Our Journey

Dext was invited by Siemens to demonstrate DexThermic at the world-leading Siemens Transform event in Manchester

A BBC media splash, including Neil’s TV debut, prompted a tidal wave of enquiries from organisations keen to find out more about the DexThermic. A BBC business article on Heat Recovery Systems, featuring a quote from Neil, prompted a significant surge in enquiries from potential Dext customers. “I think the...

A full-sized heat recovery trial at Nando’s MORE THAN proved the design of the DexThermic system in challenging real world conditions.

With continuing thorough scientific testing and development, the DEXT team got to know every detail of the DexThermic product from every possible aspect.

The third DAHX prototype was scaled up to full size and engineered to include design feedback from industry specialists.

2019 saw the completion of DEXT’s UKRI project, with a third DAHX scale prototype designed, built, and tested.

The Fin Panel design continued to be put through its paces, with more and more challenges recreated by the environmental wind tunnel. 2018 focussed on scientific principles, Fin Panel optimisation, and DAHX prototype design.

2017 saw DEXT commission the build of an environmental wind tunnel (EWT) to enable iterative design and prototyping.

DEXT embarked on its most ambitious project yet – an extensive collaborative R&D project with UK Research and Innovation: “Advanced heat recovery systems for the food manufacturing industry, DEXT.”

DEXT appointed Academic Dr Gareth Evans in a senior role, who designed a pre-project engineering pathfinder. With DEXT, he also then implemented a new manufacturing method, trialled a MK2 wind tunnel test and submitted a project plan to UKRI.

DEXT trialled a CO2 heat recovery behemoth at Nando’s Aylesbury which worked well, but also highlighted some teething problems and improvements that could be made.

DEXT called in some academic ‘big guns’ to move the project forward; commissioning an academic consultancy project to “Expedite the design process & maximise product performance” for the DexThermic product concept.

Further investigation identified the potential for heat recovery from the restaurant’s exhaust stream. The nature of ventilating commercial kitchens means a huge amount of energy is expelled from the air that’s become contaminated by the cooking process.

Michael ‘plumbing genius’ Larner joined DEXT and bolstered progress in a host of ways.

It was clear that the DexTherm prototype was a great product, but it needed to be further refined and thoroughly tested before moving to production.

A chance encounter: having a great idea for a heat exchange system is one thing, but sometimes you need the right people to be in the right place, at just the right time.