Carrier Transicold's latest development, the Vector 1550 City trailer refrigeration unit (Vector 1550 City), is said to generate a noise level below 60 decibels with a standard 'nose-mount' installation and has been certified compliant with PIEK, Europe's most stringent noise abatement standard. Carrier Transicold is a unit of Carrier Corp., the world's leader in high technology heating, air-conditioning and refrigeration solutions, improving the world around us through engineered innovation and environmental stewardship. Carrier Corp. is a business unit of United Technologies Corp.
PIEK standards, introduced in the Netherlands in 2003, were developed in response to growing concerns from local government and supermarkets to reduce noise levels for night deliveries (between 10:30 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.). PIEK-registered technology must not surpass 60 decibels, the equivalent of normal conversation. While the Netherlands paved the way in this field, numerous projects aimed at reducing noise pollution have followed in countries including the UK, France, Spain and Germany.
The Vector 1550 City meets the requirements of customers receiving deliveries at night who are concerned with the comfort of local residents. It does this by reducing the sound emitted by the standard Vector 1550 by more than 10 decibels, whilst providing the same key advantages including all-electric technology, low fuel consumption, improved reliability and light weight.
"We have seen a rising demand, from the retail business sector in particular, for low-noise units," said Lionel Pourcheresse, product manager, Carrier Transicold Europe. "The Vector 1550 City is very much in line with this market development and is customer-driven. Using PIEK-certified refrigeration units demonstrates concern for the general well-being of the public and drivers. This can constitute a strong differentiator for logistics companies and retailers operating in highly competitive and regulated markets."
The new Vector 1550 City expands Carrier Transicold's PIEK-compliant "City" range, which already comprises the Vector 1850 City and Vector 1850 MT (Multi-Temperature) City units. Together, these models offer numerous benefits for fleets, retailers, trailer manufacturers, drivers and the general population through enabling significantly quieter deliveries.
By making night deliveries more attractive to retailers and fleets, supermarket shelves are better stocked and consumers better served. In addition, night deliveries lead to less time being spent on the road and hence fewer road accidents, lower CO2 emissions and enhanced fuel consumption, improving the vehicle operator's bottom-line. Residential neighbours will also appreciate not having their sleep disturbed thanks to quieter deliveries.
The Vector 1550 City uses the same mounting points and front wall opening as a standard trailer unit, with no special chassis modifications required a characteristic welcomed by trailer manufacturers. It is also lightweight at 790 kg.
A PIEK-certified refrigeration unit accommodates healthier working conditions for drivers, particularly during rest stops. Neighbouring drivers in truck stops will also reap the benefits of the Vector 1550 City's low sound output.
Both Vector 1550 models combine the same low fuel consumption with optimised refrigeration capacity. The enhanced energy consumption in comparison with the more powerful Vector 1850 units is achieved by a patented combination of a hermetic compressor with an economizer, enabling the use of a 1.5-litre diesel engine. The economizer function supplies up to a 40 per cent increase in refrigeration capacity during pull-down, which is automatically reduced during the temperature regulation phase. By delivering adequate capacity according to the refrigeration phases, energy consumption is drastically reduced while maintaining exceptional cold chain performance.
The Vector 1550 City refrigeration unit was officially unveiled at the Carrosserie Vakdagen show in Hardenberg in the Netherlands. It follows approximately six months after the launch of the standard Vector 1550 unit at the IAA Show in Hanover, Germany.
Carrier Transicold launched its first PIEK-compliant trailer refrigeration system in the UK and Ireland four years ago, with the Vector 1850 City technology being recognised with the prestigious John Connell Award for Technology, presented by the Noise Abatement Society in November 2007. It marked the first trailer refrigeration system in Europe to meet the demanding PIEK standard.
Add a Comment
No messages on this article yet