A tour of the ETC centre in Prague: a dedicated Thermo King testing lab

Stop 1: Thermodynamic Tests

The ETC provides a comprehensive range of tests, ensuring every part of the HVAC unit is in compliance with the latest regulations. That means thorough cooling capacity & power tests, to ensure optimal use of fuel/electricity and continued performance over long periods of time. The equipment’s performance is tested in a variety of circumstances thanks to the lab’s ability to simulate temperature, humidity and air pressure settings. Whatever conditions your rail car will face, our Thermodynamics lab makes sure our HVAC units perform at their best.

Stop 2: Climactic Tests

Operating your trains or trams in extreme conditions? The ETC’s Climactic lab has you covered! From -32°C to +60°C, along with humidity control, our climatic chambers will your units through extreme conditions, quite literally. Temperature and humidity are pushed to their absolute maximum to see how much the unit can endure. So wherever you operate, be it the frigid north of Norway to the midday Spanish sun, your passengers won’t notice a thing in your temperature-controlled rail car.

Stop 3: Acoustic tests

To make sure your staff and the passengers can travel in comfort on the way to work or a vacation, our engineers run rigorous tests on the unit’s sound levels, to verify it is as quiet as possible and compliant with all relevant regulations!

Stop 4: Vibration tests

Time to shake things up. Literally. Our vibration tests are to verify and validate the lifetime impact on shocks and vibrations as products are operating; we run an accelerated test using the profile of your rail car by installing the unit on a multiaxial shaker table. The lab equipment is equipped with two single-axial electrodynamic vibration and shock desks, along with a hydraulic system for multiaxial stress in vibration tests with a total mass up to 10 tons. Other than that, the lab is also capable of running lifespan testing of highly stressed parts, ensuring that your unit maximizes its lifespan under even the most demanding of conditions. The equipment is made to mimic real-life operations of roads and rail, perfected after years of experience in the field.

These tests can be combined with climactic tests in one of our chambers, with a temperature range of -32°C to +60°C, along with humidity control.And it really doesn’t get more extreme than that, does it?

Stop 5: Components testing

Compressors are the central component in any HVAC unit, and our ETC has no less than 14 chambers and four measuring devices at the ready to test the performance of compressors, running on a variety of refrigerants, from conventional refrigerants, including subcritical CO₂ and A2L refrigerants. 

Stop 6: Supporting tests

Material tests

These tests are smaller scale than the main activities outlined above, but every bit is as critical. The ETC measures the impact of corrosion and long-term UV exposure on the materials of the unit. Post the test, the component is put under a microscope to check results. In the case of the corrosion tests, literally, to ensure the materials can handle whatever the operating environment expose it to, for as long as possible.

Electromagnetic compatibility testing

A final test is determining the impact the unit has on “electrical noise” within the environment, from itself and the reverse if the equipment can endure the impact of its environment. The ETC carries out a large variety of tests and can provide expertise on how to modify the equipment to be compliant with any mandatory standards.  Should any test you require fall outside the scope of the EMC tests our engineers will facilitate, an external laboratory will be called upon to ensure full certification!

The ETC is a valued internal part of Trane Technologies and supports our units every step of the way. As an internal resource, the ETC has many advantages to ensure quick and thorough testing. An ever-increasing familiarity with the Thermo King portfolio means the technicians are continuously able to improve their service, results and initial quotations. There are no language barriers, no competition with others: all resources are fully dedicated to testing your Thermo King HVAC units.

In short, the ETC in Prague is filled to the brim with talent, dedication and expertise, ready to deliver you HVAC units that not only meet regulations but also exceed your expectations!

Interested in Thermo King’s Rail HVAC portfolio? Find out more here: Rail – HVAC – Thermo King