Cooling Box With Eutectic Cool Packs for Dual-Temperature Transport
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cooling systems for transporting heat-sensitive products, such as deep-frozen and fresh food, face challenges in maintaining required temperature ranges during transport and are not designed for efficient joint transportation with other containers in vehicles.
Innovation Solution
A cooling box with a thermally insulating cuboid housing featuring a commissioning opening, dual storage chambers, and an integrated cool pack with eutectic material and heat exchange surfaces, allowing for different temperature maintenance and integration within the cover for easy handling and rapid cooling using liquid nitrogen.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If cooling boxes are designed for joint transportation with other containers in transport vehicles, then space utilization and transport efficiency are improved, but the structural complexity increases due to profiled bottom plates and cover plates
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling box is designed with a universal profiled bottom plate that can be stacked on various transport containers (beverage boxes, pallets, frames) and can carry other containers on its profiled cover plate. This multi-functional design allows the same cooling box structure to work with different underlying and upper containers, achieving space optimization in transport vehicles without requiring different designs for different scenarios.
2Adaptability or versatility
If different storage chambers are provided for deep-frozen and fresh food, then temperature control versatility is improved, but the device complexity and space requirement increase
Solution Approach 1:
The interior of the cooling box is divided into multiple storage chambers (first storage chamber for deep-frozen food, second storage chamber for fresh food) separated by internal walls. Each chamber can be independently temperature-controlled by positioning cool packs against specific chamber walls, allowing simultaneous maintenance of different temperature ranges for different food types within the same cooling box.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the cooling box (different storage chambers) are provided with different thermal characteristics by placing cool packs with appropriate eutectic materials against specific chamber walls. The first storage chamber wall adjacent to the cool pack is designed to maintain lower temperatures for deep-frozen food, while the second storage chamber wall is designed for higher temperatures for fresh food, creating locally optimized temperature zones.
3Measurement precision
If cool packs with eutectic material are used for maintaining temperature, then temperature control precision is improved, but the weight of the cooling system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cool packs utilize eutectic materials that undergo phase change at specific temperatures, providing precise temperature control at the eutectic point. By selecting appropriate eutectic compositions, the cool packs can maintain specific temperature ranges (e.g., -18°C for deep-frozen food, +4°C for fresh food) with high precision. The weight increase is accepted as necessary to achieve the required temperature control precision for different food types.
4Speed
If the cooling box is designed for rapid cooling using liquid nitrogen, then cooling speed is improved, but the device complexity and safety requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cool packs are pre-cooled using liquid nitrogen before being installed in the cooling box. The liquid nitrogen rapidly cools the eutectic material in the cool packs, bringing them to their operating temperature quickly. This preliminary cooling action allows the cool packs to immediately begin maintaining the required temperature ranges when placed in the storage chambers, significantly reducing the time needed to cool the entire cooling box compared to traditional methods.
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
Enables safe and economic transport of diverse heat-sensitive products by maintaining specific temperature ranges and facilitating efficient stacking and handling within transport vehicles, reducing handling risks and minimizing the need for extensive cooling infrastructure.
Implementation Method 1
a cool pack (13) with eutectic material
Implementation Method 2
heat exchange surfaces to cool the cool pack down by the cooling fluid
Implementation Method 3
a thermally insulating cuboid housing
Implementation Method 4
having heat exchange surfaces to cool the cool pack down by the cooling fluid
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 3
AI summary
The present invention relates to a cooling box (1) and a method for safely transporting heat-sensitive products (2) in a transport vehicle (3) and/or for distributing heat-sensitive products (2) to final customers. The cooling box (1) according to the invention comprises a thermally insulating cuboid housing (7) with a commissioning opening (8) on an upper side (11), a first (9) and a second (10) storage chamber, a cover (12) to open and close the commissioning opening (8) of the housing (7), the cover (12) containing a cool pack (13) with eutectic material (14) and having at least one coupling (15) for coupling a supply line (16) for a cooling fluid (17), preferably liquid nitrogen (LIN), and having heat exchange surfaces (19) to cool the cool pack (13) down by the cooling fluid (17), a profiled outer bottom plate (20) to cooperate in a form locking manner with a certain underlying raster (5; 29), and a profiled outer cover plate (21) to carry other transport containers (30). The method according to the invention for transporting heat-sensitive products (2) together with other transport containers (31) from a supply center (32) to final customers, comprises commissioning at least one such cooling box (1) with cooled heat-sensitive products (2) in the supply center (32), cooling down the cool pack (13) in the cover (12) during commissioning by supplying a cooling fluid (17), closing the cover (12), placing the cooling box (1) in a transport vehicle (3) together with other beverage boxes (29) and/or transport containers (31), transporting and distributing the cooled products (2) to final customers, returning the cooling box (1) to the supply center (32), and cleaning the storage chambers (9, 10) and starting the process as described again. The invention allows a safe and economic transport of different goods, including fresh food and deep frozen food to final customers. Especially the handling of heat-sensitive food is improved and the risks during transport and possible handling of cooling boxes by final customers are minimized.