Perrin Manufacturing announced a new, auxiliary HVAC system designed for emergency response vehicles that meets strict anti-idling and emissions standards. Perrin developed the system for Smeal Fire Apparatus Co, which markets it under the trade name SG-09 Smeal Green Auxiliary Power Unit.
Perrin says the SG-09 was designed to address the growing demand among North American fire departments for smarter supplemental power generation and climate control systems that meet more stringent engine idling laws, reduce fuel consumption and lower maintenance costs.
In designing the SG-09, Perrin called upon its experience of designing and manufacturing HVAC and APU system for heavy-duty, off-road and exotic commercial work vehicles, which includes related products developed under its Tridako PowerCube APU brand. Perrin’s intelligent design allows the SG-09 to deliver 9 kW of power and to handle a wide range of heating and cooling needs for the crew space while maintaining stable interior temperatures in the face of everything from desert sun loads to arctic wind chills.
“We went to Perrin because they have world-class HVAC and APU engineering expertise and a successful track record with other leading OEMs,” Joel Konecky, regional sales director for Smeal Fire Apparatus, said. “The result of our collaboration is a particularly smart solution that operates automatically and independently, freeing firefighters to focus on the task at hand.”
The SG-09 employs Smeal’s proprietary controller that automatically starts the system while shutting down and monitoring the chassis engine, starting it again if needed. There is no interruption of power or HVAC service, and the SG-09 can be manually started or stopped using controls conveniently located in both the cab and on the pump panel, even when the apparatus is in motion. The control’s advanced user interface makes operating the system virtually effortless.
“The SG-09 delivers the level of performance we were looking for, and it does so automatically,” Buddy Caldwell, captain and fleet manager for Charlotte (NC) Fire Department, said. “Now we’ve got the auxiliary power we need, our crew cabin environment has never been more controlled and we’re achieving it all while meeting emissions compliance and reducing our fuel and maintenance costs.”
The Charlotte (NC) Fire Department recently took delivery of a number of SG-09-equipped vehicles, including four Smeal pumpers and three 105-foot Smeal aerials, and the department currently has more on order. Toronto (Canada) Fire Services now has six 105-foot Smeal aerials fitted with SG-09 APUs.
