Carrier Transicold on Monday, June 11, announced EcoForward technologies, the new name behind the transport refrigeration units and generator sets designed to comply with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency diesel-emissions standards, which change in 2013. TRUs with EcoForward technologies will consume less fuel, operate quieter and deliver improved performance, all while running cleaner than the models they will replace, according to the company.
“EcoForward technologies are an important milestone in Carrier Transicold’s continuous product development for transport refrigeration customers,” says David Appel, president of Carrier Transicold. “These innovative technologies include a range of forward-thinking enhancements that will boost performance and efficiency and intelligently coordinate refrigeration with a smarter engine. The efficiency gains allow us to significantly reduce engine power, enabling better fuel economy to help our North American refrigerated transport customers move their own businesses forward in more sustainable ways.”
Common to systems with EcoForward technologies are 2.2-liter diesel engines based on Carrier Transicold’s established engine line and made smarter with the addition of sensors and electronic control modules, the company says. Performance gains from the application of EcoForward technologies mean that engine power can be reduced by 18 to 20 percent, putting them within the scope of EPA’s Tier 4 standard for nonhighway engines rated at 11 to 25 horsepower. For trailer refrigeration, efficiency improvements result in a 5 to 20 percent reduction in fuel consumption compared to previous models, over a full range of operating conditions.
A new custom-designed engine emissions system is designed to aid in emissions reduction and compliance with the California Air Resources Board ultra-low emissions standard.
EcoForward technologies are being applied to Carrier’s trailer refrigeration platforms, both the belt-driven units and the Vector hybrid diesel-electric units, as well as the PowerLine generator sets used with container refrigeration systems for overland intermodal applications.
Units featuring the EcoForward technologies will be available in limited quantities by the end of the year and fully available in 2013.
