Eutectic plates — a cold accumulator for a refrigerated body

A cold store for the body. In classified ads the same product is called a cold battery or a cold accumulator. Inside the plate is a eutectic solution with a fixed freezing point: overnight it is frozen from the mains, and during the day it melts and absorbs heat, holding the temperature in the body.

The number is calculated from heat gain, not from ceiling area: body volume, target temperature, shift length and how many times a day the doors open are all taken into account. Two bodies of the same size can therefore need different numbers of plates.

Yes, freezing the plates needs a three-phase socket where the vehicle is parked overnight. That is the main limitation of the system: without the ability to plug in at night the plates will not rebuild their cold store.

A unit produces cold on the road and consumes fuel or power from the engine, while eutectic plates carry a store of cold with them. On the road there is no compressor, no noise and no diesel burn, but no way to add cold during the day either. When the doors open often, plates behave more steadily than a unit.

Yes, if the body is insulated. The plates are mounted on the ceiling or walls and the fixing points reinforced with inserts. In an uninsulated panel van the insulation is done first, otherwise the cold store will not last a shift.

Yes, that is one of the main cases: ice-cream delivery runs through stops with frequent door openings, where a unit keeps dropping out of range while the store of cold in the plates is spent evenly.