Carrier Transicold said its Vector refrigeration unit is designed for efficiency and low maintenance, adding that the units are also North America’s quietest diesel-powered trailer refrigeration units, based on recent company testing. Carrier Transicold said it helps improve global transport and shipping temperature control with a complete line of equipment for refrigerated trucks, trailers and containers, and is a part of UTC Climate, Controls & Security Systems, a unit of United Technologies Corp.
The Vector 6500 single-temperature unit was tested by Carrier Transicold in accordance with ARI Standard 1120, paired against a competitive unit of comparable capacity equipped with a factory-installed sound-reduction package. When running in high-speed cooling mode, the Vector unit’s sound output measured six decibels quieter than the competitor.
“Putting this into perspective, it would take four Vector units running in high-speed cooling mode to produce the sound volume of a single conventional competitive unit equipped with a noise abatement package,” said Dave Kiefer, Carrier Transicold’s director of marketing and product management. “In the high-speed heating test, the
Vector unit was even more impressive.” He explained that, unlike conventional units, Vector units heat with electric resistance strips, which do not require use of the compressor. In the high-speed heat mode, the Vector unit measured 10 decibels quieter than the competitor, with a sound output that is low enough to be comparable to the decibel range of normal conversation.
According to the company, contributing to the Vector unit’s low sound output is its all-electric refrigeration system, which, unlike conventional systems, doesn’t have the numerous mechanical components that contribute to engine and compressor noise. The units also take advantage of noise-reducing V-Force condenser fans with vortex-suppression technology. With doors designed for acoustic abatement, both the Vector 6500 and its multi-temperature sibling, the Vector 6600MT, include a bottom panel that helps further contain engine sound.
Less noise improves conditions for drivers in sleeper cabs, and also helps as refrigerated trailers travel through residential neighborhoods going to and from supermarkets, in neighborhoods located around refrigerated distribution centers, or where multiple refrigerated trailers congregate, the company noted.
“When parked during loading and unloading, Vector units can be plugged into an outlet and powered electrically, enabling them to deliver full-capacity cooling without using the diesel engine. This ‘standby operation’ drops the sound output by another three decibels in cooling mode. In heating mode, when the compressor operation is not required, the unit is virtually silent,” Kiefer said.
When in standby operation, the Vector units eliminate engine emissions from the refrigeration unit, conserving fuel, and reducing operating costs by 40% to 70%, depending on the price of fuel and electricity, the company added.
