Refrigeration Unit Cover Top Air Intake Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Transportation refrigeration units in tractor-trailer systems face reduced performance and efficiency due to high-temperature recirculated air and tractor engine heat, exacerbated by fuel-saving features that divert ambient air, leading to inefficient air intake.
Innovation Solution
A cover with a solid front panel and strategically positioned airflow inlet and outlet openings, including scoops and baffles, directs ambient air into the refrigeration unit from the top and exhausts it from the bottom, preventing hot air ingestion and improving airflow distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a mesh or grated panel is used as air intake on the front face of the refrigeration unit, then air can enter the condenser section, but high-temperature recirculated air and tractor engine heat are ingested, reducing unit performance and efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent moves the air intake openings from the front face (horizontal dimension) to the top surface (vertical dimension) of the refrigeration unit. This dimensional change allows the unit to capture ambient air from above, avoiding the hot air and recirculated air that accumulate at the front face near the tractor engine, thereby improving thermal efficiency without compromising air intake functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the air intake function from the front mesh panel and relocates it to dedicated openings in the top cover. This separation allows the front panel to be replaced with a solid construction while maintaining air intake through the top, eliminating the problem of hot air ingestion at the front face
2Loss of energy
If aerodynamic fairings are positioned on the tractor to divert ambient air, then fuel consumption is reduced, but the ambient air is much less likely to reach the front panel intake
Solution Approach 1:
By relocating air intake from the front horizontal plane to the top vertical surface, the patent creates a new air capture zone that is not blocked by aerodynamic fairings. The top surface intake accesses ambient air from a different spatial dimension that remains available even when fairings divert airflow at the front of the tractor
Solution Approach 2:
The top cover with its air intake openings acts as an intermediary structure that captures ambient air from the top region and directs it to the condenser section. This intermediary air intake path bypasses the airflow disruption caused by aerodynamic fairings at the front, ensuring continuous supply of cool ambient air
3Loss of energy
If a solid front panel is used instead of a mesh panel, then hot air ingestion is prevented, but air intake must be redirected to other locations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves the complexity issue by using the top surface of the refrigeration unit as the air intake location. This natural upward airflow path from the top cover simplifies the overall design compared to creating complex ducting systems, while effectively preventing hot air ingestion through the solid front panel
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 configuration enhances the performance and efficiency of the refrigeration unit by preventing hot air ingestion and optimizing airflow, maintaining cargo temperature without redesigning the underlying refrigeration unit.
Implementation Method 1
one or more airflow inlet openings located at a top of the cover to direct an airflow from outside the cover into the transportation refrigeration unit, and one or more airflow outlet openings disposed below the one or more airflow inlet openings to direct the airflow from inside the transportation refrigeration unit to outside the cover
Data Source
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AI summary
A cover for a transportation refrigeration unit includes a substantially solid front panel and one or more airflow inlet openings located at a top of the cover to direct an airflow from outside the cover into the transportation refrigeration unit. A refrigerated container system includes a container having a cargo compartment for transportation of a cargo and a transportation refrigeration unit secured to the container and including a refrigeration unit operably connectible to the cargo compartment and configured to direct cooling airflow into the cargo compartment thereby cooling the cargo compartment to a selected temperature. A cover is secured to the refrigeration unit and includes a substantially solid front panel and one or more airflow inlet openings positioned at a top of the cover to direct an inlet airflow from outside the cover into the refrigeration unit.