EP4613671A1

EP4613671A1 - Device for storing and transporting goods at a low temperature

Info

Publication number: EP4613671A1
Application number: EP24744445.8A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Alexander Vasilievich CHERNIKOV
Original assignee: Bobata Consulting SL
Current assignee: Bobata Consulting SL
Priority date: 2023-01-18
Filing date: 2024-01-16
Publication date: 2025-09-10
Also published as: WO2024153846A1

Abstract

A device for storing and transporting goods, in particular fresh or frozen products, the device being used in particular in standard shipping containers. The device includes a capsule made of a thermally insulating material and shaped in accordance with the internal dimensions of the shipping container, and a refrigerant-containing module that is produced in the form of a monolithic parallelepiped, is of a size corresponding to the area of the lateral surface of the capsule, is connected to the lateral surface of the capsule and inside which there is arranged a tubular heat exchanger comprising a refrigerant and a heat accumulator liquid. In one embodiment, the device has a modular configuration consisting of a refrigerant-containing roof module (3.1) and two refrigerant-containing lateral modules (3.2).

Description

Technical field

The invention relates to a device for the low-temperature storage and transportation of goods, in particular fresh or frozen products, the device being used in particular in standard road, air and sea freight containers.
When transporting perishable products, in particular foodstuffs, in containers, temperatures have to be maintained in accordance with ATP standards. In particular, in Class A, for products labelled as fresh, said temperatures are between 0°C and +4°C or 0°C and +7°C depending on the type and mode of transport or distribution. In Class C, for products labelled as frozen, the temperatures have to be below -18°C.

State of the art

Most known refrigeration units use a monolithic metal body to increase the structural strength. As a rule, the external walls are made entirely of metal and the structure cannot be disassembled.
A device for storing and transporting fresh or frozen products, in particular thermally insulated containers or the like, is known in the state of the art ( RU 2662183 C2 , 20/06/2017, published on 24/07/2018 ). This device contains at least one heat accumulator associated with the corresponding internal wall of the container, and a plurality of longitudinally extended metal heat storage modules, wherein each of said modules comprises a housing that separates them from a cavity configured to hold a heat storage fluid, wherein a heat exchanger is located in the cavity and configured for a heat transfer fluid to be supplied thereto, the device being characterised in that the heat storage modules are mechanically and thermally interconnected, and the housing has a first wall, which faces the inner surface of the container and has a substantially flat surface, and a second wall, which is opposite the first wall, faces the internal compartment of the container and has an at least partially ribbed surface.
The main disadvantages of this design are that it is complex, cannot be dismantled and has poor strength. In addition, the cooling temperature is not maintained for very long.
Another disadvantage of this solution is that it has a large number of elements that are difficult to manufacture and make the solution as a whole more complicated. A further disadvantage of this solution is that structural parts have to be joined to the container walls, thereby changing the functionality of the container; specifically, this container can no longer be used for transporting any products once such retrofitting is carried out.

Explanation of the invention

The claimed solution aims to eliminate the identified deficiencies in the state of the art.
An object of the invention is to simplify the design of the device.
According to the invention, the specified technical result is achieved by means of a device for the low-temperature storage and transportation of goods, comprising a reinforced monolithic capsule made of a thermally insulating material and shaped in accordance with the internal dimensions of a standard shipping container, and a refrigerant-containing roof module that is produced in the form of a monolithic parallelepiped, is of a size corresponding to the area of the lateral surface of the capsule, is connected to the lateral surface of the capsule and within which there is arranged a tubular heat exchanger containing a refrigerant and a heat accumulator liquid.
This invention provides for an alternative embodiment aimed at increasing the length of time for which the cooling temperature is maintained in the capsule. In this embodiment, the device for the low-temperature storage and transportation of goods is based on a modular cooling principle and, like the previous embodiment, includes a reinforced monolithic capsule made of a thermally insulating material and shaped in accordance with the internal dimensions of the transport container, comprising a refrigerant-containing evaporator. In this alternative embodiment, the device for the low-temperature storage and transportation of goods is characterised in that the capsule has a modular design including: a roof module, lateral modules, a floor module, door modules and a rear module, which are interconnected, with refrigerant evaporator sections being located in the lateral and roof modules.
In particular, the modules comprising evaporator sections are interconnected by means of locking connections.
In particular, the evaporator sections are produced in the form of longitudinal and transverse reinforcements.
In particular, star-shaped holes are made in the reinforcements, and aluminium tubes for the passage of the refrigerant can be arranged in said holes.
In particular, the walls of the modules are made of composite material.
In particular, the insulation is located between the walls of the modules.
In particular, the evaporator sections are attached to an aluminium foil.
In particular, the evaporator sections are located in the recesses of the evaporator.

Brief description of the contents of the drawings

Figure 1 shows a first embodiment example of the device, in which the end side of the capsule corresponding to the doors of the container is provided with doors.
Figure 2 is an internal view of the capsule of Figure 1.
Figures 3 and 4 both show the capsule and the shipping container of the previous figures.
Figure 5 is a front view of an alternative embodiment of the device for the low-temperature storage and transportation of goods by means of modules made of composite materials.
Figure 6 is a side view in a frontal section of a device for the low-temperature storage and transportation of goods by means of modules made of composite materials.
Figure 7 shows the structure of a capsule formed by modules.
Figure 8 is a side view of the module in a frontal section, showing the location of the evaporator in the recess of the module.
Figure 9 is a side view in a frontal section of the external wall of the module, said wall being made of composite materials.
Figure 10 shows the structure of the evaporator section.
Figure 11 shows the reinforcement of the evaporator section having star-shaped holes.
Figure 12 is an external view of a technical variant of the device for a standard sea container.
Figure 13 is an internal view of a technical variant of the device for a standard sea container.

Detailed disclosure of embodiments of the invention

The following reference numerals have been used in the accompanying drawings:

1 - capsule
2 - container
3.1 - roof module
3.2 - lateral modules
3.3 - floor module
3.4 - door modules
3.5 - rear module
4 - external wall of the module
5 - recess for the evaporator
6 - insulation
7 - evaporator section
8 - aluminium tubes
9 - reinforcements
10 - star-shaped holes
11 - aluminium foil

The device for the low-temperature storage and transportation of goods is designed to be arranged in standard, non-insulated transport containers.
In the embodiment shown in Figures 2 to 4, the device for the low-temperature storage and transportation of goods includes a reinforced monolithic capsule (1) made of thermally insulating material and shaped in a way that replicates the internal dimensions of the container (2) in which it is installed, and a refrigerant-containing roof module (3.1) that is produced in the form of a parallelepiped, is of a size corresponding to the area of the lateral (upper) surface of the capsule (1) and is connected to the lateral surface of the capsule (1).
The reinforced capsule (1) is made of a thermally insulating material (e.g. PU - polyurethanes, PUU, etc.) and produced by simultaneously pouring five faces of the frame that correspond to the internal dimensions of a standard shipping container, thereby ensuring the necessary rigidity and strength of the entire structure of the capsule (1) in general. The capsule (1) can be produced in the form of a parallelepiped or have a more complex shape corresponding, for example, to the shape of an air transport container.
At the edge of the capsule (1) corresponding to the container doors, there are doors on plastic hinges which are moulded using the same technology as other surfaces of the capsule (1) and which open when the standard container (2) is open.
The capsule (1) is arranged in the container (2) in a simple manner by sliding it mechanically into a standard, non-thermally insulated container (2), for example using the free entry/exit of the capsule (1). A sliding element is applied to the floor of the container, for example in the form of microspheres made by 3M (Germany) or the like, providing a low coefficient of friction.
The capsule (1) is attached, for example, using fasteners.
The refrigerant module is a parallelepiped of a size corresponding to the area of the lateral (upper) surface (roof) of the capsule (1). The dimensions are given in Table 2 by way of example. The module is provided with a tubular heat exchanger for concentrating the necessary amount of cold in the heat accumulator fluid inside the module. The refrigerant used is any type of freon or carbon dioxide group. Water is used as the storage fluid.
The valve compensates for the change in the refrigerant volume during the phase change.
To prevent water hammer occurring while the container (2) is being transported, the module is provided with internal partitions, including those having star-shaped holes, for generating eddies which reduce the speed of the directional movement of the liquid.

In this embodiment, the module is arranged on the side corresponding to the roof surface of the capsule (1). The way in which the roof module (3.1) is attached allows it to be rapidly replaced with a module that is ready for operation. By way of example, conventional grip-type latches or chain roller clamps can be used for the attachment. The module can be manufactured with different thermal capacities, providing the necessary thermal autonomy period.

Table 1 shows the overall dimensions of a standard shipping container 2.

Table 1
40F container dimensions (code as per ISO 6346)
	Length, mm	Width, mm	Height, mm	V, m³
External	12192	2438	2895
Internal	12097	2330	2655	75
Internal subject to insulation	11897	2130	2455	62
Internal with insulation installed	11897	2130	2295	58
Accumulation capacity, kJ		1,089,000
Thermal resistance, QW		22.9

Table 2 shows an example of a variant of the overall dimensions of the refrigerator module.

Table 2

Refrigeration module

Length, mm Width, mm Height, mm

External (mm) 11006 282 156

Internal (mm) 11000 276 150

Tubular heat exchanger (mm) 10930
The claimed device allows any standard non-insulated container to be used. This solution also provides greater technical reliability since the capsule is made monolithically and of thermally insulating material; moreover, the sterilisation times and maintenance intervals of the container are reduced, helping to make it ready for operation. The prepared capsule can be pre-prepared and pre-loaded and then arranged in a standard shipping container. The capsule can be made ready for operation by connecting the cold accumulation unit to the compressor in the assembled state and also by replacing the cold accumulator with a pre-prepared one, thereby significantly reducing the time required to get the capsule ready for operation.
In the alternative embodiment shown in Figures 5 to 13, the device for the low-temperature storage and transportation of goods has a modular cooling principle; in this embodiment, the capsule (1) consists of seven modules - one roof module (3.1), two lateral modules (3.2), one floor module (3.3), two door modules (3.4) and one rear module (3.5) - which are interconnected by means of locking joints and manufactured in the form of parallelepipeds having the same dimensions as the dimensions of the internal part of the corresponding side of the shipping container.
As shown in Figure 6, the modules (1) are formed by the external walls (4) of the module (1), which are produced in the form of a parallelepiped having recesses for the evaporator (5), which are manufactured structurally in the form of cavities, while on the external walls of the modules, which are made of composite material, a wear layer, through the application of a resistant compound, between which the insulation (6) is arranged, and evaporator sections (7), which consist of aluminium tubes (8) through which the refrigerant flows and which are attached by longitudinal and transverse reinforcements (9) having star-shaped holes (10), are mounted on an aluminium foil (11), such that the size of the aluminium foil (11) together with the evaporator sections (7) installed therein corresponds to the size of the recess for the evaporator (5) in which this structure is installed.
The device for the low-temperature storage and transportation of goods by a modular cooling principle, which includes a capsule (1), consisting of the refrigerant-containing roof module (3.1) mounted on the internal upper wall of the transport container, two refrigerant-containing lateral modules (3.2) mounted on the internal lateral walls of the shipping container (2), a floor module (3.3) mounted on the internal lower wall of the transport container, two door modules (3.4) which are mounted on the front part of the capsule, produced in the form of a parallelepiped and joined together by locking joints, thereby protecting the contents of the capsule (1) from external mechanical damage and also simplifying the design of the capsule of the device.
The evaporator sections (7), which consist of aluminium tubes (8) through which the refrigerant flows, creating a heat exchange, are mounted on an aluminium foil (11) and mounted in a recess for the evaporator (5). Furthermore, the modular construction of the capsule (1) of the device allows it to increase the cooling time of the capsule since the modules are uniformly distributed over the entire internal surface of the capsule (1) of the device.
Likewise, the external walls of the module, which are made of composite material, and the insulation (6) therebetween make it possible to increase the accumulation of heat on the external walls of the modules, which also allows the cooling time of the capsule to be increased. The aluminium tubes (8) pass through star-shaped holes (10) made in the reinforcements (9) in order to increase the structural rigidity of the evaporator sections (7) and prevent water hammer from occurring as the vehicle accelerates and brakes when in motion.
The claimed technical result is achieved owing to the fact that the device for the low-temperature storage and transportation of goods by a modular cooling principle includes two lateral modules having evaporator sections of the same surface area as the internal lateral walls of the transport container, and a roof module having evaporator sections of the same area as the internal upper wall of the shipping container, the floor module, the door modules and the rear module. The modules are interconnected by means of locking joints, thus allowing them to be assembled and disassembled locally without the need for tools.
This arrangement of modules improves the cooling properties of the capsule and thus increases the required time for maintaining the cooling temperature of the capsule.
Moreover, by installing evaporator sections in all the recesses for the evaporator in the lateral and roof modules, the mass distribution of the capsule is significantly improved, leading to an increase in structural strength.
The evaporator sections are attached on the inside to an aluminium sheet, increasing the density of the structure. The external walls of the modules are made of composite material, which increases the accumulation of heat and prolongs the cooling time of the capsule. There is insulation between the external walls of the module, which also increases the accumulation of heat and has an impact on the maintenance of the required temperature inside the capsule. The evaporator sections are attached by means of longitudinal and transverse reinforcements having star-shaped holes, which reduces the likelihood of water hammer occurring during acceleration or braking and also increases the strength of the structure.
Figures 12 and 13 show an embodiment of the proposed technical solution for a standard 10-foot (3-metre) shipping container.
An experiment was carried out to test the prototype and the proposed technique. The devices described in the prototype and in the claimed technical solution were installed in 3-metre transport containers and loaded on identical transport platforms. These transport platforms were sent along an 800-km route from the Moscow region to the Krasnodar region, where the ambient temperature ranged from 26°C to 32°C. At the same time, thermometers recorded the air temperature in the capsules when the movement began, which reached 6°C. Thermometers were arranged at the top and bottom to monitor the temperature in a uniform manner.
Both transport platforms covered the first half of the journey in 6 hours. At the time of the first stop, the air temperature in the device described in the prototype was 8°C; in the claimed device it stayed at 6°C. Upon arrival at the destination 5 hours later, the air temperature in the device described in the prototype was already 11°C, while in the claimed device the temperature was 7°C. Further tests were carried out during a nighttime stop, when the ambient temperature ranged between 18°C and 24°C. Both devices were kept under these conditions for 8 hours.
At the same time, the temperature was measured. In the device described in the prototype, the temperature was 16°C, which does not meet the storage temperature requirements for a certain range of products; in the device of the proposed technical solution, the temperature was 9°C. Over the next 3 hours, the ambient temperature increased to 32°C; the temperature in the device described in the prototype reached 18°C, and the temperature in the device of the proposed technical solution was 11°C. The experiment thus lasted 22 hours. The device of the proposed technical solution warmed up 30% more slowly than the device described in the prototype; in other words, the amount of time for which the required cooling temperature of the capsule was maintained was 30% longer.

Claims

Device for the low-temperature storage and transportation of goods, including a reinforced monolithic capsule made of a thermally insulating material and shaped in accordance with the internal dimensions of the shipping container, and a refrigerant-containing roof module that is produced in the form of a monolithic parallelepiped, is of a size corresponding to the area of the lateral surface of the capsule, is connected to the lateral surface of the capsule and inside which there is arranged a heat exchanger having an evaporator and a heat accumulator liquid.
Device according to claim 1, wherein the capsule has a modular design, including the roof module, lateral modules, a floor module, door modules and a rear module, which are interconnected, with refrigerant-containing evaporator sections being located in the lateral and roof modules.
Device according to claim 2, wherein the modules comprising evaporator sections are interconnected by locking joints and can be disassembled.
Device according to claim 2, wherein the evaporator comprises sections produced in the form of longitudinal and transverse reinforcements.
Device according to claim 4, wherein the reinforcements have star-shaped holes in which aluminium tubes for the passage of the refrigerant can be arranged.
Device according to claim 1, wherein the walls of the modules are made of composite material.
Device according to claim 1, comprising insulation between the walls of the modules.
Device according to claim 2, wherein the evaporator sections are attached to an aluminium foil.
Device according to claim 2, wherein the evaporator sections are located in recesses defined in the external walls of the modules.