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Renovation of an industrial testing tunnel for transport refrigeration and cold chain equipment with R290 heat pump and chiller installation.

Number: 18305

Author(s) : ROSSETTI A., FABRIS F., MARINETTI S., MINETTO S.

Summary

An industrial testing tunnel is located at the National Research Council premises in Italy. It consists of a heavily insulated masonry structure featuring a 30m long, 5m wide volume where temperature can be controlled from 0°C to 55°C and uniform horizontal air speed between 1 and 2m/s. The facility has been deeply renovated: a natural based system (R290) heat pump and chiller unit has been installed, feeding a secondary water loop which allows for highly stable temperature control. The tunnel is fully compliant with ATP Agreement provisions for testing refrigerated vehicles serving the cold chain, and it represents a controlled industrial testing environment. R290 replaces the previous R404A system, and the heat pump substitutes the sole use of electric heaters and fossil fuel burner, thus moving towards sustainability in industrial environments. The manuscript describes the adopted solution and reports commissioning tests.

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Pages: 11 p.

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Details

  • Original title: Renovation of an industrial testing tunnel for transport refrigeration and cold chain equipment with R290 heat pump and chiller installation.
  • Record ID : 30034758
  • Languages: English
  • Subject: Technology
  • Source: 9th IIR International Conference on Sustainability and the Cold Chain. Proceedings: April 12-14 2026
  • Publication date: 2026/04
  • DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.18462/iir.iccc.2026.8395

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