Webasto Product North America expanded its BlueCool Thermal Storage APU line with the BlueCool Hybrid, giving truck operators the flexibility to use shore power to run the company’s bunk cooler while providing hotel load.
“Because it uses electricity from a land-based source, BlueCool Hybrid can produce cool air indefinitely unlike most battery-powered systems that need to be recharged by the engine after a single rest period,” said John Thomas, general manager of Webasto’s Commercial Vehicle Division. “Plus it can deliver AC power for standard household appliances, including laptops and other sensitive electronics, without having to use an inverter or the vehicle’s electrical system.”
BlueCool Hybrid uses a standard 120V AC power source. Its components include an electrical cord (12 gauge, rated for 20 amps); a junction box including relays, fuses and circuit breakers; a 30-amp battery charger; and a 120V AC GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupt) receptacle for the vehicle’s interior.
When the system detects an outside power source, it switches to shore power mode. Electricity from the grid powers the outlets in the bunk, a battery charger to ensure that the battery has sufficient voltage to start the vehicle, and the compressor for Webasto’s BlueCool Thermal Storage unit, the company said.
The new unit produces cool air using thermal energy stored in a frozen graphite/water matrix. A high-efficiency pump circulates coolant through the storage core and an air handler (heat exchanger) in the cab. Four quiet, efficient fans in the air handler draw in warm bunk air and pass it across the exchanger, Webasto said, and the air gives up its heat to the chilled mixture circulating through the exchanger and returns to the bunk through adjustable openings on the air handler.
The BlueCool Thermal Storage APU runs independently of the OE air-conditioning system and can charge and discharge simultaneously while connected to shore power, the company said. And it can operate without shore power, keeping the bunk area cool for up to 10 hours by using energy that was stored during highway operation.
Webasto’s BlueCool Hybrid is available through the WheelTime distribution and service network and truck dealerships across the U.S. and Canada.
