Webasto at the IAA Commercial Vehicles Show: New transport refrigeration systems and high-voltage heaters
The new Frigo Top 25, 35, and 40 transport refrigeration systems are designed for vehicles with refrigerated cargo capacities up to 18 m3. These units are offered for roof-top or front mounting. Since the majority of components here are integrated in a compact system, they are very quick and simple to install. They also offer new attractive features compared to previous models. A new technology with integrated heat exchanger raises cooling capacity by over 30%, which means that the refrigerated vehicle is ready to deploy at even shorter notice. In addition, the systems are much quieter thanks to smart control and the new design of the condenser fans. It has furthermore been possible to more than double the overall service life of the fans. To prevent any interruption to the cold chain during long standstill times, a standby unit is fitted as standard. This can be connected to either a 230 V or to a 400 V power socket such as those frequently fitted in warehouses. The systems are available from the Webasto dealer network from October 2014.
Prepared for electromobility with the High-Voltage Heater
Not only automobiles, but also light commercial vehicles such as vans, are increasingly being offered as plug-in hybrid or pure electric vehicles. One challenge lies in keeping the interior of these vehicles warm, because their motors do not produce enough waste heat for heating. Webasto has therefore developed an electric heater for the hybrid and electric vehicle market: The High-Voltage Heater (HVH). The device has been designed so that it can be used at battery voltages in ranges from 250 to 450 V without any loss of performance. The conversion of the electric current into heat takes place with an efficiency of 100%. If we consider the losses due to radiation of heat through the High-Voltage Heater’s housing, efficiencies of up to 99% are still achieved. The heat output ranges from 0.2 up to 5 kW and is infinitely variable.
With a weight of some 2 kg the device is also very light and its compact design permits flexible installation positions. All connections are located on the front of the heater, so that quick and easy “plug-and-play” installation is possible. Multi-level safety measures are integrated to ensure the highest level of safety and robustness – even at high voltages. A key consideration during development of the heater was that it should contain no lead and only use easily available raw materials. The newly developed heating layer therefore contains no rare earth elements.
