The freshest food is frozen
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• The very word cryogenics brings to mind scary science fiction scenarios of dead millionaires being frozen until whe knows when. In the real world cryogenic technology is likeh to have a greater impact on our lives through its use ir transport temperature control.
With the widely acknowledged pressures to reduce noise and so-called greenhouse gas emission, cryogenic refrigeration offers a near-silent and 002 neutral alternative te conventional mechanical/HFC systems.
Cryogenics use CO2 (stored as a high-pressure liquid ir an on-board tank) as the refrigerant medium on a totalloss basis; the only moving parts are light-duty fans. TN most efficient provide temperature pull-down and recovery times three times as fast as conventional systems.
Thermo King has been offering a cryogenic system for trailers, the SB-111 CR, for some time and it has been wel received in evaluations, particularly in Sweden.
Now it is joined by the ST-CR 300, a truck-mounted system using the same technology but with some modifications for the different application. Small electric fans provide the circulation and engine coolant supplies a heat source for defrost and heating requirements.
While CO2 is widely avail
able as a by-product of many manufacturing proSB-III CR trailer: Well tested. cesses. the biggest hurdle
facing cryogenic systems is the lack of infrastructure to provide a widespread supply in a high-pressure liquid form.
With this in mind Thermo King is working with the Norwegian company Hydro Gas to develop a network of filling stations throughout Europe. The Swedish and Dutch governments have already given their support to the project, but at present the technology remains in the chickenand-egg position that has held up the adoption of alternative fuels such as LPG.
Cryogenic systems would initially be a similar price to conventional offerings, but much cheaper to run, and prices should fall as production increases.