Bergstrom Inc. and Firefly Energy Inc. have agreed to test and co-market the NITE system alongside Firefly Energy's Oasis BCI Group 31 truck battery. The agreement is designed to give drivers and fleets a cost-effective
means to achieve all-night sleeper cab cooling with the engine shut off.
The NITE system combines a lightweight, fully functional air-conditioning system and a compact air-heating system - both designed to work independently of a truck's main engine. When used effectively, the NITE system eliminates overnight truck idling. An air-heating system weighting 8 pounds keeps the sleeper compartment continuously warm all night, using just 0.03 to 0.06 gallons of diesel fuel per hour, compared to one to 1.5 gallons per hour wasted during normal idling time. The NITE system is available for purchase with the A/C system only or with a combination of the air-conditioner and heater.
According to Terry Ziegler, Bergstrom's vice president and general manager for Electrified Products who is involved with the tests, the Oasis battery to be introduced by Firefly Energy this year is hoped to prove suitable to fully power NITE's air-conditioning system.
"Our efficient 72-pound cooling system fits any truck and operates independently of the truck's electrical system. The purpose of using the Oasis battery is to allow drivers to simply switch on power for their sleeper cab's A/C and shut off their engines overnight."
The battery will be displayed at Bergstrom's (www.bergstrominc.com) booth and at the Firefly Energy (www.fireflyenergy.com) booth at the ATA's TMC Annual Meeting & Transportation Technology Exhibition, Feb. 4-7, at the Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Fa.
Mil Ovan, Firefly Energy's senior vice president and co-founder, said the Oasis battery "will deliver deeper and more reliable discharges and faster recharges. It will also save significantly on battery weight and size, with less frequent replacement intervals. We believe competitive deep-cycle batteries used in trucking start to show sizeable performance drop-offs after some 200 deep discharge cycles."
"Anti-diesel engine idling regulations are being enforced across the country," he added. "By agreeing to co-market the NITE system alongside the Oasis battery, Bergstrom and Firefly Energy aim to provide the trucking industry with a powerful one-two solution to achieving long-lasting sleeper cab comfort, fuel savings and pollution reduction."