Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/748284
44 | Overdrive | November 2016 Refining the reefer T ransportation refrigera- tion units are reach- ing levels of technical advancement that rival the modern tractors that pull them. Like their truck counterparts, TRUs have made many strides to throttle back fuel consumption while also maxi- mizing efficiencies. "There are dramatic differences in the way various models operate and how they consume fuel," says David Kiefer, director of sales, marketing and product management for Carrier Transicold. "The savings over the lifetime of the unit can be substantial." Changes in engine design have helped boost output, says Tom Kampf, product manager for Thermo King. "We've moved away from a technology that used belts exclusively to power fans to directly coupling the compressor to the diesel engine," he says. Such a change has allowed condenser and evaporator fans to operate at speeds independent of engine speed. "Custom- ers can operate the evaporator based on the type of load without having to adjust engine speeds," Kampf says. "The re- duction of mechanical parts from diesel- electric hybrid units also has significantly improved the sound quality." Reefer units themselves aren't the only products challenging the limits of ther- mal efficiency. Wabash National recently unveiled a prototype refrigerated van us- ing a new proprietary molded structural composite technology. Brent Yeagy, group president of com- mercial trailer products for Wabash, says the technology provides up to a 25 percent improvement in thermal performance and is up to 20 percent lighter compared to conventional designs while improving puncture and damage resistance. The composite design, which is slated to enter production in the next two years, also reduces trailer weight by upwards of one ton, says Dick Giromini, Wabash chief executive officer. Using the com- posite for the trailer's floor structure also raises the weight rating to 24,000 pounds – a boost of up to 14,000 pounds. TRU and trailer controls also have evolved, Kiefer says, in many cases re- moving much of the guesswork that goes into climate control and increasing ease of use for the driver and technician. "These software-based devices have made temperature and airflow manage- ment far more sophisticated," he says. "Some can even be used to optimize fuel consumption for any given cargo while still providing the highest degree of prod- uct protection." All of the variables that can be selected for specific commodities can be preprogrammed into Carrier Transi- cold's APX Control system, enabling the driver to simply choose the commodity from a scrolling list. Similarly, Thermo King's OptiSet pro- gram provides control over how the unit will operate with a specific set point and allows unit operation and product quality decisions to be made in advance. "When a set point is selected, the unit will always operate the same way," Kampf says. Customers also are trending toward removing the TRU's alternator in favor of a more efficient electric battery charger, which Kampf says "offers more battery life and less wear on the engine." The following are standard or typical specifications for popular 53-foot refrig- erated trailers sold by leading suppliers. Today's TRUs, trailers stay cool with less fuel BY JASON CANNON AND DEAN SMALLWOOD Changes in engine design have helped boost efficiencies for transportation refrigeration units.