Choosing a refrigeration unit is not only a body-volume and target-degree decision. The eight headings in the 2013 MEB Frigorific Vehicle Selection module bring product, route, body and door use into one checklist. Compare power, service and acceptance evidence in the same file.
The eight headings
- Product type and quantity
- Ambient temperature
- Carriage temperature
- Body insulation
- Door insulation
- Door openings during service
- Air-curtain use
- Road conditions
These headings do not replace one another. Record door openings by start and end minutes, with ambient conditions, rather than counts alone. Body geometry, door insulation, partition arrangement and airflow also connect to the load's starting temperature and target condition. The difference between four and thirty stops does not by itself prove that a new unit is needed; assess the existing unit under actual conditions.
Route log and quotation inputs
| Variable | Practical data to record | Comparison evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Product and load | Type, quantity, starting and target condition | Dispatch and acceptance record |
| Route and door | Stops, distance, opening start-end minutes, ambient | Event log and delivery profile |
| Body and partition | Geometry, insulation, partition and airflow | Drawing, installation and inspection |
| Power | Vehicle movement, engine-off waiting and supply | Operating mode and meter record |
| Service | Maintenance, access and fault history | Service and acceptance file |
A hypothetical example shows door time only: four openings of three minutes total 12 open minutes; thirty openings of one minute total 30 minutes. This does not calculate heat load or unit power and is not measured performance. Compare real records under the same product, ambient, starting condition, route and operating mode.
Compare cooling capacities at the same ambient and return-air temperatures and in the same operating mode. For example, the Thermo King V-800 page lists road and electric-standby capacities separately: '10' identifies road-only and '20' road plus standby. This North American product example shows why the power configuration must be specified alongside the family name. The actual installation supplier should define the body, unit, supply and acceptance test together.
The MEB source's discussion of body and door problems does not by itself explain a unit's performance. Inadequate insulation, thermal bridges, door profile or unsuitable operating conditions are separate findings for acceptance review. The acceptance file should connect measured conditions with the control areas of the responsible parties.
The same eight variables also answer the question of where a reefer is required.
The asking for insulation value in a quotation guide organises selection inputs separately from a general unit definition. Stop count or price alone is not a selection criterion; read the route log, product condition, power, service and acceptance record together.
