Insulated Refrigeration Container With PCM Backup Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional refrigeration devices often fail to maintain consistent temperature in storage regions during power outages or intermittent power supply, leading to temperature fluctuations that can compromise the integrity of sensitive items.
Innovation Solution
The development of temperature-controlled containers equipped with insulation material, phase change materials, and unidirectional thermal conductors, which utilize thermal diodes and radiative components to maintain temperature stability within predetermined ranges for extended periods without continuous electrical power.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional refrigeration devices are used during power outages, then temperature control is lost, but the device structure remains simple
Solution Approach 1:
The container is pre-cooled by the refrigeration device before power outages occur. The pre-cooled phase change materials store thermal energy that will be released during power outages to maintain temperature control reliability without requiring complex active control systems during the outage.
Solution Approach 2:
Phase change materials serve as thermal intermediaries between the refrigeration device and the stored items. These materials absorb and release thermal energy during phase transitions, mediating temperature control during power outages without requiring direct electrical power to the container.
2Reliability
If insulation material and phase change materials are added to maintain temperature, then temperature stability improves, but the container weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The container utilizes phase change materials that absorb and release large amounts of thermal energy during phase transitions (e.g., freezing and melting). This provides effective temperature stability with relatively small masses compared to using only thick insulation layers, thereby limiting weight increase while maintaining reliability.
3Manufacturing precision
If unidirectional thermal conductors are used to manage heat flow, then temperature control precision improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The container incorporates unidirectional thermal conductors at specific locations where heat infiltration occurs (such as the aperture area). These conductors provide precise thermal management only where needed, improving temperature control precision without requiring complex thermal control structures throughout the entire container.
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
These containers effectively maintain storage regions within desired temperature ranges for up to several days or weeks, even during power outages, ensuring the preservation of sensitive items by minimizing temperature fluctuations and energy consumption.
Implementation Method 1
a tank configured to hold phase change material internal to the container
Implementation Method 2
phase change material internal to the container
Implementation Method 3
one or more sections of insulation material substantially defining a temperature-controlled container
Implementation Method 4
a unidirectional thermal conductor positioned within the aperture, the unidirectional thermal conductor configured to transmit heat in a direction from the phase change material region to the external surface of the container
Implementation Method 5
a radiative component configured to be positioned within the refrigeration device
Data Source
AI summary
In some embodiments, a temperature-controlled container for use within a refrigeration device includes: one or more sections of insulation material substantially defining one or more walls of a temperature-controlled container, the temperature-controlled container including an internal region; a thermally-insulated partition dividing the internal region to form a storage region and a phase change material region internal to the container, the thermally-insulated partition including a conduit between the storage region and the phase change material region; a thermal control device within the conduit; an aperture within a section of the insulation material substantially defining the container, the aperture between the phase change material region internal to the container and an external surface of the container; and a unidirectional thermal conductor positioned within the aperture, the unidirectional thermal conductor configured to transmit heat in a direction from the phase change material region to the external surface of the container.