The History of Truck Reefer Unit

   Mobile refrigeration originated from reefer ships and refrigerator cars in the mid-19th century. Mobile mechanical refrigeration was invented by Frederick McKinley Jones, who co-founded Thermo King with entrepreneur Numero. In 1938 Numero sold his Cinema Supplies Inc. movie sound equipment business to RCA to form the new entity, U.S. Thermo Control Company ( later the Thermo King Corporation). Jones as the engineer, has designed a portable air-cooling unit for trucks carrying perishable food, for which they obtained a patent in 1940. Jones’ invention has brought great improvement to the long-haul transportation of perishable goods.

This technology has been frequently used since the 1950s when it was most often used for preserving animal-based cells or tissue. As medical breakthroughs, such as in cancer treatment, have taken place, the demand for cold chain systems has grown. The COVID-19 pandemic and its associated vaccinations have caused vastly increased need.

How Does A Truck Reefer Unit Work

Thinking that it is amazing for a small truck reefer unit to make a big box stay cooled all day long? Want to know how a truck reefer unit works? Take a look at how a reefer unit actually works with Kingclima!

A truck reefer unit is consists of three main parts: the compressor, the condenser, and the evaporator. Each of them plays a very important role in cooling your truck box.

The Compressor: There’s a small engine within the reefer unit that drives the compressor. The compressor draws in gaseous refrigerant and then compresses it. The pressure from this liquefies the gas into liquid refrigerant, which then gives off heat to the body of the compressor and the surrounding air. By now, the temperature is still warm.

The Condenser: The condenser receives the liquid from the compressor. Then the heat is exchanged through the condenser. The warm liquid flows to the walls of the tubing, and then outside of the attached fins. The fins provide more surface area with which to cool outside air that comes in through the condenser fan. Now, given most of its heat to the condenser, the refrigerant has become a cool liquid.

The Evaporator: The evaporator is the part inside the trailer. The refrigerant goes into the evaporator through a metering valve, which controls the amount of cooling. Inside the evaporator, the cool refrigerant turns back into gas. This process would repeat until your box is cooled to the desired temperature.

Thanks to the predecessors who made the historical invention and innovation in refrigeration unit, making cold chain transportation industry leap to a whole new stage. A truck reefer unit is now an indispensable part of the transportation of foods, medicines, and chips, etc. By producing reliable truck refrigeration units, Kingclima is aiming to make global delivery safer and more efficient. Boasting of the excellent performance and competitive price, Kingclima truck reefer units have been exported to Africa, Europe, Middle East Areas, North America, and South America. Located in Zhengzhou, the hub of central China, Kingclima can provide a fast and safe delivery service. If you are interested in Kingclima’s truck reefer unit, please feel free to send us your messages, our professional team will offer round-the-clock service.