates at a much slower rate than if it was exposed to the open air. Nozzles are most often kept on a holster in a shaded environment and shielded from wind thus minimizing the evaporation effect of direct sunlight and air diffusivity and therefore slowing down evaporation. After taking evaporation into account we are saving roughly 89% of the fuel that would have dropped out of a nozzle without our attachment.

Can this attachment be used for other applications?

The drip retainer makes the pumping system, more specifically the nozzle more responsive. The drip retainer technology can be expanded to almost any application where there is a liquid being dispensed and residual drops are wasted due to a lack of responsiveness in the shutoff mechanism.

Does your design pose any safety threats?

No. In fact we’ve made the pumping process safer. Fuel is meant to travel through the nozzle and into the gas tank of your car. As soon as the gas starts to migrate from its destination for example on the ground, the safety risk increases. The ND-1 prevents the fuel from deviating from its destination by retaining it in its proper location.

Does this change the regular operation of the nozzle?

No. The ND-1 will keep the operation of the nozzle within it’s specified manufacturer limits.

Can this be used at any gas station?

Yes. We’ve tailored our initial design to the most widely used fuel nozzle however our design can be modified to suit other nozzle designs if needed.