Thermo King, a manufacturer of temperature control systems for a variety of mobile applications and a brand of Ingersoll Rand, is offering new solutions designed to enable owners and operators of light rail and bus systems to optimize energy and operational efficiency and sustainability while increasing passenger and driver comfort.
The company is introducing these solutions at the 2011 American Public Transportation Association Expo. At the conference, a leader from Thermo King also educated attendees about the energy efficiency of all electric heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems for bus.
Many U.S. metropolitan areas are introducing a new light rail segment called low-floor street car to meet the growing demand for more energy-efficient and sustainable light rail transit. To meet customer demand from this market, Thermo King is launching a custom midsize HVAC unit designed to provide a reliable, compact and efficient solution.
Thermo King says its engineers worked closely with key rail car manufacturers to produce this new unit. The mid-size rail unit, which is custom-built to specifications for each transit agency, is designed to enable users to optimize energy efficiency and passenger and driver comfort. The first units will be installed on streetcars in Portland, Ore., by first quarter 2012.
“Our research shows that as many as 60 U.S. cities have started construction or are planning to add this transportation mode to their streets,” says Frédéric Komajda, director of global rail sales and services for Thermo King. “This versatile unit features the most recent technical advances in the rail industry to help our customers create a reliably quiet, comfortable environment for passengers and drivers while optimizing energy and operational efficiency.”
Thermo King says new bus solutions respond to customer demand for solutions that allow bus owners and operators to improve fuel efficiency and incorporate leading-edge technologies to help operators meet their energy efficiency and sustainability objectives while optimizing comfort throughout the vehicle for passengers and drivers.
These solutions include the IntelligAire III microprocessor with advanced diagnostics and J1939 CanBus communication capability, long-life brushless motors and all-electric HVAC. “These solutions will help bus owners and operators provide a consistently comfortable environment while improving the bottom line and increasing energy efficiency and sustainability,” says Doug Lenz, director of product management and marketing for Thermo King.
Also at the conference, Steve Johnson, product manager for Thermo King, presented “HVAC – Efficiency and Electrification.” Johnson discussed strategies and techniques that he says can allow users to reduce energy consumption of the HVAC system by 50 percent or more during the cooling season.
