Top-Mounted Engine Air Intake for Refrigerated Container Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Refrigeration systems in cargo containers face inefficiencies due to warm air intakes located at the bottom, which are subjected to radiant and convective heating, leading to high temperatures and reduced engine performance, and are costly to manufacture.
Innovation Solution
The engine air intake is positioned at the top wall of the cargo container, with an airflow channel between an inner panel and the front wall, directing intake air past the evaporator to reduce heating and eliminate the need for long hoses, using a secured inner panel to segregate the evaporator and reduce heating from other components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the air intake is located at the bottom of the container, then water ingress is prevented, but the intake air temperature becomes high due to radiant and convective heating
Solution Approach 1:
The air intake is inverted from the conventional bottom location to the top location of the container. This inversion allows the intake to draw cooler air from the upper region of the container, avoiding the hot air that accumulates at the bottom due to radiant and convective heating from the pavement and engine, while still maintaining water ingress prevention through proper intake design
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the air intake is located at the bottom of the container, then water ingress is prevented, but engine performance deteriorates due to high temperature intake air
Solution Approach 1:
By inverting the air intake location from bottom to top, the system captures cooler air that improves engine combustion efficiency and performance, while the intake design maintains protection against water ingress
Solution Approach 2:
The air intake system creates a localized cool air supply zone at the top of the container, providing high-quality cool air specifically to the engine, while other regions of the container maintain their thermal characteristics
3Object-affected harmful factors
If molded rubber air intakes are used, then water ingress is prevented, but manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive molded rubber air intakes with a simpler, cheaper air intake design that achieves adequate water ingress prevention through its location and basic structure, eliminating the need for costly molded rubber components while maintaining sufficient protection
Solution Approach 2:
The complex molded rubber air intake component is extracted and replaced with a simpler alternative, removing the unnecessary complexity and cost while retaining the essential function of preventing water ingress
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 results in cleaner, cooler intake air, improving engine performance, reducing costs, and minimizing radiant and convective heating, while maintaining effective refrigeration for cargo transport.
Implementation Method 1
directing intake air downwardly from outside of the cargo container and through the engine air intake past an evaporator of the refrigeration unit to the engine
Implementation Method 2
a refrigeration unit disposed at an end of the cargo container to provide a flow of supply air for the cargo container
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
A refrigerated transportation cargo container includes a transportation cargo container (10) and a refrigeration unit (24) located at an end of the transportation cargo container (10) to provide a flow of supply air (40) for the transportation cargo container (10). The refrigeration unit (24) includes a compressor (26) and an engine (36) operably connected to the compressor (26) to drive the compressor (26). An engine air intake (54) is located at a top wall (12) of the cargo container (10) to direct a flow of engine intake air (52) from outside the cargo container (10) toward the engine (36), and an air channel (50) extends from the engine air intake (54) to the engine (36).