When it comes to the max working hour of truck sleeper air conditioners, many drivers according to their experience give different answers, which makes the drivers who have no experience in parking air conditioners feel confused. So what on earth the truck cabins air conditioner can last for? Now let’s calculate.
Before we calculate the hours, we should figure out what will affect the truck sleeper air conditioner working time?
The truck or other vehicle’s battery storage determines the air conditioner lasting time directly. For example, with 150AH vehicle battery storage and 330AH vehicle battery storage, the ac working time may differ nearly double the time.
PS: 24V*150AH=3600WH=3.6KW*H is the formula for vehicle battery storage. The formula means that a 150AH truck battery storage can store 3.6-kilowatt power.
The power of the parking air conditioner is not the same as the cooling capacity. For the no idle air conditioning, the power is about 700W – 1200W, and the cooling capacity will be at 2000W to 2800W.
For the different brands of parking air conditioners, their power differs a lot. For example the split truck air conditioner, it will show compressor power, condenser power and evaporator power, plus the three of them will get the final ac power. Usually, the parking ac power is larger, and its cooling capacity will be larger, then the cooling effect will be better, but the lasting time will be short.
At this point, it is similar to the home air conditioners. When the ambient temperature is too high, and parking air conditioners will use more power, so the ac-lasting time will be shorter. As for the variable frequency, the truck sleeper air conditioner can help to save power according to the temperature difference to control the compressor and condenser fans’ power.
Now when you have already known the 3 reasons that will affect the ac lasting time, how to calculate it?
Usually, the formula is Vehicle Power(AH)*Voltage(12V/24V)*(10% Star up power)/AC rated input power=ac lasting hours.
So the hours is not an absolute number but a relative number that should take many factors into consideration.
The first solution is to train and educate the driver to turn off diesel as much as possible. The second is to support it with an incentive program. The latter has proven itself in some cases, but what about extreme temperatures? You can persuade the fleet to switch off when you step into a truck stop in search of a hamburger, but you can’t expect to refrain from heating and cooling in extreme weather. If it’s not idle, there’s a problem.
How to solve this problem? There are so many choices in some of the five categories we have listed that you may not be completely sure where to go. A few years ago, at the Mid-America Truck Show, a journalist friend exhibited 43 types of idling stop tools, from small diesel bank heaters to full-fledged auxiliary power units to the increasingly popular electric HVAC system. Did. Looking at the list of EPA’s current devices that are exempt from federal sales tax, the number is close to 60, even considering some outfits on the market. Also, there are at least two manufacturers that have just entered the battle or are known to be coming soon. It’s very difficult to catch up.
The possibilities are so great that I won’t name them here for fear of offending 50 unreferenced people. Your truck dealer can also help you. In fact, most truck makers now have their own systems, most of which are electric.
What they all have in common is that, in theory, your investment can be rewarded on its own, quickly, sometimes even within a year. Then you can save on fuel costs (which can be thousands of dollars a year). Drivers do not have to wear 16 pairs of long johns or dress in skives, depending on the season.
As always, your choice depends on the type of track you are playing and where you are doing it. It’s kind of like a horse, and your choices range from $ 1,000 to well over $ 10,000.
Generally, the following solutions are available:
Increasingly popular are battery-based heating and air conditioning systems that also provide “hotel” power to run microwave ovens and the like without the need for a truck engine. If you are towing a refrigerated trailer, some systems can be run on diesel in refrigerated containers as needed. These systems typically provide heating, cooling, and 110 volts of power for up to 10 hours. Overall, it’s cheaper than a diesel-powered APU, but make sure it provides the cooling performance you need.
While driving the truck, the alternator with soup charges a power pack made of a deep cycle battery of about 185 amps, and the electric air conditioner compressor charges the regenerator. When activated, the fan circulates cold air from the heat storage unit to the threshold. The heat is usually supplied by a small diesel combustion unit.
Overall, the takes about 8 hours to be recharged, that is, to keep the truck and its alternator up and running. This can limit your application. Most offer onshore power options.
These units tend to be fairly light, but adding the weight of three or four deep cycle batteries would equal or exceed the weight of an APU of around 400 pounds or more.
There is also a small electric unit with only air conditioning. Others, including those newly introduced to the Arctic, provide only warmth. The A / C unit operates at 110/115 volts from APU, a bank of onboard deep cycle batteries, or terrestrial power. Standalone electric heaters can be powered by APU, terrestrial power, or even a 12-volt inverter.
The APU is still a fairly popular option for fleets and owners as it produces its own power from a 1-cylinder, 2-cylinder, and possibly 3-cylinder diesel engine. However, there are now more battery-based systems than traditional APUs. Installation costs range from approximately $ 7,000 to $ 13,000. Some providers offer lending options. At least one offers a lease.
If you spend your time in a hot climate or actually live in a truck and want to enjoy all the electrical fun of your home, the benefits are real. The APU can run its own integrated A / C compressor, condenser, and heat exchanger and does not need to be connected to the truck system. Others use the truck’s HVAC system to circulate coolant from the APU to supply heat and use the truck’s capacitors and fans to run the A / C compressor.
Some come standard with an inverter, some call it an option, and some do not offer it altogether. Of course, even if that happens, you’ll need a plug for the truck.