Florists, grocers and other businesses that use small refrigerated trucks and delivery vans have a new cooling option from Carrier Transicold: the Neos 100S alternator-driven electric refrigeration unit. Carrier Transicold is a part of UTC Climate, Controls & Security, a unit of United Technologies.
“Unlike a conventional direct-drive refrigeration unit with a belt-driven compressor mounted to the vehicle engine, the Neos 100S unit uses the vehicle's alternator to electrically power the system, thus enabling a constant cooling or heating capacity for fresh and frozen cargoes, regardless of engine speed,” the company stated.
“The Neos 100S unit expands our current product line for North America by adding an option for the smaller, light commercial vehicle (LCV) end of the spectrum,” said Tina Hickman, truck product manager, Carrier Transicold. “Road-proven for more than six years in Europe, where it was first introduced, the Neos 100S unit’s ability to deliver constant refrigeration capacity provides a significant advantage for vehicles driven in congested urban environments,” added Hickman, noting that the compact design and electric operation make for an especially quiet unit.
With its compressor housed inside the condenser unit, the Neos 100S unit eliminates the need to run lengthy refrigerant lines between the LCV’s engine and condenser, according to the company. This decreases the number of fittings by 80%, which reduces the amount of refrigerant needed and the potential for refrigerant leaks, the company added.
The main condenser assembly can be nose-mounted to the front of a truck box or mounted to the roof of a delivery van. As a split system, the Neos 100S design locates the evaporator on the ceiling of the cargo area.
The Neos 100S unit is rated to provide 3,600 Btu of cooling at a setpoint of 35 degrees Fahrenheit and 100 degrees Fahrenheit ambient, and produces the same capacity in standby mode, the company added. “Use of the optional electric-standby module enables the unit to be plugged into a 230-volt electric power source when parked, eliminating the need to idle the truck to maintain refrigeration, saving fuel and eliminating engine noise and emissions,” according to Carrier Transicold.
