Method and apparatus for thermally protecting and/or transporting temperature sensitive products
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional packaging systems for temperature-sensitive products suffer from poor temperature distribution due to natural convection limitations and the use of filling materials, which can expose products to uneven temperatures during transport, reducing the effectiveness of cold banks and increasing shipping costs.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating thermally conductive materials, such as aluminum foil, as conductive equalizers within the packaging system to facilitate heat transfer between hotter and cooler areas and the cold bank, ensuring a more uniform temperature distribution around the product.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If filling material is used to prevent shifting of product during handling, then product stability is improved, but convective flow is diminished resulting in temperature stratification
Solution Approach 1:
A conductive equalizer made of thermally conductive material is introduced as an intermediary between the cold bank and the product. This equalizer facilitates heat transfer from warmer areas to cooler areas, compensating for the reduced convective flow caused by filling material, thereby maintaining uniform temperature distribution while preserving product stability.
2Temperature
If cold bank is placed at top of load to utilize natural convection, then temperature distribution is improved, but product may be exposed to freezing conditions at bottom
Solution Approach 1:
The cold bank is divided into multiple segments positioned at different locations (top, bottom, and sides) rather than a single top placement. This segmentation allows cold air to be distributed throughout the container from multiple zones, preventing excessive cooling at the bottom while maintaining overall temperature uniformity.
Solution Approach 2:
Conductive equalizers are positioned between the cold bank segments and the product to mediate heat transfer. These equalizers conduct heat from warmer product areas to cooler areas near the cold banks, preventing freezing exposure while maintaining the benefits of natural convection.
3Adaptability or versatility
If container is rotated during transport, then shipping flexibility is improved, but cold bank location changes resulting in temperature stratification
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple cold bank segments are positioned at different locations (top, bottom, and sides) rather than relying on a single top placement. This creates local cooling zones throughout the container, ensuring that temperature distribution remains relatively uniform regardless of container orientation during transport.
Solution Approach 2:
Conductive equalizers serve as intermediaries that actively transfer heat between product areas and cold bank segments. This active heat mediation compensates for changes in convection patterns caused by container rotation, maintaining temperature uniformity across different shipping orientations.
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 use of conductive equalizers enhances temperature uniformity, extends the time products remain within the desired temperature range, and optimizes the use of cold banks, thereby reducing exposure to undesirable temperatures and lowering shipping costs.
Implementation Method 1
thermally conductive materials, such as aluminum foil, as conductive equalizers within the packaging system to facilitate heat transfer between hotter and cooler areas
Implementation Method 2
cold bank, such as one or more frozen gel, or ice, packs, to provide thermal protection for a load
Data Source
AI summary
Method and apparatus for thermally protecting a product, when storing and/or shipping a product, to control temperatures products are exposed to. Embodiments increase the amount of time portions of the product experience a desired temperature range and/or reduce the amount of time portions of the product experience temperatures outside a desired temperature range and/or experience an undesirable temperature range. Embodiments incorporate thermally conductive materials, referred to as conductive equalizers, positioned around and/or near the product positioned inside a packaging container, where the conductive materials conduct heat from locations in the package interior to other locations in the package interior. The conductive equalizers conductively transfer heat from hotter portions of the interior of the container to cooler portions of the interior of the container and/or from portions of the interior desired to be cooled to the cold bank, resulting in a more uniform temperature distribution around the product.