In many light- and medium-duty operations, applications formobile electric power have been expanding. Pickup-and-delivery fleets, forexample, use a variety of onboard systems to track and manage shipments. At thesame time, idling regulations and practices aimed at reducing fuel consumptionand emissions can require that trucks be shut down during stops while the needto power information devices and interior and exterior vehicle lighting remains.

While on-highway fleets have been increasingly adoptingauxiliary power units to provide electric power, in medium- and light-dutyvehicles those systems are not generally practical or cost effective. In thoseapplications, alternators have been used to provide DC power, and combined withan inverter, to offer limited amounts of AC power.

A better solution, says Aura Systems Inc. is its AuraGenmobile generator that produces power by running off the belt system of thevehicle or by being driven by a PTO. About 6,000 of the generators have beenplaced in service in commercial and military vehicles. AuraGen is available infive-, eight- and 16-kilowatt configurations, each capable of providing itsrated power output at all engine speeds, and 120- and 240-volt AC powersimultaneously.

Another use of the AuraGen mobile generator is to power anall-electric refrigeration system developed by Emerald Leasing. Recently, Auraacquired the transport refrigeration system assets of Emerald. The result isthe company’s Oasis Reefer, a 20,000-BTU unit for refrigerated straight trucksup to 24 ft. in length.

Oasis uses the AuraGen solution to provide electric power tothe refrigeration system. Used in place of a diesel powered refrigeration unit,the company says, the system saves fuel and lowers emissions. Built usingstandard refrigeration parts, Oasis does not require any scheduled maintenanceother than keeping the condenser clean. AuraGen has only one belt that requiresservice.

While Oasis uses electricity from the AuraGen generator topower the reefer while the truck is running, an option allows use of thegenerator to charge an auxiliary battery back-up system. With this option, whenthe driver shuts down the truck, the generator automatically switches tobattery back-up without interruption. On the road, the generator also rechargesthe battery pack.

Aura also points out that since its Oasis reefer system wasengineered to work with a limited power supply, a natural application was seenin the Eaton hybrid system. Testing, in fact, has already taken place atEaton’s Galesburg, Mich. facility on a configuration that eliminates thegenerator and utilizes the hybrid system to power the Oasis refrigeration unit.

Aura’s goal is to make its AuraGen generator a factory optionon medium-and light-duty trucks that have the need for mobile power, as well asthe preferred alternative in reefer applications using the Oasis system. Thecompany is currently working with several truck manufacturers, includingInternational, Freightliner, Isuzu, Hino, UD and Mitsubishi, among others.

Aura is also working with fleets to further validate theOasis reefer system. According to the company, about 50 units have beendelivered. Among the fleets using the system are General Produce and Diaz Foodsin Atlanta, and Roger’s Poultry, Sunnyland Organics and Able Freight in LosAngeles. Other fleets and leasing companies have expressed interest in gainingfirst-hand experience with Oasis as well.

Aura Systems fully expects its mobile power and refrigerationsolutions to gain widespread acceptance in the mid-size transport refrigerationtruck market where it estimates that there are over 100,000 existing vehiclesand approximately 15,000 to 20,000 new refrigerated trucks purchased everyyear.

Considering the growing need for mobile electric powerand the on-going desire to save fuel and reduce emissions, these solutions mayvery well be worth investigating.