ECE/TRANS/WP11/2011/8 United Nations ECE/TRANS/WP11/2011/12 Economic And Social Council Distr

ece/trans/wp.11/2011/8 united nations ece/trans/wp.11/2011/12 economic and social council distr.: general 27 july 2011

ECE/TRANS/WP.11/2011/8
United Nations
ECE/TRANS/WP.11/2011/12

Economic and Social Council
Distr.: General
27 July 2011
Original: English
Economic Commission for Europe
Inland Transport Committee
Working Party on the Transport of Perishable Foodstuffs
Sixty-seventh session
Geneva, 25-28 October 2011
Item 5 (b) of the provisional agenda
Proposals of amendments to ATP: New proposals
Interpretation of external surface area measurement for panel vans1
Transmitted by the United Kingdom
I. Introduction
1. This topic was originally raised at the sixty-sixth session of
WP.11 and lead to misunderstandings over the problem experienced,
which results in some van structures receiving slightly lower K values
than they otherwise might be entitled to.
2. The text of the ATP for the measurement of the external surface
area of insulated vans is not practical for all shapes and sizes of
vehicle. The smooth contours of a van body make it difficult to
establish the most accurate datum point to take measurements from. For
example the width of the floor is often different from the ceiling and
the front can be narrower than the rear where a side door is
installed.
3. Measurement of the external surfaces of a van cannot account for
unfilled voids within the structure. Panel voids might also include
steel structures that bridge the external heat to the outer edge of
the insulated wall panels (grey panel in the diagram below).
4. The point is illustrated in the diagram below. The grey shade
represents the main insulated panel and the black voids represent
varying thicknesses of foam infill. The question is whether the
external surface should be considered as the outer edge of the grey
part or should it include the voids and be loosely considered as the
external metal surface.

Diagram: Left rear corner of an insulated van.
II. Proposed amendment
4. For the purpose of measuring the external area it is proposed to
disregard the wall voids/infill where the thickness is inconsistent.
In simple terms the external wall should be the internal wall area
expanded by the thickness of the main insulation panels only.
5. The following text should be added to Annex 1, Appendix 2,
paragraph 1.2 as follows:
"For insulated panel vans the external surface area should be
considered as the outer skin of each insulated wall panel. For
example, in the case of the van floor the external surface would be
the line where the original equipment manufacturer floor level is."
III. Impact
6. There is no financial impact to industry. The affect would be that
some panel van structures have a small increase in the measured K
value due to the effect of making the calculation using a smaller
measurement for the external surface area.
7. The proposal would ensure that measurements made on panel vans are
consistent between different engineers. That benefits the body
assembler who would be reassured that the precise K value is not
dependent on which test station or which individual person conducts
the test.
1  Submitted in accordance with the programme of work of the Inland
Transport Committee for
2010–2014 (ECE/TRANS/208, para. 106; ECE/TRANS/2010/8, programme
activity 02.11).
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