INCORPORATING COLD CHAIN

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

ENGINELESS SYSTEM FOR REFRIGERATED TRUCKS

Carrier Transicold now provides an environmentally friendly system that avoids the use of a second engine to power the refrigeration compressor of reefer units . The system is driven by a generator called Eco-Drive GenSet , which is powered by a hydraulic variable displacement pump connected to the truck ’ s engine by a power take-off ( PTO ).

Thanks to the PTO , as soon as the truck engine runs , the hydraulic pump turns on . The mechanical energy of the engine is transformed into a hydraulic flow and then into mechanical energy again , to power the Eco-Drive GenSet .

The Eco-Drive is composed of a hydraulic motor coupled to a generator . It is installed on the vehicle chassis .

The hydraulic variable displacement pump ensures a constant flow , whatever the truck engine speed , providing constant power to the EcoDrive , which provides a continual cooling capacity of up to 18 000W to the reefer unit .

The refrigerating circuits are fed by fully hermetic scroll compressors . The system can also be used on trailer trucks , in addition to a classical system where a second engine ensures refrigeration when the truck is parked or when the trailer is unhitched .

The system is already commercialised in Europe , and the British supermarket chain Tesco is currently running an eight-year trial on two reefer units .

IMPACT OF THE F-GAS REGULATION ON HFC PRICES

The European F-gas Regulation implies a phase-down of HFCs , based on CO 2 equivalents ( CO 2 eq ). This means that refrigerant producers and suppliers , operating under a quota system , are effectively able to place far more low- GWP refrigerants than higher-GWP gases on the market . It may explain why manufacturers are taking action now and raising their high-GWP refrigerant prices . Honeywell announced in April 2017 that it will exit the sale of R404A and R507 in the EU by 2018 . In the same period , Mexichem announced an increase of 20 % for R404A and R507 , and of 15 % for R134a , R410A and R407C . Following increases of 25 % and 30 % in April and May for R404A and R507 , the manufacturer Chemours announced an increase of 50 % from 1 July . This represents a price increase of 225 % in just three months . Other refrigerants such as R134a , R410A , R407A or R407C are also affected , with price increases of 20 % in April , 10 % in May , and 50 % for R410A and 40 % for R134a from 1 July 2017 .

REFRIGERATED TRAINS TO CONNECT RUSSIA AND IRAN

The Russian Ministry of Agriculture , in cooperation with Russian Railways ( RZD ), intends to launch refrigerated block trains between Russia and Azerbaijan , Uzbekistan and Belarus for export and import of agricultural and food products . Under the project , a simplified customs regime of clearance of goods will be set up .

The project envisages allocation of railway routes to Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan for refrigerated block trains with cargo speeds of 550km per day . http :// coub . com

The initiative aims to facilitate access to inexpensive products on the Russian market .

TRADITIONAL JAPANESE REFRIGERATION WITH ‘ SNOW ROOMS ’

In the region deemed ‘ snow country ’ along the western side of Honshu and Hokkaido in Japan , traditional yukimuro ( snow room or snow house ) refrigeration methods are creating new business opportunities .

Fruits and vegetables like apples , carrots and radishes , and other root vegetables are placed into plastic bags and crates and either buried under mounds of snow or kept in a snow-filled storehouse . They maintain a humidity rate of more than 90 %, with temperatures around freezing point . While temperatures in refrigerators can fluctuate and cause food cells to go bad over time , snow rooms enjoy stable temperatures and are not affected by light or dryness .

Since snow rooms have the ability to maintain and extend freshness , their produce tends to be crisper in texture , sweeter in taste , and has a less earthy aroma . thermal technology capacity . The reasons for this low penetration are costs and complexity associated with limited solar fractions .

In his keynote , C . Infante Ferreira stresses that thermal storage can significantly increase the solar fraction of solar-driven sorption heating / cooling systems and make them more attractive . He presents the aspects that should be considered when selecting the latent heat storage for a specific solar heating and cooling application . Thermal storage systems based on pumpable hydrate slurries ( particularly of CO 2 or TBAB ) are shown to lead to more attractive sorption-based solutions .

• C . Infante Ferreira . Using hydrate slurries to increase the solar fraction of solar heating and cooling systems .

HEAT TRANSFER CHARACTERISTICS OF LOW- GWP REFRIGERANTS

In their keynote at the 5th IIR Conference on Thermodynamic Properties and Transfer Processes of Refrigerants , Yongchang Kim et al . presented a review of various studies

In Hokkaido in Japan , traditional yukimuro ( snow room or snow house ) refrigeration methods are creating new business opportunities .

Carrier Transicold

USING HYDRATE SLURRIES TO INCREASE THE SOLAR FRACTION OF SOLAR COOLING SYSTEMS

The following paper was presented during the 5th IIR Conference on Thermodynamic Properties and Transfer Processes of Refrigerants , which took place on 23 – 26 April 2017 in Seoul , Korea .

The contribution of solar thermal energy to the final energy consumption has on the heat transfer characteristics of alternative low-GWP refrigerants R1234yf , R1234ze , R1233zd , R32 , and CO 2 and compared them to those of traditional refrigerants such as R134a and R410A .

They concluded that these alternative refrigerants may show disadvantages such as reduced heat transfer rate , high pressure drop , and instability , but still had competitive performance compared to the existing refrigerants .