Success of the TLD Subfreezing Cooling Unit

TLD has recently conducted several months of successful testing of its new SCU (subfreezing cooling unit) on the world’s largest jetliner, the A380, during the hot summer season in Dubai and Singapore.  Due to its enormous cabin volume, the aircraft requires subfreezing air to effectively cool a heat soaked cabin in extreme ambient conditions. TLD’s SCU provides sub-freezing air safely, without introducing snow or rain, into the aircraft ducting via its unique moisture removal process.

The SCU-025 is a supplemental, portable ACU (air conditioning unit) that is designed to provide sub-freezing air to the aircraft in tandem with any large ACU. The SCU accepts cooled air from any suitable air conditioning unit and further cools the air to about -10°C (+14°F). This patented concept provides exceptional cooling efficiency while minimizing acquisition costs for subfreezing air systems. Equipment owners can continue to use their existing fleet of ACU’s in tandem with the SCU, resulting in a very low cost, yet effective, solution.

The SCU is just slightly larger than a typical GPU making it very easy to maneuver around the aircraft. Designed with TLD trademarks of simplicity, reliability, and easy maintainability, the SCU comes complete with a fully galvanized chassis, hose bin, tow bar, and powder coated aluminum panels. It utilizes TLD’s famous direct drive technology, which ensures the highest possible refrigeration system efficiency and results in a machine that consumes less fuel and has less parts than typical diesel-electric designs, yielding higher reliability and a lower cost of ownership.

The success of this trial has paved the way for the launch of the TLD subfreezing cooling unit onto the GSE market. With orders already placed, it will soon be in regular operation for the wellbeing of passengers and crew.