INCORPORATING COLD CHAIN
FEATURE
THE RISING TIDE OF R & D IN REFRIGERATED TRANSPORT
Research and development ( R & D ) plays a crucial role in the evolution of refrigerated transport , and Transfrig ( Valeo Thermal Commercial Vehicles South Africa ) has the benefit of also having an R & D office in Germany , at Valeo , allowing for greater information sharing .
Transfrig ( Valeo Thermal Commercial Vehicles South Africa ) has been building transport refrigeration units since 1980 . It manufactures directly for the market and deals with the OEMs , end-users , insulated body builders and motor dealers .
Mark Demartinis , MD of Transfrig ( Valeo Thermal Commercial Vehicles South Africa ) says : “ The European market is ahead of the local market in terms of the disruption effected by electrification and the potential for hydrogen-powered vehicles . The road to electrification is far longer in southern Africa than it is in the developed world . Understanding the pathway or roadmap to electrification is important . Therefore , many people locally are looking for hybrid solutions that can help reduce carbon emissions . Battery-powered solutions and battery power with some solar are among the hybrid solutions available on the market .
“ From an R & D point of view , it is important to develop robust systems that are designed for the African environment . Reducing diesel consumption is also a priority , both from an emissions point of view and to monitor the price of diesel as it increases . Emission ‘ hunting ’ on a permanent basis through various forms can help reduce the load on the unit itself and diesel consumption .
Different systems and configurations are available in transport refrigeration . Demartinis describes the two most common types as : direct drive machines driven off a refrigeration compressor mounted on the vehicle ’ s crankshaft ; while more traditional trucks in the distribution centre ( DC ) environment use diesel-electric refrigeration operations .
In addition , eutectic systems are a smaller , more niche type of refrigeration equipment that are ultimately used by the majority of ice cream distributors in the country – they are required to be charged overnight and generally run with mains power making them on-road emission-free . It pulls the temperature down to roughly -35 ° C , giving a box temperature of -30 ° C . It is a good system ; however , it is extremely specific to ice cream because of the weight of eutectic tubes in the roof , though it can be modified slightly to the dairy industry .
“ A game changer for us is a liquid nitrogen cryogenic system , developed by Cryofridge and operated under licence by Transfrig . It is completely on-road emission-free and has a fast temperature pull-down as it is not governed by the capacity of the refrigeration unit itself . The risk associated with this system is the supply of liquid nitrogen , for which the national infrastructure of bulk nitrogen storage that is required does not yet exist . The investment is substantial and therefore requires a long-term approach to transport refrigeration . I believe this will happen in tandem with the growing need to reduce carbon emissions . In the meantime , it is satisfactory primarily for shorter trips and
Cold Link Africa Image supplied by Serco Image supplied by Serco
Warren Hurter , co-founder and technical director of solar refrigeration transport business NextDrive .
is already being used . The use of liquid nitrogen is limited by the availability of liquid nitrogen – if someone established bulk depots of liquid nitrogen in key areas such as Bloemfontein it would open up the possibility of long-distance haulage .”
Transfrig has hundreds of these units running at the moment , with a suitable solution existing for 12 to 14 ton refrigerated trucks as well as 15.5m trailers . They carry 450 – 950l of liquid nitrogen , with the advantage of liquid nitrogen refrigeration being that because there ’ s no diesel engine , maintenance is far less than that required on a traditional diesel engine machine , explains Demartinis . “ Additionally , the integration of some solar power is used to control the fans , as well as the controls on the machine as well as the tailift .”
THE GOAL TODAY IS PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE
The company has a service network of 28 independently-owned dealerships throughout the country and SADC region
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Image supplied by Thermo King
Signing the agreement .
that services and maintains the equipment , as servicing of the refrigeration unit is arguably even more important than for the truck itself .
Refrigerated transport maintenance is of necessity a niche market because it is a combination of trades . Servicing is a complex operation due to it having three critical components : diesel mechanical , refrigeration and auto-electrical . “ Combining these skills ensures a holistic approach to maintaining and repairing machines . Solving mechanical problems is indeed as critical as addressing refrigerant leaks or electrical issues , given the challenges posed by African roads . And unfortunately , this is a shrinking body of professionals though our service partners are continuously training up skilled technicians .”
There are a couple of training institutions that specialise in refrigeration , such as ACRA and OTTC . Demartinis says there was a curriculum designed for transport refrigeration , but he notes it did not take off as technicians were required
1 and 2 : SERCO was assigned by Spartan Truck Hire to build three mobile clinics for use by Shout-It- Now in areas where there is little or no access to medical care and attention in South Africa . to take off an unreasonable three or four months to attend the training , which is not always viable . “ Therefore , we provide in-person and online training with our dealers around the country on a monthly basis . This training focuses on sharing intellectual property , discussing upgrades to the equipment , and hearing issues found in the field .”
“ For preventive maintenance , it is recommended to service diesel-electric machines every 500 diesel hours ( three or four months ) of operation , which is a suitable interval for harsh road conditions in Africa . Regular servicing and belt replacements and attention to gas leaks are vital to prolonging the lifespan of these machines .”
The manufacture of a refrigerated vehicle is a tailored activity involving a number of parties : the end user , the chassis supplier , the OEM , insulated body bodybuilder and the refrigeration system manufacturer – each of which must understand the specifications and what the customer is looking for .
“ We consider maintenance of the fridge and the body as being equally critical as the maintenance of the diesel engine of the truck . Any damage to the insulated body affects the ability to deliver product . Docking is an aspect which requires ongoing education on best practices in transport refrigeration and maintenance . We spend time educating and working with customers to best understand operations and to get the equipment to perform to the customers expectation ,” adds Demartinis .
A number of considerations need to be taken into account when manufacturing : how many hours a truck may wait at a DC unloading during which the products have to be refrigerated . It is for this reason that logistics providers still primarily use diesel electric machines – it ensures refrigeration is continuous no matter the circumstances with no risk to products .
He notes that the growth of online shopping has drastically affected the configuration of much equipment in the industry . There is interest in smaller one-ton and even half-ton vehicles looking to be refrigerated ; however , refrigerated scooters are not viable at the moment , ultimately because of the mixed load they carry .
“ Telemetry is critical in the refrigerated transport industry . It is used to monitor the temperature , humidity , and other
COLD LINK AFRICA • January / February 2024 www . coldlinkafrica . co . za 13