ATHENS, Ga. — The ComfortPro Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) from Carrier Transicold has been improved with a 1,000-hour service interval, industry-standard R-134a refrigerant and a powerful 60-amp alternator.

These are among multiple performance-boosting enhancements that also lower lifecycle costs according to Carrier, a business unit of United Technologies.

The ComfortPro APU is an anti-idling solution for the trucking industry providing air conditioning, heating and household electrical current for a truck sleeper cab, battery charging and truck engine warming.

The unit offers an all-electric architecture the award-winning Deltek hybrid diesel-electric technology found in Carrier’s Vector 1800MT trailer refrigeration units. Using a larger oil reservoir and new oil filter doubled the oil-service interval.

“The longer interval helps ensure that a truck won’t have to perform a maintenance stop exclusively for an APU oil change,” said Eduardo Andrade, business manager special products. “By changing to R-134a, we brought the ComfortPro’s refrigerant in synch with automotive air conditioning systems, making service simpler for technicians due to standardized parts and procedures.”

The new alternator also provides 50% more power than the original.

“That’s extra assurance the most deeply depleted batteries can be charged in a timely manner,” said Andrade.

Other improvements include a new condenser with a proven fin-and-tube design, use of a thermostatic expansion valve, rather than a capillary tube mechanism, and addition of a low-pressure sensor to protect the unit by shutting it down in the event of a refrigerant leak.