For Extended Transport of Perishables

Rotterdam, Netherlands—Oct. 1, 2013—Carrier Transicold’s new XtendFRESH container atmosphere control system can help maintain the quality of shipped produce, while extending shipping distances to enable growers to reach new customers. Carrier Transicold, a part of UTC Climate, Controls & Security, a unit of United Technologies Corporation, helps improve global transport and shipping temperature control with a complete line of equipment for refrigerated trucks, trailers and containers.

Kartik Kumar, director of marketing and strategic planning of global container refrigeration, Carrier Transicold, said, “By helping prevent premature ripening, the XtendFRESH system will aid in maintaining optimum quality of delivered produce, which can also result in less spoilage per shipment.”

The XtendFRESH system actively controls oxygen (O2) and carbon dioxide (CO2) levels, and removes ethylene, a hormone given off by ripening produce that accelerates ripening if left unchecked. O2 and CO2 levels can be independently set at levels that produce optimum results for a given commodity. The system’s ability to remove ethylene, while managing O2 and CO2, is key to its performance and distinguishes it from other products for container atmosphere control.

By slowing ripening, XtendFRESH lengthens the amount of time produce can spend in refrigerated transit—by more than double in some cases, according to the company. For example, bananas may be shipped for up to eight weeks rather than four and beans for up to four weeks rather than 10 days.

The XtendFRESH system has a patented self-regenerating activated carbon scrubber assembly that removes ethylene and CO2 created by the ripening processes occurring inside the container. As O2 is consumed by ripening produce, automated, on-demand fresh-air ventilation helps maintain the optimum O2 level for the specific cargo inside.

O2 would typically be managed to a range between 3 and 21 percent, and CO2 would typically be managed within a range of zero and 19 percent. Modular by design, the XtendFRESH system can be easily added to existing Carrier container refrigeration units equipped with the Micro-Link 3 controller. Key components include the scrubber assembly, a ventilation panel with an integral blower, control software, and sensors for monitoring O2 and CO2. Adding a humidity sensor provides additional atmosphere control, enabling humidity to be reduced to as low as 50 percent, as needed, for cargo protection.

The XtendFRESH system will be available as an option with new equipment purchases and a special XtendFRESH provision will also be available for new units, making it easier to upgrade them with the XtendFRESH system at a later date.