Carrier reimagines APU-assisted comfort, efficiency
Carrier Transicold recently introduced the new Aspen diesel auxiliary power unit (APU), which is designed to provide long-haul drivers with cab climate control and electrical power during rest breaks, while also reducing fuel consumption and carbon emissions by eliminating truck idling.
“Taking a fresh approach to cab comfort and convenience, we designed the Aspen APU from the inside out for high performance, versatility, durability, reliability, and ease of use,” Ryan Rubly, Carrier Transicold product manager for alternative power, said in a news release.
Thanks to a high-output generator in its core, the Aspen APU delivers a combination of standard capabilities Carrier maintains is “unmatched by any other APU today.” It provides the comforts of home, like cab cooling, heating and electric power, as well as automatic truck battery charging and engine preheating.
“We’ve added an innovative and easy-to-use control interface for drivers along with new APU configuration options for heating and hotel power loads,” Rubly said. “Technicians will appreciate our new CabinTech PC software that enables fast setup, service and troubleshooting of the Aspen APU.”
See also: Carrier adds new Vector trailer refrigeration units
Among the Aspen APU’s key features are:
- All-new programmable driver interface that makes temperature control as effortless as a home thermostat, with an illuminated dial supported by a backlit digital information display
- 12,000 BTU/h of cab cooling from the company that invented modern air conditioning
- Greater heating versatility via the standard 8,200 BTU/h electric heater and a new option, the 7,000 BTU/h fuel-fired Carrier cabin heater
- High-grade power from its own generator to provide household quality electricity for appliances, computers and more, which can now be augmented with an optional inverter to maintain hotel loads via the truck when it is moving
Carrier Transicold offers several models of the Aspen APU, including an integrated system that uses coolant exchange for truck engine preheating, a stand-alone unit that powers the tractor’s block heater for engine heating, and a power-only version for work trucks that need auxiliary power but don’t require cab climate control.
If equipped with an optional adapter, Aspen APUs can be operated using 115-volt shore power when the truck is parked, eliminating the need to run the APU engine for added fuel savings.
