Aeronautic Thermal Container With Lightweight Composite Insulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing aircraft containers for shipping sensitive products face challenges in reducing weight and hindrance while maintaining thermal regulation, autonomy, and compliance with regulations, leading to increased CO2 footprint and energy consumption.
Innovation Solution
Aircraft containers with lightweight, thermally insulated walls and compact thermal control systems, utilizing low-consumption compressors and solar panels, along with low-density insulating materials and centralized battery placement, to optimize weight, volume, and energy efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If thick thermal isolating material is used to maintain temperature control, then thermal insulation performance is improved, but container weight and volume are increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining multiple layers including reflective barriers, foam insulation layers, and aerogel layers. This composite structure achieves superior thermal insulation performance with significantly reduced weight compared to traditional single-material thick insulation, directly resolving the contradiction between thermal performance and weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes aerogel, a highly porous material with exceptional insulation properties. The porous structure of aerogel provides high thermal resistance per unit weight, enabling the container to achieve excellent thermal insulation while maintaining lightweight characteristics, thus resolving the weight-insulation performance contradiction.
2Temperature
If thick thermal isolating material is used to maintain temperature control, then thermal insulation performance is improved, but container loading volume is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The multi-layer composite insulation structure achieves high thermal performance with minimal thickness. The combination of reflective barriers and low-conductivity foam layers provides effective insulation while occupying minimal space, thereby preserving maximum loading volume while maintaining temperature control.
Solution Approach 2:
Aerogel's extremely low density and high porosity (up to 99% air content) enable it to provide superior insulation in a very thin layer. This allows the container to achieve excellent thermal performance without sacrificing loading volume, as the aerogel layer occupies minimal space despite its high insulation efficiency.
3Temperature
If powerful Temperature Control System is used to compensate for poor insulation, then temperature control capability is improved, but energy consumption and battery weight are increased
Solution Approach 1:
The superior insulation provided by the composite material structure minimizes heat transfer between the container interior and exterior environment. This reduces the thermal load on the Temperature Control System, allowing it to operate with lower power consumption and smaller battery capacity while maintaining effective temperature control.
Solution Approach 2:
The aerogel layer's exceptional insulation properties create a highly effective thermal barrier that significantly reduces heat ingress or egress. This minimizes the energy required by the Temperature Control System to maintain setpoint temperatures, thereby reducing both energy consumption and battery weight.
4Reliability
If redundant key elements are provided to ensure reliability, then reliability is improved, but container weight and complexity are increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs advanced material parameters (aerogel's ultra-low thermal conductivity, reflective barrier properties) to achieve superior performance with reduced quantity. The high effectiveness of each insulation layer means fewer redundant components are needed while maintaining reliability, thus reducing overall weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The multi-layer composite structure provides inherent redundancy through its design - each layer contributes to the overall insulation performance. This distributed functionality across multiple specialized layers achieves high reliability without requiring additional heavy backup systems, as the composite structure itself provides robust thermal protection.
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
The solution results in a lighter, more reliable container with reduced energy consumption and CO2 emissions, enabling cost-effective and flexible shipment of sensitive products without loss of quality, while adhering to regulatory standards.
Implementation Method 1
Aircraft containers with lightweight, thermally insulated walls and compact thermal control systems
Implementation Method 2
Passive means include for example Phase Changing Material (PCM)
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2a~2b
Figure 3a
AI summary
The present invention relates to a thermo controlled container (1) for aircrafts having compact batteries with a low consumption temperature control system and a high performance thermal isolation. The present invention also describes a process for the manufacture of such a container.