Carrier Offers Greener Refrigerated Storage
Carrier Transicold’s Vector 5100 all-electric refrigeration unit was developed as an environmentally responsible and energy-efficient solution for grocers that use refrigerated trailers for on-site cold storage.
According to Athens, Ga.-based Carrier, the Vector 500 eliminates the noise, emissions and fuel consumption associated with traditional temporary cold storage approaches, and can reduce operating costs up to 70 percent.
“The Vector 5100 unit delivers the same quiet, emissions-free performance as a Vector 6500 unit on electric standby, without the added expense of the power plant,” said Mark Fragnito, product manager. “Additional user savings come from running off ‘the grid,’ rather than using a diesel engine to run the refrigeration system. With current models, the operating savings range from 40 percent to 70 percent, based on the relatively stable cost of electric power and the fluctuating price of diesel fuel over the last several years.”
The Vector 5100 stationary unit is based on the electric architecture of Carrier’s Vector 6500 single-temperature transport refrigeration unit (TRU). A hybrid unit, the Vector 6500 uses a diesel engine and electric generator for on-highway power and offers plug-in electric-standby capability when parked at the loading dock. Carrier said that Electric units have fewer moving parts compared with conventional mechanical units, resulting in improvements such as quieter operation and reduced maintenance requirements.
The units are especially helpful in situations where supermarkets need portable stationary cold storage, such as around the holidays, when retailers are moving a substantial number of seasonal items, according to Carrier. Typically, retailers park and use older trailers equipped with aging diesel reefers that are noisier and less efficient than new units. By consuming more fuel, this practice becomes a relatively expensive and wasteful solution.
“Customers committed to sustainable strategies will want to tap the Vector 5100 unit’s environmental advantages,” Fragnito said. “Plus, there is some regulatory incentive to do so. California, for one, has already proposed stringent restrictions on diesel-powered stationary cold storage as part of its greenhouse gas reduction initiatives and strongly encourages alternative options, including electrically driven systems. As an electric-only unit, the Vector 5100 is a terrific alternative for forward-looking operations.”
Requiring only a 460-volt power supply, the Vector 5100 unit is designed for near-silent operation and exceptionally low lifecycle costs. It uses maintenance-free electric motors to drive its evaporator fan and condenser fans. The semi-hermetic compressor has no shaft seal to wear out. Heating and defrost, when needed, are provided by electric-resistance elements, rather than hot gas. The unit leverages Carrier’s quiet V-force condenser fans and high-performance Novation condenser coil.
Each unit is equipped with a programmable Advance microprocessor control and energy management controls for optimal refrigeration performance and energy efficiency.
For more information, call (315) 432-6442 or visit www.trucktrailer.carrier.com.