Cold chain container low-temperature plasma sterilization system

Abstract

The utility model relates to cold chain logistics technical field, concretely relates to integrated cold chain container environmental control system of low temperature plasma disinfecting technology, the present application proposes a kind of cold chain container low temperature plasma disinfecting system, including container body, low temperature plasma generator and bionic air duct being set in container body;The bionic air duct includes honeycomb flow guide unit being set in the lateral wall of container body, the honeycomb flow guide unit includes flow guide casing and the air inlet pipe being set on flow guide casing, hollow groove being communicated with air inlet pipe and the air outlet hole being set on flow guide casing, the air outlet hole is set in the position away from the lateral wall of container body.It aims at solving the technical problem of low space utilization rate in the disinfecting process in the prior art.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of cold chain logistics technology, specifically to a cold chain container environmental control system integrating low-temperature plasma disinfection technology. This system is mainly used for real-time disinfection, virus prevention and control and air purification during cold chain transportation to ensure the safety and stability of the transportation environment. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of the global cold chain logistics industry, disinfection and air quality control inside containers have become key technologies for ensuring the safety and quality of transported goods. Currently, cold chain container disinfection technologies mainly include ozone disinfection, ultraviolet disinfection, and chemical disinfectant spraying.

[0003] Chinese patent CN112778301A discloses an "ozone disinfection system for cold chain logistics containers," which uses an ozone generator to produce ozone for disinfection. However, ozone disinfection technology has significant technical drawbacks. As a strong oxidant, ozone can easily cause irreversible damage to the packaging materials of cold chain goods. Furthermore, precise control of ozone concentration is difficult, and residual ozone gas requires additional treatment, which increases both system power consumption and operating costs.

[0004] On the other hand, while ultraviolet (UV) disinfection technology uses arrays of UV lamps, its limited penetration creates blind spots, failing to fully cover the interior of containers. Furthermore, UV radiation can degrade certain food packaging materials, affecting the integrity of the packaging. Additionally, the lifespan of UV lamps is significantly shortened at low temperatures, increasing maintenance costs.

[0005] Chemical disinfectant spraying is another common method, but in low-temperature environments, the activity of chemical reagents decreases significantly, resulting in uneven spraying and difficulty in fully covering all surfaces inside the container. This not only affects the disinfection effect but may also cause secondary pollution, posing a potential threat to the quality of transported products.

[0006] In summary, existing cold chain container disinfection technologies all have limitations to varying degrees and cannot meet the cold chain logistics industry's demands for efficient, safe, and environmentally friendly disinfection and air quality control. Therefore, developing a new and efficient cold chain container environmental control system to achieve real-time disinfection, virus prevention, and air purification within the container has become a critical issue that urgently needs to be addressed in the field of cold chain logistics technology.

[0007] Chinese invention patent application CN116370668A discloses a low-temperature sterilization device for cold chain food logistics vehicles, including a food logistics vehicle and a transport box fixedly mounted on the vehicle. A plasma airflow generator is fixedly mounted on the transport box via a mounting bracket. An air supply assembly is located at the top inside the transport box, and an air vent assembly is located at the bottom of the air supply assembly. The air supply assembly is used to discharge the low-temperature ion airflow generated by the plasma airflow generator through the air vent assembly. A ring-shaped conveyor assembly is located at the bottom inner side of the transport box, which is used to store food and move the food in a continuous ring below the air vent assembly. This device uses a conveyor belt to bring food into the air vent for sterilization and preservation, but the sterilization space is limited, resulting in low space utilization.

[0008] Therefore, it is necessary to propose a plasma disinfection system that can achieve uniform disinfection and has high space utilization. Summary of the Invention

[0009] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a low-temperature plasma disinfection system for cold chain containers, which aims to solve the technical problem of low space utilization in the disinfection process in the prior art.

[0010] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model proposes a low-temperature plasma disinfection system for cold chain containers, including a container body, a low-temperature plasma generator disposed inside the container body, and a biomimetic air duct; the biomimetic air duct includes a honeycomb flow guiding unit disposed on the side wall of the container body, the honeycomb flow guiding unit includes a flow guiding shell and an air inlet pipe disposed on the flow guiding shell, a hollow groove communicating with the air inlet pipe, and an air outlet disposed on the flow guiding shell, the air outlet being disposed at a position away from the side wall of the container body.

[0011] Preferably, a sealing plate is movably provided on the flow guide housing, and a flow guide hole is provided on the sealing plate; in the air outlet state, the flow guide hole and the air outlet hole correspond one-to-one.

[0012] Preferably, the surface of the biomimetic air duct is provided with a hydrophobic coating, and the bottom of the biomimetic air duct is provided with a condensate drainage channel.

[0013] Preferably, the container also includes a charge trapping net disposed at the bottom of the container body. The charge trapping net has a multi-layer conductive structure and includes, from bottom to top, a support frame, a charge trapping layer, and an electret filter element.

[0014] Preferably, the support frame is made of insulating material, the charge trapping layer consists of multiple parallel electrode strips and is connected to an external circuit through connection points; the electret filter element is a polypropylene or titanium dioxide composite layer.

[0015] Preferably, the system also includes a main control unit installed on top of the container body and distributed sensor nodes evenly distributed within the container body, wherein the main control unit and the distributed sensor nodes communicate wirelessly via LoRa-WAN.

[0016] Preferably, the main control unit includes a data acquisition layer, a data preprocessing layer, and a state evaluation layer. The data acquisition layer transmits the acquired parameters to the data preprocessing layer, and the data preprocessing layer transmits the processed data to the state evaluation layer for state evaluation. The main control unit can control the start and stop of the cryogenic plasma generator.

[0017] Preferably, the cellular flow guiding unit has a side length of 20-28 mm, a wall thickness of 0.5-0.9 mm, and a height of 30-80 mm.

[0018] Compared with existing technologies, the beneficial effects of the low-temperature plasma disinfection system for cold chain containers provided by this utility model are as follows: 1. Hollow slots are provided on the honeycomb air guiding unit, and the plasma airflow in the hollow slots is evenly distributed into the container body along the air outlet.

[0019] 2. The sealing plate is movable and can block the air vents. After the plasma gas flow fills the hollow groove, the air vents and guide holes correspond, and the plasma gas flow can be evenly distributed into the container body.

[0020] 3. The main control unit adopts a layered architecture design, including a data acquisition layer, a data preprocessing layer, and a status assessment layer. The data acquisition module collects sensor data, including parameters such as temperature, humidity, and gas concentration. After preprocessing, a status assessment is completed to determine the air quality inside the container. Based on the status assessment results, the decision center sends control commands to the plasma control, airflow control, and charge capture control modules to adjust the operating parameters of each functional unit. The operation status monitoring module monitors the working status of each execution unit in real time and transmits feedback information back to the decision center, forming a closed-loop control to ensure stable system operation and efficient purification.

[0021] The features and advantages of this utility model will be described in detail through embodiments and accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a front sectional view of the container body of the cold chain container low-temperature plasma disinfection system according to an embodiment of this utility model.

[0023] Figure 2 This is a top sectional view of the container body of the cold chain container low-temperature plasma disinfection system according to an embodiment of this utility model.

[0024] Figure 3This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the biomimetic air duct in an embodiment of this utility model.

[0025] Figure 4 This is a structural schematic diagram of another state of the biomimetic air duct in an embodiment of this utility model.

[0026] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the charge trapping layer.

[0027] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the main unit of the control system.

[0028] In the diagram: 1. Container body; 2. Low-temperature plasma generator; 3. Bionic air duct; 31. Honeycomb flow guiding unit; 311. Flow guiding shell; 312. Air inlet pipe; 313. Hollow groove; 314. Air outlet; 315. Sealing plate; 316. Flow guiding hole; 32. Hydrophobic coating; 33. Condensate flow guiding groove; 5. Charge capture net; 51. Support frame; 52. Charge capture layer; 521. Connection point; 53. Electret filter element; 6. Main unit of control system. Detailed Implementation

[0029] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this utility model clearer, the present utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. However, it should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the present utility model and are not intended to limit its scope. Furthermore, descriptions of well-known structures and technologies are omitted in the following description to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the concept of the present utility model.

[0030] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another element, it can be directly on or indirectly on the other element. When an element is referred to as being "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to or indirectly connected to the other element.

[0031] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that the terms "center," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship commonly used when the product is in use. They are used only for the convenience of describing the invention and for simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the invention. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third," etc., are used only to distinguish descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this utility model, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified. "Several" means one or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0032] In the description of this utility model, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "set," "install," "connect," and "link" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances. Example 1:

[0033] See Figure 1-4 This utility model provides a low-temperature plasma disinfection system for cold chain containers, including a container body 1, a low-temperature plasma generator 2 disposed within the container body 1, and a biomimetic air duct 3. The biomimetic air duct 3 includes a honeycomb flow guiding unit 31 disposed on the side wall of the container body 1. The honeycomb flow guiding unit 31 includes a flow guiding shell 311, an air inlet pipe 312 disposed on the flow guiding shell 311, a hollow groove 313 communicating with the air inlet pipe 312, and an air outlet 314 disposed on the flow guiding shell 311. The air outlet 314 is located away from the side wall of the container body 1. A sealing plate 315 is movably disposed on the flow guiding shell 311, and a flow guiding hole 316 is disposed on the sealing plate 315. In the air outlet state, the flow guiding hole 316 and the air outlet 314 correspond one-to-one. A hydrophobic coating 32 is disposed on the surface of the biomimetic air duct 3, and a condensate drainage channel 33 is disposed at the bottom of the biomimetic air duct 3. The cellular flow guiding unit 31 has a side length of 20-28 mm, a wall thickness of 0.5-0.9 mm, and a height of 30-80 mm.

[0034] Specifically, the container's dimensions are 12192mm in length, 2438mm in width, and 2591mm in height, conforming to a standard 40-foot container. The flexible substrate cryogenic plasma generator is located inside the bottom of the container, and can be secured by bolts to the inside of the bottom or by brackets to the top of the bottom, and is electrically connected to the power supply module. The power supply module must meet specific power requirements, such as a stable DC or AC power supply, and its voltage, current, and other parameters must be matched with the electrical appliances. Its mounting location and method can be selected according to actual conditions.

[0035] Furthermore, the plasma emitted by the plasma generator enters the hollow tank through the air inlet pipe, and then flows along the air outlet into various parts of the chamber, resulting in more uniform distribution. To further improve the uniform distribution capability, a sealed plate is added. The sealed plate has two states: one where the guide holes and air outlets are connected, and another where they are not connected. When not connected, the plasma first accumulates in the hollow tank, ensuring a uniform concentration inside. When connected, the guide holes and air outlets correspond one-to-one, allowing the plasma to be evenly distributed throughout the chamber.

[0036] To further improve diffusion efficiency, the biomimetic air duct 3 includes two side walls on the front and rear sides of the container body 1. Example 2:

[0037] A charge trapping grid was added to Example 1. (See also...) Figure 1 and Figure 5 In an optional embodiment, a charge trapping net 5 is also provided at the bottom of the container body 1. The charge trapping net 5 is a multi-layer conductive structure, and from bottom to top, the charge trapping net 5 includes a support frame 51, a charge trapping layer 52, and an electret filter element 53.

[0038] The support frame 51 is made of insulating material, the charge trapping layer 52 is composed of multiple parallel electrode strips and is connected to an external circuit through connection point 521; the electret filter element 53 is a composite layer of polypropylene or titanium dioxide.

[0039] Specifically, the support frame 51 is made of insulating material to ensure the stability of the charge-capturing net 5. The charge-capturing layer 52 consists of multiple parallel electrode strips, connected to an external circuit through connection point 521 to form an electrostatic field that captures charged pollutant particles. The electret filter element 53 or the polypropylene / titanium dioxide composite layer enhances the charge-capturing effect. The principle behind this enhancement is that the electret filter element 17 itself carries a stable static charge. When charged pollutant particles approach, they are attracted by the electrostatic force of the electret filter element's static charge, making them easier to capture. In the polypropylene / titanium dioxide composite layer, titanium dioxide has special surface properties that enhance the material's charge storage capacity. At the same time, the polypropylene fiber structure provides a large specific surface area, increasing the contact opportunities with charged pollutant particles. The synergistic effect of these two elements allows more charged pollutant particles to be adsorbed, thereby improving purification efficiency. Example 3:

[0040] Automation is improved based on Examples 1 and 2.

[0041] See Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 6 It also includes a control system main unit 6 installed on top of the container body 1 and distributed sensor nodes 7 evenly distributed within the container body 1. The control system main unit 6 and the distributed sensor nodes 7 communicate wirelessly via LoRa-WAN to achieve real-time data transmission and intelligent system control. The distributed sensor nodes 6 are arranged in the space with a coverage density of 5㎡ to monitor air quality parameters in real time, including temperature, humidity, and gas concentration.

[0042] The main control unit 6 comprises a data acquisition layer, a data preprocessing layer, and a state assessment layer. The data acquisition layer transmits the acquired parameters to the data preprocessing layer, which then transmits the processed data to the state assessment layer for state evaluation. The main control unit 6 can control the start and stop of the cryogenic plasma generator 2. The control system adopts a layered architecture design, including a data acquisition layer, a data preprocessing layer, and a state assessment layer. The data acquisition module acquires sensor data at a frequency of 10Hz, including parameters such as temperature, humidity, and gas concentration. After preprocessing, the state assessment is completed within 100ms to determine the air quality inside the container. Based on the state assessment results, the decision center sends control commands to the plasma control, airflow control, and charge capture control modules to adjust the operating parameters of each functional unit. The operation status monitoring module monitors the working status of each execution unit in real time and transmits feedback information back to the decision center, forming a closed-loop control to ensure stable operation and efficient purification of the system.

[0043] When this invention is in operation, the main control unit first initiates a system self-check to confirm that all modules are functioning normally. Distributed sensor nodes collect air quality data in real time, and after preprocessing and status assessment, the decision center determines the disinfection strategy. A flexible substrate low-temperature plasma generator produces active particles, which, guided by a biomimetic air duct structure, come into full contact with pollutants in the air. A dynamic charge capture net captures charged pollutant particles through electrostatic adsorption. The system uses a closed-loop control method to adjust operating parameters in real time according to air quality to ensure disinfection effectiveness. The entire system adopts a modular design, facilitating installation and maintenance. Each functional unit can be flexibly configured according to actual needs, significantly reducing operating costs while ensuring the loading capacity for cold chain transportation.

[0044] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present utility model and is not intended to limit the present utility model. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions or improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present utility model should be included within the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A low-temperature plasma disinfection system for cold chain containers, comprising a container body (1), a low-temperature plasma generator (2) disposed within the container body (1), and a biomimetic air duct (3); characterized in that: The biomimetic air duct (3) includes a honeycomb flow guiding unit (31) disposed on the side wall of the container body (1). The honeycomb flow guiding unit (31) includes a flow guiding shell (311), an air inlet pipe (312) disposed on the flow guiding shell (311), a hollow groove (313) communicating with the air inlet pipe (312), and an air outlet (314) disposed on the flow guiding shell (311). The air outlet (314) is disposed at a position away from the side wall of the container body (1).

2. The low-temperature plasma disinfection system for cold chain containers as described in claim 1, characterized in that: A sealing plate (315) is movably provided on the flow guide housing (311), and a flow guide hole (316) is provided on the sealing plate (315); in the air outlet state, the flow guide hole (316) and the air outlet hole (314) correspond one to one.

3. A low-temperature plasma disinfection system for cold chain containers as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The surface of the biomimetic air duct (3) is provided with a hydrophobic coating (32), and the bottom of the biomimetic air duct (3) is provided with a condensate guide groove (33).

4. The low-temperature plasma disinfection system for cold chain containers as described in claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a charge trapping net (5) set at the bottom of the container body (1). The charge trapping net (5) is a multi-layer conductive structure. The charge trapping net (5) includes a support frame (51), a charge trapping layer (52), and an electret filter element (53) from bottom to top.

5. The low-temperature plasma disinfection system for cold chain containers as described in claim 4, characterized in that: The support frame (51) is made of insulating material, the charge trapping layer (52) is composed of multiple parallel electrode strips and is connected to the external circuit through connection point (521); the electret filter element (53) is a polypropylene or titanium dioxide composite layer.

6. The low-temperature plasma disinfection system for cold chain containers as described in claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a control system main unit (6) installed on top of the container body (1) and distributed sensor nodes (7) evenly distributed within the container body (1), wherein the control system main unit (6) and the distributed sensor nodes (7) communicate wirelessly via LORA-WAN.

7. The low-temperature plasma disinfection system for cold chain containers as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The main control unit (6) includes a data acquisition layer (61), a data preprocessing layer (62), and a state evaluation layer (63). The data acquisition layer (61) transmits the acquired parameters to the data preprocessing layer (62), and the data preprocessing layer (62) transmits the processed data to the state evaluation layer (63) for state evaluation. The main control unit (6) can control the start and stop of the cryogenic plasma generator (2).

8. The low-temperature plasma disinfection system for cold chain containers as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The cellular flow guiding unit (31) has a side length of 20-28 mm, a wall thickness of 0.5-0.9 mm, and a height of 30-80 mm.

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