Lamberet is showing a new, smart reefer trailer at Solutrans in Lyon. The aerodynamic optimized trailer saves fuel, and a complete new air-distribution system inside provides a much better environment for the cargo.
With this CX system Lamberet is taking the lead in the European discussion about an energy labelling system for trailers.
SOLUTRANS 2013 expo, Lamberet: Innovation from 1 to 100m3!
With its stand at this edition of SOLUTRANS featuring 7 vehicles, along with 1 dynamic testing model, Lamberet will show off an impressive range of new innovations for its entire product line.
We are the only bodywork constructor for refrigerated vehicles to make 1 to 100 m3 models, from light utility vans to chassis bodies to semitrailers to road-rail swap bodies.
According to CEO Erick Méjean, Lamberet’s guiding principles for the expo will be “energy efficiency, productivity, and safety“. “Our clients are facing pressure from high operating costs and tax increases in a poor economic environment. More than ever, we need to innovate in order to make operations more efficient and reduce fuel costs.”
SR2 CX system
Lamberet is in line with the work by the European Commission aimed at creating an energy efficiency label for industrial vehicles.
The SR2 CX system fulfills the efficiency criteria specific to the refrigerated vehicles segment, in terms of outside aerodynamics, internal air flows, insulation, and weight, which in the context of current regulations would fall under “class A” of that environmental label.
Proof through innovation: Making its European debut, the CX system concept changes both the fuel consumption of the vehicle as a whole, with special outside aerodynamics, and the consumption of the refrigeration unit, by improving internal air flows and the output of the compressor’s heat engine.
Outside aerodynamics are optimized through the special design of the front face. It has a profile with a minimal radius of curvature and an extended outer edge, so as to laterally direct the air flow between the body and the tractor, while helping to ventilate the refrigeration unit and thereby improve its efficiency.
The airflow at the unit is directed downward, depending on how the cooling system operates, and a spoiler built into the front end of the chassis releases the hot air expelled by the refrigeration unit out from the sides, preventing a closed circuit from being formed.
These improvements reduce the vehicle’s fuel consumption by about 3% under certain conditions.
The patented “Optiflow” side fairing, shaped like aircraft wings, turns disruptions in air flow near the chassis into thrust that saves 1.5 L per 100 km, as measured by an independent testing protocol recognized under the SAE J1321 type 2 standard.
The smooth rear that reduces disruptions in drag and reduced dead weight resulting from Lamberet’s design (an average of one ton less for the SR2 trailer compared to a standard competing model) consolidate these gains.
The revolutionary patented Internal Air Flow Optimizer (IAFO) replaces archaic “closed” ventilation ducts.
When at full power, the IAFO system directs and compresses the air flow as it exits the blowers. That flow is immediately decompressed without any loss of force after it goes through a nozzle optimized to transmit almost all of its initial energy.
As a result, the powerfully directional flow is ejected at a very high speed, which must be preserved for as along as possible. This where the IAFO system’s air guides come in. These comma-shaped guides direct the air flow without any load losses.
This concept, a major departure from anything that existed before, is the product of a brand-new, ultraprecise, realistic simulation. This study commissioned by Lamberet combines actual measurements with a finite element model that includes a 4,512,000-cell tetrahedral structure.
The IAFO system thereby ensures a flow of cold air all the way to the rear of the load area and encourages upward air recirculation. This action homogenizes temperatures regardless of the load’s position.
As a result, the temperature setpoints are more reliable, avoiding the risks of rejected merchandise, and the refrigeration fuel consumption is reduced on average by 0.5 L/h at -20°C.
Erick Méjean: “We were very surprised by the result, which led us to the opposite conclusion from that we had initially expected to do. The air ducts and conduits currently in use in the industry actually have an extremely negative impact on the power of the air flow. Our model shows this unambiguously. Our innovation is squarely aimed at eliminating or minimizing the rejection of merchandise for failure to stay below the setpoint, which had become increasingly common in recent years and is very problematic for carriers. The power of the IAFO system’s air flow enables temperature homogenization within the body by eliminating the “hot spot” that normally forms in the rear, regardless of what the load is.”
Better safety for the driver: The design of the CX system also makes the driver safer and improves ergonomics.
The CX system’s anodized aluminum profiles act as “markers” for the trailer’s sides in the driver’s rear-view field, which can be a boon to refrigerated vehicles, as they can be 2.60m wider than other vehicles.
This new front also allows the optional installation of a new sliding headrest system installed on a low-friction rail.
The headrest can be extended further than any earlier kind, and doing so is easier than ever. The driver no longer needs to go between the tractor and trailer during the coupling maneuver.
All in all, in certain operating modes, the SR2 and CX System combine to reduce total fuel consumption during refrigerated transport by 2.5 to 3 L per 100 km!
Lamberet will outfit its entire line of semi-trailers and straight trucks with the new CX front system, as a standard feature and at no extra cost, beginning in January 2014. “Optiflow” fairing will be an optional feature for the client.
In additional to the new CX front system shared by the entire product line, Lamberet is exhibiting major upgrades to the two top sellers in its line of semi-trailers:
SR2 SuperBeef+
Designed for transporting hanging meat, SR2 SuperBeef, winner of the Innovation Prize during the most recent edition of Solutrans, comes in a SuperBeef+ version in which the front of the floor and chassis have been completely redesigned to provide even more stability while raising the inside height to 2.70m, without exceeding the overall 4m regulatory limit. All this comes without requiring any non-standard tires or coupling height.
The chassis is improved with 4 bolted modules instead of 3; the connecting rods between the axle module and front module have been replaced by a new module with edges that extends the absorption of side loads into the wheelbase. This innovation keeps the floor from becoming transversally warped when a maximum load is applied to it. Incorporating 4 load absorption edges into the chassis in this area also preserves the exceptional stability that has made the Lamberet SuperStable chassis a success.
Erick Méjean: “This effectively addresses the demands of our clients who want vehicles optimized for flawless international use with demanding hanging meat loads, while remaining effective in “pallet” mode thanks to a high internal height beneath the hangers.”