Insulated Transport Container With Calibrated Intermediate Wall
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing transport containers fail to effectively control temperature within the desired range for perishable products, leading to inefficiencies and increased costs due to oversized refrigeration loads and inadequate temperature maintenance, especially when maintaining temperatures between 0°C and 4°C.
Innovation Solution
A transport container with an adjustable intermediate wall and refrigeration load, where the heat energy emitted by the refrigeration load and the thermal diffusion coefficient of the intermediate wall are calibrated to match the heat dissipation power of the container, ensuring the calorific power diffused is equal to or up to 20% greater than the power dissipated, allowing precise temperature control for extended periods.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a standard insulated container is used for product transport, then the container structure is simple and manufacturing cost is low, but the temperature inside the container cannot be precisely controlled and temperature maintenance fails
Solution Approach 1:
The container is divided into two functional parts: an insulated box for product storage and a separate cover assembly containing the intermediate wall and refrigerated load. This segmentation allows the temperature control mechanism to be independent from the storage compartment, enabling precise temperature control without complicating the overall container structure.
Solution Approach 2:
An intermediate wall is introduced between the refrigerated load and the product compartment. This intermediary component diffuses heat in a controlled manner, allowing precise temperature regulation inside the container while keeping the refrigerated load at lower temperatures. The intermediate wall acts as a thermal mediator that decouples the temperature zones.
2Reliability
If an oversized refrigerated load is placed in the container, then temperature maintenance capability is improved, but refrigeration charge quantity increases leading to waste and higher costs
Solution Approach 1:
The thermal properties of the intermediate wall are adjusted by changing its material composition and thickness. By modifying the thermal diffusion coefficient of the intermediate wall, the system can maintain reliable temperature control with a reduced refrigerated load, optimizing the balance between reliability and resource consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The intermediate wall provides localized thermal management between the refrigerated load and the product compartment. This local quality control allows the refrigerated load to be smaller while still maintaining adequate temperature control, as the intermediate wall concentrates and directs the cooling effect where needed.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the container is designed for frozen product transport (-40°C to -18°C), then refrigeration capability is sufficient, but maintaining narrower temperature ranges (0°C to 4°C) becomes difficult or impossible
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides dynamic thermal management through the intermediate wall, which can be designed with specific thermal properties to accommodate different temperature ranges. By adjusting the intermediate wall's thermal diffusion coefficient, the same container structure can adapt to maintain either frozen temperatures (-40°C to -18°C) or refrigerated temperatures (0°C to 4°C) with equal effectiveness.
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 enables precise temperature control within the container, optimizing refrigeration load usage and reducing waste, while allowing for efficient transport and storage of perishable products over long periods, including maintaining temperatures between -40°C and 4°C.
Implementation Method 1
a diffusing intermediate wall (5) interposed between the box (2) and the cover (4) to delimit with the cover (4) a chamber with a surface (7) for receiving at least one refrigerating load (6)
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~7
AI summary
The present invention relates to the transport of products at a desired maintenance temperature range, comprising: - a case (2) which is made of insulating material and which delimits a compartment which is open at the top, has a volume less than 150 litres and is capable of containing the products, the case (2) having a predetermined calorific dissipation power; - a cover (4) which is made of insulating material and can be adapted to the case (2) in order to close the compartment; - a diffusing intermediate wall (5) which is positioned between the case (2) and the cover (4) in order to delimit, with the cover (4), a chamber with a surface (7) for receiving at least one refrigerant charge (6) which emits a calorific power, the cover (4) and the intermediate wall (5) comprising mutually complementary locking/unlocking means (9). The invention is characterised in that the calorific energy emitted by the refrigerant charge (6) and the thermal diffusion coefficient of the intermediate wall (5) are adjusted so that, at predetermined transport and maintenance temperatures and for a desired time after receipt of the refrigerant charge (6) and exposure of the container (1) to the transport temperature, the calorific power diffused by the intermediate wall (5) to the compartment is equal to or at a maximum 20% greater than the calorific power dissipated by the case (2).