Thermal and power consumption model of an electrically refrigerated trailer

Authored by

D. Bank, J. P. Kobler, T. Zeller, P. Cujic, T. Seel, S. F.G. Ehlers

Abstract

In the face of escalating climate change concerns, there is a need for reducing CO₂ emissions in all economic sectors. The transportation sector, particularly freight transportation via trucks and especially refrigerated trailers, is a substantial contributor to these emissions. An energy management system can be used to optimize the energy consumption of electrified refrigerated trailers, for which a model of an electrically refrigerated trailer is needed. This paper aims to develop and validate a thermal model of an electrified trailer. The model is created using over 40 h of test drives across a broad spectrum of internal temperatures, which range between -23 °C and +18 °C, as well as ambient temperatures, which range between 1 °C and 36 °C. The data was collected from test drives conducted in Spain, Sweden, and Germany under varying temperature set-points and loads, ensuring the model's accuracy across diverse operating conditions. Additionally, for the first time, the Trailer Refrigeration Unit's (TRU) electric consumption is modeled in detail over complete drive cycles. The paper also outlines a method for identifying the parameters of the trailer and goods across all runs. This comprehensive approach ensures a robust and accurate model, with an RMSE of below 0.7 °C for the open-loop temperature modeling and a total error of below 1.5% for the energy consumption in a closed-loop simulation.

Details

Organisation(s): Institute of Mechatronic Systems
External Organisation(s): BPW Bergische Achsen KG
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)
Type: Article
Journal: International Journal of Refrigeration
Volume: 176
Pages: 425-436
No. of pages: 12
ISSN: 0140-7007
Publication date: 08.2025
Publication status: Published
Peer reviewed: Yes
ASJC Scopus subject areas: Building and Construction, Mechanical Engineering
Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy, SDG 13 - Climate Action
Electronic version(s): https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrefrig.2025.04.026 (Access: Closed )