Your fleet needs a Blackburn Power Wall to use auxiliary batteries to run the ENTIRE hotel load – AC, heat, CPAP machine, microwave, crockpot - whatever appliance the driver needs to live a decent life on the road powered by 100% clean electricity. With Blackburn’s hybrid charging system installed, the driver NEVER needs to idle their engines. Here are 3 reasons why your fleet needs Blackburn’s Power Wall.
Blackburn’s Power Wall is an inverter package. The Power Wall takes the 12V electricity in the batteries and converts it into household appliance voltage of 115-120 Volts so that you can plug in any appliances and take the power from the auxiliary batteries instead of running them using 12V off the engine.
If you use an inverter with auxiliary batteries charged by an engine alternator however, you’re not going to reap the benefit of an inverter on your auxiliary batteries because they will not be charged fully. The drive time required for an engine mounted alternator to charge the auxiliary batteries from 0% (~11.6 volts) to 100% (~12.8 volts) is close to 10 hours. Undercharging frequently occurs when the driver’s duty cycle is 6 - 8 hours. In those shorter drive cycles, the batteries are usually only charged to about 70% which significantly reduces runtime for electrical appliances in the hotel load. The use of an inverter with only partially charged batteries will deplete them sooner, worsening performance of electric AC and Heat which diminishes your investment in these technologies. The viscous cycle of engine idling begins again! Using RelGen and a Power Wall however ensures that your auxiliary batteries will be charged to 100% every day. RelGen can easily charge 4 AGM batteries to 100% in under four hours of driving. If your hotel load exceeds energy storage of 4 batteries, RelGen can easily charge 6 or 8 batteries in a day’s drive!
2. Your drivers will have all the power they need to be comfortable and safe WHILE complying with anti-idling laws and reducing fleet operational costs.
Using RelGen hybrid charging to connect the auxiliary batteries to the Power Wall, the driver experiences the benefit of being able to use all his/her appliances without having to run the engine to fill the power gap. This means that drivers can protect their health and wellness, comply with anti-idling laws, and keep fleet fuel costs in check!
The lack of available power in the cab without idling becomes is an acute hazard for drivers diagnosed with sleep apnea since a CPAP machine requires a lot of power to run for 8-10 hours. The FMCSA reports that nearly one third (28%) of professional truck drivers have sleep apnea. Typically, a driver with sleep apnea plugs a CPAP into a 12V cigarette lighter connected to the truck’s starter batteries. But this configuration also poses a tricky dilemma: run the CPAP machine while idling to sleep safely and comply with their DOT medical requirements or don’t idle and risk killing the truck which results in an expensive service call. At some point, the driver usually runs the engine to keep the CPAP machine going to keep themselves safe and healthy without killing the truck. However, engine idling is expensive and, in many places across the US, illegal. It also wastes large amounts fuel and increases the fleet’s maintenance costs since it prematurely burns out engine alternators and DPF filters.
3. Blackburn’s Power Walls are specifically rated for sleeper cab use with the right installation kit and the SAFE placement of outlets
Not all inverters are of equal quality and are suitable for sleeper cab use. Proper installation, cabling and the safe placement of outlets in areas that drivers can easily access without having to run extension cords are critical for safety. Buying an inferior inverter without the right installation kit for a heavy truck can lead to thermal events. Inappropriately wiring inverters to starter batteries increases the likelihood of a mechanical breakdown and poses safety hazards. Here are some photos of the Power Wall that our engineers safely installed for Normandin Transportation Services recently.
Using a RelGen powered auxiliary battery bank with a Power wall, rated for inside of a truck that is manufactured 100% in North America can handle all the demands of trucking will support the health and comfort of your drivers while reducing fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions! Schedule a free energy consultation for your fleet with our team of experts.