Refrigerated vehicles ageing influence on energy consumption

The decrease of insulated vehicles properties (due to blowing agent and air diffusive processes in polyurethane panels and assembling ageing) and the decrease of efficiency in refrigerated units produce an increase of energy consumption required to the correct preservation of foodstuffs during refrigerated transports. In this paper the increase of energy consumption is quantified using data collected in ATP tests on refrigerated vehicles. The energy consumption due to thermal dispersions depends both on insulated properties (measured in ATP tests evaluating the overall heat transfer coefficient K) and typical use of vehicles (number and duration of door opening during the transport, for example).