Thermal performance indicators for refrigerated road vehicles

• Published in: International journal of refrigeration Vol. 29; no. 6; pp. 889 - 898
• Main Authors: Estrada-Flores, Silvia, Eddy, Andrew
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.09.2006; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Efficacité; Efficiency; Energy; Energy. Thermal use of fuels; Exact sciences and technology; Experiment; Expérimentation; Insulation; Isolation; Measurement; Mesure; Refrigerated transport; Refrigerated transport and packing; Refrigerating engineering; Refrigerating engineering. Cryogenics. Food conservation; Regulation; Road transport; Régulation; Techniques. Materials; Temperature; Température; Transport frigorifique; Transport routier; Measurement; Insulation; Temperature; Experiment; Mesure; Expérimentation; Transport routier; Température; Régulation; Efficiency; Efficacité; Transport frigorifique; Road transport; Isolation; Refrigerated transport; Regulation; Refrigeration installation; Cooling; Standards; Opening; Temperature control; Refrigeration
• ISSN: 0140-7007; 1879-2081
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrefrig.2006.01.012

An experimental evaluation of insulation effectiveness, pull-down times and effectiveness of a mechanical refrigeration unit was performed on five refrigerated panel vans. Additionally, a mapping of temperature variability in the cargo space was carried out during a simulated journey encompassing several door openings. The temperature variability measured in the vans was neither correlated to the effectiveness of the insulation nor the time required to achieve complete cooling of the cargo space. These criteria are common thermal performance indicators used to evaluate refrigerated vehicles in international standards. The efficiency of insulation was correlated to the pull-down times, presenting the possibility of calculating the former as a function of the latter. The temperature variability was correlated with the time required for the unit to recover temperature control after a door opening and the difference between the maximum and minimum temperatures reached during a door opening cycle.