Carrier Transicold UK Ltd has completed a major project with systems engineering specialist Anteon, a General Dynamics UK subsidiary, to supply Carrier Oasis® 350 Nordic temperature controlled equipment for use in 14 Bulk Medical Storage Facilities built by Anteon for the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

Designed to help medics save lives in military theatres around the world, each Bulk Medical Storage Facility (BMSF) is built to operate in extreme temperatures, storing blood products in a volume equivalent to a small hospital blood bank together with the secure storage of controlled drugs and pharmaceutical products. The facilities have been constructed using Anteon’s expertise in engineering solutions for defence and government customers, which include a wide range of battlefield life support systems currently deployed in military and national resilience operations.

The BMSF uses a bespoke Carrier Transicold Oasis® 350 Nordic truck refrigeration system, which has the ability to cool and heat. This capability ensures the temperature inside the facility is kept at either a constant UK ambient equivalent of 20°C, or at medical refrigerated temperatures of 4°C as pre selected by the operator. These temperatures can be maintained consistently even when external temperatures range between 58°C and -26°C. This controlled environment allows separate internal freezers, refrigerators and storage equipment to maintain medical material at deep frozen, chilled and ambient temperatures without placing a strain on individual systems.

The Oasis 350 unit represents the only range of truck refrigeration systems in the world certified to pull down and operate in ambient temperatures of more than 50°C. It is typically sold to road transport fleets delivering ambient, chilled and frozen goods in very hot climates, such as the Middle East.

Each BMSF unit is based on a 20-foot-long (6m) ISO container with on-board power generation and a capability to connect to expeditionary infrastructure power supplies. It affords the ability to move significant quantities of blood (red cell concentrate) and blood components (specifically fresh frozen plasma and cryoprecipitate) in one shipment in a controlled environment that ensures the blood products are suitable for immediate use. British forces claim to be the only military forces in the world to have such a resource available to their forward field hospitals when the units are deployed over the coming months.

Commenting on Carrier Transicold’s involvement in the project, Phil Ackers, BMSF programme manager at Peterborough-based Anteon, said: “Carrier’s experience in building temperature controlled systems for extreme ambient temperatures made them the perfect supplier. During our first meeting they immediately offered to assist us with building and proving a prototype and have provided excellent support ever since.”

Justin Grace, managing director, Carrier Transicold UK, added: “The Oasis 350 Nordic unit meets the extreme ambient temperatures at both ends of the scale. In its original configuration as a truck-mounted system, it is built to tolerate the frequent door openings demanded within the multi-drop distribution sector. This makes it an exceptionally rugged and reliable combination capable of delivering the high performance capacity and quick temperature recovery demanded by the BMSF unit.”

The Oasis 350 Nordic uses non-ozone-depleting R-404A refrigerant and incorporates an audible alarm, which is self-activated if the temperature set point moves out of range. The system is powered by a 1.1-litre Tri-vortex diesel engine connected to a 200-litre fuel tank shared with the BMSF’s own generator.