Transport refrigeration system with engine shaft horsepower augmentation
AssigneeCarrier Corporation
InventorJohn T. Steele
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Shaft horsepower output associated with a prime mover for driving a component of a transport refrigeration system may be selectively augmented through an auxiliary power apparatus. In an embodiment, a compressed air engine is provided and selectively operable to augment the shaft horsepower output for driving the component. At least one storage tank is provided for storing compressor air and at least one air compressor is provided for generating and supplying compressed air to the at least one compressed air storage tank. In an embodiment, the prime mover is a fuel combustion engine and the compressed air is heated by exhaust gas from the fuel combustion engine. The driven component may be a refrigerant compressor. The driven component may be an electric generator.
Claims11
A transport refrigeration system for refrigerating a perishable cargo within a cargo space of a mobile refrigerated unit, comprising:
- a refrigeration unit having a refrigerant compressor;
- an engine coupled to a drive shaft for powering the refrigerant compressor and operable to generate an available shaft horsepower output;
- a compressed air device operatively associated with the drive shaft for driving the refrigerant compressor and selectively operable to augment the available shaft horsepower output of said engine such that both the engine and the compressed air device provide torque to the drive shaft;
- at least one compressed air storage tank that stores compressed air to power the compressed air device;
- and
- an engine exhaust gas to compressed air heat exchanger disposed in operative association with said at least one compressed air storage tank for heating said compressed air in-situ within said at least one compressed air storage tank.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.