AI Cat 2009 13/3/09 16:06 Page 24
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Don’t serve
frozen food
The in-flight meal is very much in the centre of passenger’s attention, playing a key
role in the service experience
Still, airlines serve partially frozen food packages 1,5kg of dry ice) reduces the need of dry ice to
on a daily basis because the aircrew does not 0,75kg per trolley, it would mean 22,5kg less CO
2
have time to shuffle the trolley contents often emitted into the cabin air. On a 5 hour flight that
enough. However, the aircrew and the catering would be equivalent to sharing the air with 120
companies are not to blame - the problem exists fewer passengers.
because of poor cooling performance in
conventional dry ice cooled trolleys. Saving 600 EUR/year with a small piece
of steel
Choked circulation Iacobucci found the solution for the new drawer
The dry ice system was developed to be simple, during Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg where
cost efficient and hassle-free. The key they discovered a stainless metal composite - in
component of the dry ice trolley is the dry ice box simple words a hollow stainless steel sheet with
positioned at the top of a trolley and is usually air trapped inside it. By using this material to
filled up with 1.5 kg of dry ice prior to each flight build the box they could push down the thermal
in order to keep the trolley content cold. conductivity of the dry ice drawer from 237
Unfortunately, the common aluminium dry ice W/(m.K) to just 0.4 W/(m.K). Tests have shown
box does not perform as intended often freezing that the new H-box (work name) improves the
the top packages while providing poor safe time of the food and eliminates the risk of
refrigeration to the bottom packages. The sub-zero temperatures. A trolley equipped with
problem is that the cooling is not carried into the the new box does not risk freezing food
trolley with the heavy CO
2
gas generated by the packages and also extends the safe time of the
dry ice, but is instead transferred by conduction food by keeping the temperature below
through the metal of the box into the top layer of maximum temperature for up to 25 per cent
air inside the trolley, resulting in bad circulation. longer. The tests also suggested a possible
Some airlines and caterers have reduced this reduction in dry ice consumption by up to 40 per
problem by going over to plastic drawers that cent, worth up to 600 EUR per trolley annually.
provide better insulation. However, the majority In addition the box is 15 per cent lighter than
of airlines are not prepared to trade reliability, the original aluminium box and is compatible with
hygiene and lifetime, and therefore continue to all existing dry ice powered trolleys.
specify metal drawers. To meet the requirements In recognition of the clever innovation, the Jury
of these airlines, the challenge has been to find a of the Crystal Cabin Awards 2009 has selected
metal construction that reduces the thermal the Iacobucci H-Box as a finalist.
conductivity without adding weight. The H-box is currently being evaluated by
Another aspect to be considered is air quality Emirates airlines, and is intended to soon be an
in the cabin. Airplanes are equipped with optional component for all Iacobucci trolleys.
efficient ventilation to combat the level of CO
2
, Words: By Giulio Segneri, Technical Director,
but rapid exchange of air drops the humidity level Iacobucci S.P.A.
which also deteriorates the quality of air. If a 250
passenger plane with 30 trolleys (each carrying See us on Stand 7G27
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