Power regulation system for a mobile environment-controlled unit and method of controlling the same

A method of operating a mobile environment-controlled unit comprising

• a chassis,
• a compartment supported by the chassis, and
• an environmental-control system in environmental communication with the compartment, the environmental-control system including an AC alternator powered by an internal combustion engine and to supply electrical power for the environmental-control system, the method comprising:
• monitoring an environmental parameter of the compartment;
• monitoring one or more electrical parameters of the AC alternator;
• determining whether to adjust an output AC voltage of the AC alternator to a new output AC voltage based on the monitored one or more electrical parameters of the AC alternator and on the monitored environmental parameter;
• determining a predicted alternator speed based on the new output AC voltage when the controller determines to adjust the output AC voltage of the AC alternator to the new output AC voltage;
• controlling the environmental-control system based on the monitored environmental parameter;
• and
• adjusting a field current of the AC alternator based on the predicted alternator speed to stabilize the AC alternator while also meeting the demands of the environmental-control system wherein the one or more electrical parameters of the AC alternator includes at least one of an AC alternator output voltage and an AC alternator output power.

A mobile environment-controlled unit comprising:

• a chassis;
• a compartment supported by the chassis;
• and
• an environmental-control system in environmental communication with the compartment, the environmental-control system being configured to control an environmental parameter of the compartment, the environmental parameter including at least the temperature of the compartment, the environmental-control system including:
• an AC alternator powered by an internal combustion engine and to supply electrical power for the environmental-control system, wherein the AC alternator includes an alternator voltage regulator configured to regulate an AC output voltage by adjusting a field current of the AC alternator;
• a controller configured to:
• monitor the environmental parameter of the compartment,
• monitor one or more parameters of the AC alternator, the one or more parameters including at least one of an AC alternator output voltage and an AC alternator output power,
• determine whether to adjust an output AC voltage of the AC alternator to a new output AC voltage based on the monitored one or more electrical parameters of the AC alternator and on the monitored environmental parameter, determine a predicted alternator speed based on the new output AC voltage when the controller determines to adjust the output AC voltage of the AC alternator to the new output AC voltage, and adjust the field current of the AC alternator based on the predicted alternator speed to stabilize the AC alternator while also meeting the demands of the environmental-control system,
• wherein the controller is directly connected to the alternator voltage regulator, and
• wherein the controller is configured to adjust the field current of the AC alternator by sending a signal to the alternator voltage regulator.