Loading compartment provided with modular cold room
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing transportation systems for goods at controlled temperatures lack modularity and volumetric adjustment capabilities, limiting their flexibility in accommodating goods with different temperature requirements.
Innovation Solution
A loading compartment with a modular cold room system, featuring insulating movable panels, a reversible evaporation coil, and a control system with valves and thermostats, allowing for customizable temperature zones and flexible space organization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed cold room structure is used, then the structural stability is maintained, but the adaptability to different temperature requirements is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The cold room is divided into multiple independent modular sections that can be separately configured and adjusted. Each module can be independently insulated and temperature-controlled, allowing flexible adaptation to different temperature requirements while maintaining structural integrity through standardized connection interfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The cold room employs movable insulation panels and adjustable partition walls that can be repositioned according to loading requirements. This dynamic structure allows the cold room volume and configuration to be modified during operations, providing adaptability without requiring complete structural redesign.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the cold room volume is fixed, then the manufacturing cost is reduced, but the versatility for different goods is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The cold room is constructed from standardized modular sections that can be assembled in different configurations. This segmentation allows the same basic modules to serve multiple volume requirements, maintaining manufacturing simplicity while achieving versatility through combinatorial arrangement of standard components.
Solution Approach 2:
The modular cold room design uses universal connection interfaces and standardized insulation panels that can be used across different configurations. This universality allows the same manufactured components to serve multiple volume and arrangement requirements, reducing overall manufacturing complexity while increasing versatility.
3Adaptability or versatility
If movable insulation panels are added for modulation, then the flexibility of space reorganization is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The insulation panels are designed to be movable along guided tracks or rails, allowing smooth reconfiguration of cold room sections. This dynamic mechanism provides flexible space reorganization while maintaining relatively simple construction through the use of linear motion guides and standardized panel connections.
Solution Approach 2:
Guided tracks and rails serve as intermediary elements that facilitate the movement of insulation panels. These intermediaries provide the necessary mechanical support and guidance for panel repositioning while keeping the overall mechanism simple and maintainable.
4Reliability
If multiple temperature zones are created, then the compliance with temperature standards is improved, but the control system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The refrigeration system is divided into independent control zones, each with its own temperature regulation capability. This segmentation allows each zone to be controlled separately to meet specific temperature requirements, improving compliance reliability while managing complexity through modular control architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
Different sections of the cold room are equipped with localized temperature control mechanisms and insulation properties tailored to their specific requirements. This local quality approach allows precise temperature management in each zone without requiring complex centralized control, as each section can be optimized independently.
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 efficient and flexible transportation of goods requiring different temperature regimes by allowing dynamic reconfiguration of the loading compartment, improving logistics management and compliance with temperature and hygiene standards.
Implementation Method 1
at least an evaporation coil arranged along the loading compartment deck
Implementation Method 2
at least an insulating movable panel for closing the cold room
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A
Figure 2B
AI summary
Loading compartment (100) with modular cold room (90) comprising: • • guides (20) on the deck; • • movable insulating panel (10b) for dividing into cold rooms in the modular cold room; • • further movable insulating panels (10c, 10d, 10e,...) suitable to reversibly lean against the rear face (11) of the movable insulating panels and thus aligned being suitable to be arranged so as to reversibly adhere to a transverse insulating wall (32); • • loading surface with perforated flooring (50) to allow the circulation of the refrigerated air introduced by an evaporation coil (40) in the space to be cooled; • • evaporation coil with valves and thermostats (42) to maintain the modular cold rooms at the desired temperature; • • a thermal insulating access opening (43) on each of said insulating panels.