Phase change material panel and passive thermally controlled shipping container employing the panels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing PCM panels suffer from substantial void volume headspaces that act as thermal bridges, leading to reduced thermal control and increased shipping costs, as well as accelerated melting at the panel edges creating peripheral thermal bridges, and poor handleability due to their bulkiness and weight.
Innovation Solution
The design includes a phase change thermal storage unit with a panel that has a chamber filled with phase change material, featuring a fill port at the corner to minimize void volume, internal contouring to vary the chamber thickness, and fingertip indentation handles for improved handleability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional PCM panels are manufactured with uniform thickness, then manufacturing is simplified, but substantial void volume headspace is created acting as thermal bridges that reduce thermal control
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by varying the chamber thickness at different locations within the panel. The chamber has a first thickness in a first region and a second thickness in a second region, allowing the phase change material to be distributed more evenly throughout the panel volume. This eliminates void spaces and thermal bridges while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through molded construction.
2Ease of manufacture
If PCM panels have substantial headspace volume, then manufacturing is easier, but thermal control is greatly reduced and temperature variances increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent varies the chamber thickness locally to eliminate headspace. By having different thicknesses in different regions, the phase change material completely fills the chamber volume without creating void spaces. This ensures uniform thermal control throughout the panel while the molded construction keeps manufacturing straightforward.
3Reliability
If PCM panels are made with sufficient mass for thermal control, then thermal performance is improved, but handleability deteriorates due to weight and bulkiness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the large thermal mass into multiple smaller panel segments. Each panel contains a manageable amount of phase change material that can be easily handled, while multiple panels working together provide the total thermal mass needed for effective thermal control of the shipping container.
4Ease of manufacture
If PCM panels use uniform thickness design, then manufacturing is simpler, but peripheral melting occurs faster creating thermal bridges
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by implementing non-uniform chamber thickness where the phase change material is distributed more densely at peripheral regions. This compensates for the faster heat transfer at edges, preventing premature peripheral melting and maintaining thermal performance stability throughout the panel's service life.
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 minimizes void volume headspaces, reduces thermal bridges, and enhances handleability, resulting in improved thermal control, reduced shipping costs, and more efficient use of space within shipping containers.
Implementation Method 1
thermally conditioned phase change material within the payload chamber of the container
Implementation Method 2
as the phase change material melts
Implementation Method 3
thermally insulated shipping containers
Data Source
AI summary
A phase change thermal storage unit having has at least one conformational feature selected from (i) a fill port located proximate a corner of the of the panel, (ii) internal contouring that alters the thickness of the phase change material retention chamber for creating an average thickness of the chamber within a central portion of the chamber which is less than the average thickness of the chamber within a peripheral portion of the chamber, and (iii) fingertip indentation handles proximate each and every edge.