Cold-Chain Cargo Monitoring for Refrigerant Depletion Prediction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge lies in maintaining the temperature of temperature-sensitive biological products like blood during shipment, as existing passive refrigerant systems are inadequate in ensuring the products remain within the required temperature range due to unpredictable ambient conditions, leading to potential spoilage and loss of value.
Innovation Solution
A time/temperature logger system that monitors and predicts the remaining refrigerant quantity, allowing for real-time adjustments such as diverting shipments to controlled environments or adding refrigerants to maintain the required temperature range, and provides an automated qualification certificate for regulatory compliance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of moving object
If passive refrigerant systems with insulated containers and phase change materials are used, then refrigeration is provided for short shipping periods, but the system becomes inadequate for extended shipment times and unpredictable ambient conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by monitoring temperature and refrigerant status continuously during shipment, predicting remaining refrigerant quantity before complete depletion occurs, and enabling proactive interventions (diverting to controlled environments or adding refrigerant) to maintain temperature reliability throughout extended shipment durations
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms by using time/temperature loggers to continuously monitor actual shipment conditions, compare them against predicted refrigerant performance, and provide real-time information about remaining refrigerant quantity, enabling dynamic adjustments to maintain reliable temperature control beyond the original design limits
2Temperature
If sufficient refrigerant is always present to maintain required storage temperature, then temperature stability is improved, but the system cannot adapt to unpredictable delays and varying ambient conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The system transforms the static refrigerant quantity into a dynamic, monitorable parameter by continuously tracking temperature over time and calculating remaining refrigerant capacity, allowing the system to adapt to varying shipment durations and ambient conditions while maintaining temperature stability through informed decision-making
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service by automatically monitoring temperature conditions, predicting refrigerant depletion based on actual shipment performance rather than design assumptions, and generating alerts that allow the shipment system to self-adjust (through diversion or refrigerant addition) to maintain temperature stability under unexpected conditions
3Productivity
If time/temperature monitoring and prediction systems are implemented, then refrigerant quantity can be determined and shipment can be optimized, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system achieves productivity improvement with minimal added complexity by making the time/temperature logger perform multiple functions: it records temperature data for quality certification, monitors refrigerant consumption patterns, predicts remaining refrigerant quantity, and triggers optimization decisions, thereby extracting maximum value from a single monitoring device
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 effectively extends the shelf life of biological products by ensuring they remain within the safe temperature range, reducing spoilage risks, and providing a compliant certification process for medical and pharmaceutical industries.
Implementation Method 1
Phase change materials are materials which may be repeatedly converted between solid and liquid phases and utilize their latent heats of fusion to absorb, store and release energy to heat or cool during such phase conversions
Implementation Method 2
Phase change materials are materials which may be repeatedly converted between solid and liquid phases
Implementation Method 3
a logger of time/temperature (or real time RF transmission of time/temperature) so as to allow determination of the amount of refrigerant remaining
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a process of determining, at a point during shipment, whether the solid phase refrigerant in a shipment is sufficient to preserve the shipment cargo, which is blood or other biological products, for the remaining shipment period, by: monitoring the temperatures encountered to said point and estimating the temperatures likely to be encountered during the remaining shipment period; determining the likelihood that the remaining refrigerant can maintain the shipment cargo within a specified temperature range during the remaining shipment period; and if the risk that the remaining refrigerant cannot maintain the shipment cargo within said range during the remaining shipment period is above a cut-off level, then taking action to preserve the value of the cargo.