Thermo King Launches Ultra-Thin Electric Refrigeration Unit
Thermo King®, the transport refrigeration brand of global climate innovator Trane Technologies (NYSE: TT), launched the TH-350, an all-in-one ultra-thin electric refrigeration unit. As the next-generation product of the Thermo King’s THOR series, the TH-350 unit delivers superior cold chain logistics performance to customers through its innovative lightweight design, reliable and consistent performance, and user-friendly functions.
Specially designed for refrigerated trailers, the TH-350 refrigeration unit is equipped with a full inverter scroll compressor and features a streamlined and compact structure, thereby maximizing the overall energy efficiency of the unit to achieve rapid cooling from 30℃ down to 0℃ within 20 minutes. Its precise temperature control to ±0.5℃ ensures tightly controlled freshness of the shipped product in transit.
“The TH-350, an all-in-one ultra-thin electric refrigeration unit is the largest cooling capacity electric refrigeration unit launched by Thermo King Asia Pacific, marking a milestone in our innovation for electrification. We hope that this product can support the health and safety of food for our customers with its more environmentally friendly, stable and safe performance.” said Michael Shi leader of Product Management and Engineering of Thermo King, Asia Pacific, “We are committed to delivering all-electric models for all segments of cold chain logistics by 2023, along with fully-electrified zero-emission solutions, and to eventually achieving universal electrification by 2050. To this end, Thermo King is working continuously to expedite our efforts to deliver electrified temperature control solutions. Going forward, we will commercialize a wide range of high-efficiency electric models as part of our ongoing innovation efforts to advance sustainable development in the cold chain market. ”
Stringent testing and precise temperature control
TH-350 has been subjected to stringent performance reliability test, vibration test and validation of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analyses Simulation test of extreme weather such as heavy rain and high temperature ensures that the condenser can remain stable in operation when the vehicle is driven at speed. Installed with a full inverter scroll compressor, TH-350 has a cooling capacity range of 7 to 13kW at an ambient temperature of 30℃ and can hold the setpoint temperature at -20℃ to 0℃. The electronic expansion valve throttling device is employed to regulate the refrigerant volume precisely to achieve fast temperature pull down. At the same time, precise control of compressor frequency achieves ±0.5℃ setpoint accuracy to better maintain condition of temperature-sensitive food or cargo delivery while delivering superior energy efficiency.
Additional energy efficiency design considerations of the TH-350 unit features an innovative compact construction platform and a lightweight design to lessen the weight on vehicles for transportation, thereby reducing fuel consumption. The evaporator’s all-in-one insulated housing effectively prevents air or thermal leakage that can reduce capacity and efficiency.
Intelligent control and reliable operation
The TH-350 unit adopts an all-around intelligent control solution, in which the intelligent control panel incorporates a number of control modules and up to 30 built-in alarm reminders, which ensure uninterrupted operation in case of minor failures. In particular, the compressor control module can secure precise cooling while supporting the overall operation of the compressor to ensure reliable operation even in extreme ambient conditions. The fan control module can not only steplessly regulate the fan depending on the condensing pressure, but also control the fan speed depending on the load size to achieve efficient and low-noise operation of the fan. The EEV control module and defrost control module enable variable overheat control and intelligent defrost while securing optimal operation of the unit under different working conditions. It is worth mentioning that the brushless fan with a service life of more than 30,000 hours will ensure the stable operation of the fan.
In addition to the multiple protections for operation, the TH-350 unit is also designed for easy maintenance by the user. The easy-to-operate integrated control box saves time and effort for maintenance, while the pull-out fan assembly is designed for quick disassembly and cleaning, making it easy to complete maintenance.
Remote panel and leapfrog experience
The TH-350 unit also supports optional cab remote panel for users, which can be used to remotely switch the unit on and off, change the set temperature and manually defrost. It is also equipped with the telematics module of the onboard level chip Arcon, which can record and track the operating data of the unit in real time, monitor the unit’s working status, fault code and refrigerator return air temperature, making temperature control transportation more convenient. In addition, the onboard sensors can monitor the humidity and temperature of the cabin in real time to ensure that the freight remains in the best condition during transportation. The remote controller supports mobile 4G network and multiple communication modes, and provide remote GPS positioning and tracking for better user experience.