U.S.-based manufacturer Tecumseh is launching a new propane (R290) compressor under its Masterflux brand compatible with several mobile refrigeration platforms, including traditional combustion engine light commercial trucks and electric delivery vehicles.
Tecumseh’s new variable speed R290 rotary compressor, Nevada, operates with a DC voltage range covering 48, 400, 650 and 850V. It provides cooling for low– or medium-temperature applications, with a capacity of up to 3.5kW (1TR) for frozen transport and 5kW (1.4TR) for fresh.
“Depending on the system sizing, Nevada supports evaporating temperatures from −40°C [−40°F] up to 10°C [50°F], allowing customers to use the same platform for frozen and fresh applications,” Jason Chong, Corporate and North America Marketing Manager at Tecumseh, told NaturalRefrigerants.com. “It provides a bridge between transport refrigeration and electrified mobility that supports the shift toward sustainable off-grid refrigeration.”
The specifications: Masterflux based Nevada’s design on its Alpine compressor for high-temperature applications, according to Tecumseh.
- Nevada comes available with either R290 or HFO R452A refrigerant, according to the product’s brochure. The R290 version operates with a COP of up to 1.78, while the R452A’s COP tops out at 1.44.
- The design incorporates liquid injection control and comes in two displacement sizes: 18 and 36cc.
- It operates in an ambient temperature range from −25 to 85°C (−13 to 186.8°F).
Flexible implementation: With its DC voltage range, Nevada provides a solution for “any application seeking an eco-efficient onboard cooling system,” Tecumseh said.
- At 48VDC, the unit, available only in 18cc displacement, works with the electrical platforms in light commercial trucks and hybrid vans.
- The higher DC voltages connect the compressor directly to a battery pack, making it compatible with electric vehicles and the high-voltage traction systems used by electric trucks and buses.
- While Nevada is not intended for EV mobile air conditioning, it is part of Tecumseh’s product roadmap to get there, Chong said.
Mobile options: Two European companies produce hydrocarbon-based electronic refrigeration units for commercial delivery vehicles.
- In 2022 German transport refrigeration specialist ECOOLTEC Grosskopf launched a propene (R1270)-based TM182 unit with a secondary CO2 (R744) circuit connected via a heat exchanger. With a “significant number” of units in operation in Europe, the company reported in 2023 that the design uses 60–80% less energy than conventional diesel-powered refrigeration systems.
- In 2022 Austrian manufacturer PBX tested its ecos M24 R290-based refrigeration unit in electric delivery vans operated by Austrian organic foodstuff supplier Achleitner Biohof.
- Compared to R134a diesel-powered refrigeration systems, the ecos M24 unit reduces CO2e emissions by 95% and increases payload capacity by 15%, Dominic Radler, Chief Technology Officer at PBX, reported at the ATMOsphere (ATMO) Europe Summit 2024. The event was organized by ATMOsphere, publisher of NaturalRefrigerants.com.
Quotable: “This launch marks the introduction of a high-performance natural refrigerant compressor for the transport refrigeration and EV market,” Tecumseh said, adding that the unit will make its French debut at the November 18–22 Solutrans exhibition in Lyon. “It is the ideal solution for transport refrigeration, mobile containers, solar-powered cooling systems, and food trucks.”
“It provides a bridge between transport refrigeration and electrified mobility that supports the shift toward sustainable off-grid refrigeration.”
Jason Chong, Corporate and North America Marketing Manager at Tecumseh
