Cooled Bin Storage Grid With Insulated Robot Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current storage systems for refrigerated and frozen food products lack efficient retrieval and delivery capabilities, often requiring manual handling and failing to maintain controlled temperatures, leading to prolonged storage and delivery times.
Innovation Solution
A cooled storage system featuring a grid structure with thermal insulation and remotely operated vehicles that can move at the top level, utilizing a bin lift device to convey bins vertically and maintain different temperature zones using evaporators, ensuring efficient access and delivery of cooled products.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If thermal insulation is provided between the grid structure and remotely operated vehicle, then temperature control is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The grid structure is divided into multiple temperature zones (first temperature zone and second temperature zone) with different insulation requirements. Thermal insulation is selectively applied only where needed - between the grid structure and remotely operated vehicle in the first temperature zone - rather than insulating the entire structure uniformly, thus balancing temperature control with device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Different sections of the grid structure are assigned different thermal insulation properties based on their specific functional requirements. The section interacting with the remotely operated vehicle has thermal insulation, while other sections may have different insulation characteristics, allowing optimized temperature control without uniformly increasing device complexity throughout the entire system.
2Productivity
If remotely operated vehicles are used for automated bin retrieval, then productivity is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The remotely operated vehicle is equipped with autonomous navigation and bin retrieval capabilities, allowing it to service itself and the storage system without requiring manual intervention for basic operations. The vehicle can independently move between storage cells, retrieve bins, and deliver them to designated locations, thereby improving productivity while maintaining operational simplicity through automation.
3Reliability
If the system maintains different temperature zones, then reliability is improved, but use of energy increases
Solution Approach 1:
The storage system is segmented into distinct temperature zones (first temperature zone for refrigerated products and second temperature zone for frozen products) separated by thermal insulation. This segmentation allows each zone to be optimized for its specific temperature requirements, improving reliability of temperature maintenance while reducing overall energy consumption compared to maintaining a single uniform temperature throughout the entire structure.
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 system enables rapid and efficient retrieval and delivery of refrigerated and frozen products while maintaining controlled temperatures, improving operational efficiency and reducing storage and delivery times by using thermal insulation and evaporators to manage temperature zones.
Implementation Method 1
there is provided thermal insulation between at least a section of the grid structure and the remotely operated vehicle, and said section of the grid structure has a temperature that is lower than the temperature of the remotely operated vehicle
Implementation Method 2
utilizing a bin lift device to convey bins vertically and maintain different temperature zones using evaporators
Data Source
AI summary
A cooled storage system comprises a grid structure (20) of storage cells, where each cell is arranged to accommodate a vertical stack of storage bins and having a top level, at least one remotely operated vehicle (27) arranged to move at the top level of the grid structure (20) and receive a bin from a storage cell at the top level of the grid structure (20), where there is provided thermal insulation between at least a section of the grid structure (20) and the remotely operated vehicle (27), and said section of the grid structure (20) has a temperature that is lower than the temperature of the remotely operated vehicle (27).