Method for operating a refrigerated vehicle, and refrigerated vehicle
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Solution Overview
Problem
Refrigerated vehicles face challenges in maintaining the cold chain during prolonged operating pauses, as existing refrigeration systems require frequent recharging and are not efficient in preserving temperature during extended periods of inactivity, leading to refrigerant loss and potential product spoilage.
Innovation Solution
The method involves a refrigerated vehicle that can switch between two operating states: a transport state where refrigerant is drawn from a tank on the vehicle and a stationary refrigeration state where refrigerant is drawn from a stationary storage tank, allowing continuous refrigeration during prolonged pauses without the need for product relocation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If refrigerant is drawn from a refrigerant tank on the vehicle during prolonged operating pauses, then the storage region can be refrigerated, but the refrigerant tank becomes empty and warm requiring recharging which causes refrigerant loss
Solution Approach 1:
A stationary storage tank acts as an intermediary refrigerant source during prolonged operating pauses. The tank is thermally coupled to the storage region and can supply refrigerant without requiring the vehicle-mounted refrigerant tank to be emptied and recharged, thereby preventing refrigerant loss while maintaining cold chain preservation.
Solution Approach 2:
The stationary storage tank is pre-filled with refrigerant before the prolonged operating pause begins. This preliminary action ensures that refrigerant is available throughout the pause period, eliminating the need to empty and recharge the vehicle-mounted tank during the pause and thus preventing refrigerant loss.
2Quantity of substance
If the refrigerant tank is recharged at filling stations, then the refrigerant supply is restored, but the process is elaborate and increases operator risk
Solution Approach 1:
The stationary storage tank serves as an intermediary that automatically supplies refrigerant to the storage region during prolonged pauses. This eliminates the need for elaborate manual recharging processes at filling stations, reducing both complexity and operator risk while maintaining adequate refrigerant supply.
3Reliability
If products are unloaded and stored in a refrigerated chamber during operating pauses, then the cold chain is preserved, but additional logistics steps are required
Solution Approach 1:
The stationary storage tank acts as a thermal intermediary that maintains refrigeration in the storage region during prolonged operating pauses. This allows products to remain in the vehicle without requiring unloading and relocation to external refrigerated chambers, thereby preserving the cold chain while maintaining operational simplicity.
4Ease of operation
If a single filling line is used with supercooled refrigerant, then connection is simplified, but the gas phase must collapse during filling requiring precise control
Solution Approach 1:
The refrigerant is pre-supercooled before being introduced to the storage region during prolonged pauses. This preliminary cooling action ensures that the refrigerant remains in liquid phase throughout the pause period, eliminating the need for complex gas phase collapse control during filling operations while maintaining connection simplicity.
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 ensures the cold chain is maintained for refrigerated and frozen goods during extended periods, reducing refrigerant loss and enabling immediate return to transport mode without recharging the refrigerant tank, thus preserving product integrity.
Implementation Method 1
the cryogenic refrigerant is sprayed as either a liquid or gas into the storage region (direct refrigeration) or brought into indirect heat contact with the atmosphere in the storage region via a heat exchanger arrangement
Implementation Method 2
the refrigerant for refrigerating the storage region is drawn from a refrigerant tank... in which a predefined refrigeration temperature is maintained by direct or indirect heat contact with a cryogenic refrigerant
Data Source
AI summary
In a first, mobile operating state of a refrigerated vehicle, which is equipped with a storage region for the transport of refrigerated products in order to maintain the cold chain, the products are transported, wherein the refrigerant for cooling the storage region is drawn from a refrigerant tank disposed on the refrigerated vehicle. According to the invention, in a second, stationary operating state of the refrigerated vehicle, the refrigerant for cooling the storage region is drawn from a stationary storage tank, the refrigerant tank being bypasses. Thus, long breaks in operation, for example at the weekend, can be bridged, so that the cold chain can be maintained without the need to transfer products which are to be refrigerated out of the refrigerated vehicle.