A container ship or container yard, and method of operating refrigerated storage containers provided thereon
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Solution Overview
Problem
Refrigerated storage containers on ships and in yards face inefficiencies due to recirculated heated air from condensers, leading to increased power consumption and potential cargo degradation, especially in densely stacked configurations where air impingement and recirculation occur, and existing control systems lack optimal coordination to minimize energy usage and short cycling.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a supervisory controller system that receives data from local controllers and sensors to generate optimized control commands, including an optimal on-off strategy for refrigerated storage containers, utilizing adjustable louvers to direct air flow and minimize recirculation, and a decentralized control algorithm to prevent waste heat ingestion, thereby reducing energy consumption and maintaining cargo quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If refrigerated storage containers are densely stacked to maximize space utilization, then cargo storage capacity is improved, but air recirculation from condensers causes increased power consumption and cargo degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the control of refrigerated containers into individual container-level control and supervisory coordination. Each container's condenser air flow is independently managed through louvers, allowing targeted intervention to prevent recirculation without affecting other containers, thus reducing overall power consumption while maintaining dense stacking
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the louver angle parameter to change the direction of exhaust air flow from condensers. By modifying this physical parameter, the system prevents hot air recirculation back to condenser inlets, reducing the thermal load and power consumption while allowing containers to remain densely stacked
2Quantity of substance
If refrigerated storage containers are densely stacked to maximize space utilization, then cargo storage capacity is improved, but air impingement from condensers causes cargo degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements container-specific louver control to segment the air flow management. Each container's exhaust air is independently directed away from neighboring containers, preventing harmful hot air impingement on adjacent cargo while maintaining dense stacking configurations
Solution Approach 2:
The system converts the potentially harmful recirculated hot air into beneficial directed exhaust flow. By using louvers to redirect the exhaust air away from condenser inlets and adjacent containers, the harmful thermal recirculation is transformed into controlled air flow that actually helps prevent cargo degradation
3Ease of operation
If existing control systems are used without coordination, then operational simplicity is maintained, but energy efficiency and short cycling are not minimized
Solution Approach 1:
The supervisory controller implements feedback by continuously monitoring condenser air inlet temperature and comparing it against ambient temperature. This feedback loop enables automatic adjustment of louver angles and identification of recirculation conditions, improving energy efficiency without requiring manual intervention or complex operational procedures
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-service through automated detection and correction of recirculation issues. The supervisory controller automatically identifies when recirculation is occurring based on temperature differentials and independently adjusts louver positions, eliminating the need for manual system optimization while improving energy efficiency
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution enhances energy efficiency by minimizing power consumption, reducing short cycling, and maintaining cargo temperature requirements, while also improving the operational efficiency of refrigerated storage containers by directing air flow and coordinating the operation of multiple containers to prevent re-ingestion of hot air, thus ensuring better cargo preservation.
Implementation Method 1
adjustable louvers to direct air flow and minimize recirculation
Data Source
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AI summary
A system is provided and includes refrigerated storage containers (20), local controllers (30) respectively coupled with corresponding refrigerated storage containers (20) to control operations thereof in accordance with controller parameters and a supervisory controller (40). The supervisory controller (40) is configured to issue control commands to the local controllers (30) based on respective responses of the refrigerated storage containers (20) to local controller control.