Transformable Cargo Container for Intermodal Cold Chain Continuity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing refrigerated cargo containers experience breaks in the cold chain when transitioning between ground and air transportation due to incompatible shapes and sizes, leading to temperature fluctuations that can damage temperature-sensitive products.
Innovation Solution
A transformable cargo container with a main body and a movable transformable assembly that includes supplemental containers and supply ducts for refrigeration equipment, allowing the container to adapt between aircraft and ground configurations, maintaining temperature control and compatibility with both transportation modes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If existing refrigerated cargo containers are used for ground/water transportation, then adequate temperature control is maintained, but the containers are incompatible with air transportation vehicles due to shape and size differences
Solution Approach 1:
The cargo container incorporates transformable assemblies that can change the container's shape and configuration. The container body includes movable walls and transformable sections that allow it to adapt between rectangular form (for ground/water transport) and configurations suitable for air transportation, enabling the same container to serve multiple transportation modes without compromising temperature control
Solution Approach 2:
The container is designed with multi-functional capabilities to operate across different transportation modes. By integrating transformable assemblies and adjustable configurations, the container serves as a universal solution for both ground/water refrigerated transport and air transportation, eliminating the need for separate specialized containers
2Adaptability or versatility
If products are unloaded from ground/water cargo containers and loaded into air cargo containers, then transportation between modes is achieved, but breaks in the cold chain occur during loading and unloading
Solution Approach 1:
The same transformable cargo container is used for both ground/water and air transportation, eliminating the need to transfer products between different containers. The container's ability to change configuration allows it to serve as a universal vessel across transportation modes, maintaining continuous temperature control and preventing cold chain breaks
Solution Approach 2:
The container maintains continuous refrigeration operation throughout the entire intermodal transportation process. The transformable assemblies are designed to preserve the sealed, temperature-controlled environment during configuration changes, ensuring uninterrupted cooling action from ground/water transport through air transport without exposing products to temperature fluctuations
3Volume of moving object
If air transportation cargo containers are designed with chamfered corners for space utilization, then available space in aircrafts is better utilized, but stacking efficiency on ground/water transportation vehicles is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The container incorporates transformable assemblies with movable walls that can adjust the container's external geometry. When configured for air transport, the walls form chamfered corners to maximize utilization of aircraft cargo space. When configured for ground transport and stacking, the same walls can be repositioned to create flat, rectangular surfaces that enable efficient stacking and intermodal compatibility
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
The transformable cargo container minimizes breaks in the cold chain by maintaining temperature control during intermodal transport, ensuring the integrity of temperature-sensitive products without the need for unloading and reloading, and optimizing space usage in both aircraft and ground vehicles.
Implementation Method 1
the refrigeration equipment is configured to supply coolant into the main container body via the one or more supply ducts and the at least one inlet
Data Source
AI summary
Transformable cargo containers for use with ground and air transportation vehicles are presented herein. A cargo container includes a main container body defining a storage chamber. The cargo container also includes a transformable assembly coupled to the main container body and positioned at an exterior of the main container body. The transformable assembly includes one or more supplemental containers and is movable between an aircraft configuration and a ground configuration. Based on the transformable assembly being in the aircraft configuration, the transformable cargo container has a non-rectangular cross-sectional area and is configured to occupy a partially-radial cross-sectional storage area of a fuselage of an aircraft. And based on the transformable assembly being in the ground configuration, the transformable cargo container is configured to occupy a rectangular cross-sectional storage area on a ground transportation vehicle.