Impact of the refrigeration system on the fuel consumption and on the emissions of a small refrigerated truck

The driving conditions, the actual mission and loading and unloading operations of a refrigerated truck have a clear impact on the energy demand of the refrigeration unit. On the other side, the refrigeration unit represents an additional load for the prime engine of the vehicle, leading to an increase of the fuel consumption and of the vehicle emissions. In order to assess the impact of the refrigeration system on the vehicle emissions, transient 0-D numerical simulations were developed. The numerical model includes the dynamic description of the refrigeration system, the insulated body and the vehicle engine and driveline. Different systems will be compared in terms of energetic performance, assuming the case of small delivery truck in urban environment and different climate conditions. Results will be useful to assess the impact of the cooling system on a delivery missions of temperature-controlled goods.