Thermo King — AxlePower — BPW axle with alternator powers electric cooling unit. Power generation for cooling motor via the trailer axle.
After a one-and-a-half-year trial, ThermoKing now offers the AxlePower system. It involves a battery pack on the trailer, in combination with an alternator on one of the axles (BPW e-axle). During braking or driving downhill, the axle generates energy that is stored in the battery, which then powers the electric cooling unit. AxlePower is independent of the brand of trailer or tractor and can therefore be used in a wide range of fleets.
The system uses its own energy management, which dynamically monitors road conditions and driving operations to maximize the kinetic and thermal energy recovered by the trailer’s e-axle. The advanced control system also switches off the e-axle during climbs (hill climbing), preventing unnecessary fuel consumption.
During the test, nine active Axle Power trailers in three countries (Sweden, the Netherlands and South Africa) covered more than 1 million kilometres with 13,500 hours of electric cooling. The trailers never had to be connected to shore power. If the trailer is used with an electrically powered tractor, the saving is less. The recuperation for the trailer battery is then at the expense of the recuperation of the tractor battery.
