The future of Thermo King Rail HVAC

Dedication to sustainable innovation is part of the Thermo King philosophy. That’s why the leading transport refrigeration manufacturer is committed to continuing its 30-year history in the Rail HVAC industry. At the European Engineering Technology Centre (ETC) in Prague, that long history fuels Thermo King’s research and development. Besides its function as a testing centre where all manner of units are validated through climactic- or vibration tests, this internal Trane Technologies facility is also an important centre for innovation, as Thermo King strives for HVAC units that are ever more efficient, sustainable and safe. The engineers in Prague are involved from the early stages of designing new units and technologies, using their thorough knowledge and familiarity with the industry and units to advise and support.

The rail industry is a varied one, ranging from high-speed cross-country trains to smaller metros that travel underground. Every train operates in different conditions and Thermo King makes sure that they each have a fully customised solution, keeping passengers and staff safe and comfortable.

Despite all of that variety, there are universal design philosophies that guide Thermo King’s research.

Smaller size, more powerful performance

If trains, trams and metros are to become the future of transportation, the industry must stay dedicated to efficiency and sustainability. Since public and legislative demands are increasingly more focussed on reducing carbon emissions, every part of the train must be designed with this goal in mind, including the HVAC system. For Thermo King, that means – amongst other things – decreasing the size and reducing the weight of the units and selecting materials and designing sub-systems with “cradle-to-grave” in mind. The main way this is accomplished is by reducing the volume of sheet metal used, and redesigning the exterior of the unit.

The initial result is a 25% decrease in weight. This means less stress on the train itself, less material used, less labour to weld and grind, and less manipulation needed during assembly and installation of the unit onto the rail car. Less of everything, basically.

That same dedication to sustainability can be found at every level of Thermo King’s Rail HVAC business. A great amount of effort is made to ensure the ”cradle to grave” impact of raw materials used, its lifetime cost in operation and maintenance, as well as the end of life. 

Alternative refrigerants

What’s on the inside of an HVAC unit is just as important as what’s on the outside. That means investing in alternative refrigerants with a lower global warming potential (GWP), an evolution driven not only by legislation but also by client demand. Thermo King is actively looking into expanding the use of the CO2 refrigerants currently used in bus HVAC.  This completely natural refrigerant has a GWP rating of 1, meaning its impact on the environment is all but negligible. When taken together with recaptured heat to maintain the efficiency of CO2, the total efficiency of the system becomes very high, with hardly a downside in sight.

The age of information

The final big area of Thermo King’s R&D is more targeted at software, rather than hardware. Thermo King Rail HVAC products obviously control the unit performance and energy to deliver optimal comfort. Data can be collected and shared, combined with other data from the rail car and will eventually become information. However, it is very important to protect the inputs and outputs from the controls, as well as the data – so cybersecurity is key, now and in future.

Passengers today plan their journeys with the help of a great deal of information and real-time updates. They can monitor exactly where their train is when it’s expected to arrive at their stop and what the expected delays are on the journey. On the journey, it´s likely that a panel show outside and inside temperatures and humidity. Gathering and distributing that information to the passengers requires a large and complex online infrastructure. A strong cybersecurity-protected network is absolutely essential. That’s why Thermo King is launching an internal project to ensure they can comply with every cybersecurity need the customers may have.

In short, Thermo King has a long history of servicing the Rail industry with customisable, reliable solutions and the best is yet to come! We initiate, plan, execute, monitor and control projects with customer and end-user in mind to successfully deliver what you require.

With ambitious plans and dedicated staff at the ETC in Prague and the engineering office at the plant in Kolin, innovative solutions are here now and in future. Thermo King Rail HVAC can keep you on track!