WO2014007444A1

WO2014007444A1 - Transportation and delivery device for agricultural food provided with thermoelectric elements

Info

Publication number: WO2014007444A1
Application number: PCT/KR2012/011202
Authority: WO
Inventors: 권기현; 김병삼; 김종훈; 차환수; 김지영; 정진웅
Original assignee: 한국식품연구원
Priority date: 2012-07-03
Filing date: 2012-12-20
Publication date: 2014-01-09
Also published as: CN104428214B; KR101389531B1; CN104428214A; KR20140004456A

Abstract

The present invention relates to a transportation and delivery device for agricultural food provided with thermoelectric elements so as to maintain the freshness of the agricultural food for a prolonged time, which, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, comprises: a preservation and transportation container for receiving agricultural food; a first thermoelectric element having a heat absorption part arranged towards the inside of the preservation and transportation container to lower the temperature in the preservation and transportation container; and a second thermoelectric element having a heat generation part arranged towards the inside of the preservation and transportation container to raise the temperature in the preservation and transportation container.

Description

Agri-food Delivery Device with Thermoelectric Element

The present invention relates to an agri-food delivery device to which the thermoelectric element is applied, in order to maintain the freshness of the agri-food for a long time.

This application is filed with the claim of priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2012-0072109. In addition, the contents described in the application of the Republic of Korea Patent Application No. 10-2012-0072109 is included in the present specification.

Recently, the necessity of freshly circulating meat, seafood, fresh vegetables and fruits at low temperatures is increasing day by day. Especially, in order to keep food at low temperatures, refrigerated vehicles, cold storage warehouses for freezing and refrigeration, and freezing for small packages Because of the need for boxes, the industry related to such cold chain systems is also continuing to grow. However, unlike the external growth of the distribution industry, the cold chain system is still in the introduction stage, and is focused on show-cases, commercial freezers, and courier-type ice packs that can be encountered at the cold storage and consumer stages of production. .

Among the low temperature distribution targets, agricultural products are most sensitive to temperature changes, and when using an ice box, there is a short period in which fresh products can be delivered (referred to as words for transportation and delivery). In addition, in the case of transporting agricultural products using a tower car equipped with a freezer and a refrigerator, not only does it consume too much power to operate the freezer and the refrigerator, but also removes the produce from the freezer and the refrigerator and then freezes the other refrigerators and refrigerators. Agricultural products are left at room temperature during the transfer to the facility, there is a problem of deterioration or deterioration of quality.

On the other hand, techniques for utilizing a thermoelectric element for refrigeration or freezing are known. Here, a thermoelectric element is a metal element composed of a p-type semiconductor and an n-type semiconductor, and refers to a device in which Peltier endothermic and heat dissipation, which is one of three effects of thermoelectricity, is generated by flowing a DC current, and is disclosed in Korean Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-2007-0102189. Ho (hereinafter referred to as 'prior invention') discloses a refrigerator to which a thermoelectric element is applied.

Referring to the preceding invention, a case is inserted into a storage compartment of a refrigerator, and the case is composed of an inner case and an outer case. A cold storage space is formed between the inner case and the outer case, and the cold storage material is accommodated in the cold storage space. Cold air generated in the thermoelectric element is blown into the inner case by a fan, and even if the case is removed and placed outside, the cold air is released from the coolant, so the contents can be kept fresh for a certain time. . However, the thermoelectric element operates only when power is supplied from the refrigerator, and the thermoelectric element does not operate at all when the case is removed and placed outdoors. As a result, in the case where the case is placed outdoors, the present invention functions like the conventional ice box only until a limit time at which the heat storage material can release cold air, and after that, the function falls. In addition, when using a commercial heat storage material developed so far there is a limit that the freshness of the contents can not be maintained even 20 hours in a state where the case is separated from the prior invention and placed outdoors.

The present invention has been conceived to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an agri-food transport apparatus to which a thermoelectric element is applied, which can maintain freshness of agri-food for a long time.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an agro-food delivery apparatus to which a thermoelectric element is applied, which can maintain freshness of agri-food only by transporting a storage container containing agri-food without a separate refrigeration, freezing and heating facility. have.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an agri-food delivery apparatus to which a thermoelectric element is applied, which does not require a separate fan for circulating cold or warm air.

In order to achieve the above object, agri-food transport apparatus is applied thermoelectric element according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a storage transport container that can accommodate agri-food; The heat absorbing portion 12 disposed to face the inside of the storage transport container to lower the temperature in the storage transport container, and the heat absorbed through the heat absorbing portion 12 to face the outside of the storage transport container. A first thermoelectric element consisting of a heat generating portion 14 for emitting to the outside of the storage transport container; And a heat absorbing portion 22 disposed to face the outside of the storage transport container, and heat absorbed through the heat absorbing portion 22 toward the inside of the storage transport container toward the inside of the storage transport container. And a second thermoelectric element, the second thermoelectric element being disposed to be spaced apart from the first thermoelectric element.

Preferably, the first thermoelectric element is mounted on a wall of the storage transport container, and the second thermoelectric element is installed on a wall of the storage transport container facing the first thermoelectric element.

Preferably, a phase change material pack filled with a phase change material is formed in at least one of the heat absorbing part 12 of the first thermoelectric element and the heat generating part 24 of the second thermoelectric element.

Preferably, the agri-food delivery device to which the thermoelectric element is applied, the heat absorbing portion 12 side of the first thermoelectric element, the heat generating portion 14 side of the first thermoelectric element, the heat absorbing portion 22 side of the second thermoelectric element And a fin for increasing heat transfer efficiency in at least one of the heat generating parts 24 side of the second thermoelectric element.

Preferably, the agricultural food transportation device to which the thermoelectric element is applied, drives the first thermoelectric element when the temperature in the storage transport container is higher than a target temperature by a predetermined reference, and the temperature in the storage transport container is lower than the target temperature by a predetermined criterion. If lower, the control unit for driving the second thermoelectric element is further provided.

Preferably, the difference between the temperature of the heat absorbing portion 12 when the first thermoelectric element is driven and the temperature of the heat generating portion 24 when the second thermoelectric element is driven is 4 ° C to 8 ° C.

Preferably, the agri-food delivery device to which the thermoelectric element is applied, further comprises a power supply unit for selectively supplying power to the first thermoelectric element and the second thermoelectric element.

Preferably, the power supply is a disposable or rechargeable battery.

Preferably, the voltage of the power supply is 8V ~ 13V.

Preferably, the agri-food delivery device to which the thermoelectric element is applied, further comprises a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature inside the storage transport container.

Preferably, the temperature sensor is located between the first thermoelectric element and the second thermoelectric element.

The following drawings, which are attached to this specification, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present invention, and together with the detailed description of the present invention serve to further understand the technical spirit of the present invention, the present invention includes matters described in such drawings. It should not be construed as limited to.

1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of an agri-food delivery device to which the thermoelectric device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings will be described in detail with respect to the agri-food delivery device (hereinafter referred to as "delivery device") to which the thermoelectric element according to the present invention is applied.

The terms or words used in this specification and claims are not to be construed as being limited to their ordinary or dictionary meanings, and the inventors may appropriately define the concept of terms in order to best describe their invention. It should be interpreted as meaning and concept corresponding to the technical idea of the present invention based on the principle that the present invention. Therefore, the embodiments described in the specification and the drawings shown in the drawings are only the most preferred embodiment of the present invention and do not represent all of the technical idea of the present invention, various modifications that can be replaced at the time of the present application It should be understood that there may be equivalents and variations.

In the drawings, the size of each component or a specific portion constituting the components is exaggerated, omitted, or schematically illustrated for convenience and clarity of description. Thus, the size of each component does not entirely reflect its actual size. If it is determined that the detailed description of the related known function or configuration may unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of the present invention, such description will be omitted.

Hereinafter, a case where the agri-food is accommodated in the storage transport container will be described with respect to the delivery device according to the present invention, which is for convenience of explanation only, in addition to the agri-food in the storage transport container aquatic products, livestock products, yogurt, beverages, etc. It is clear that a variety of foods may be accommodated, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to the use for storing food.

Referring to Figure 1, the delivery device 100 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a storage transport container (2) capable of accommodating agri-food, and the storage transport container (2) is stored so that the food can be put in and out A cover 4 covering the opening of the transport container 2, a first thermoelectric element 10 formed on one side wall of the storage transport container 2, and a first thermoelectric element 10 of the storage transport container 2. ), The second thermoelectric element 20 formed on the opposite wall facing the first surface, the first phase change material pack 16 formed on the inner side of the first thermoelectric element 10, and the inner side surface of the second thermoelectric element 20. And a second phase change material pack 26 formed therein.

The storage container 2 and the lid 4 are preferably made of a material having excellent heat insulating performance such as styrofoam.

The first thermoelectric element 10 is disposed so as to face the inside of the storage transport container 2 to reduce the temperature in the storage transport container 2 and the outside of the storage transport container 2. The heat generating unit 14 is disposed so as to face and discharges heat absorbed through the heat absorbing unit 12 to the outside of the storage transport container 2. The heat absorbing portion side fin 12A may be formed on the surface of the heat absorbing portion 12 to increase heat transfer efficiency, and the heat generating portion side fin 14A may be formed on the surface of the heat generating portion 14 to increase heat transfer efficiency. . However, the heat absorbing part side pin 12A and the heat generating part side pin 14A may be omitted to form the first thermoelectric element 10 thinly and compactly.

The second thermoelectric element 20 is disposed on the heat absorbing portion 22 which faces the outside of the storage transport container 2, and is disposed to face the inside of the storage transport container 2, and the heat absorbing portion 22 is disposed. The heat absorbed through the storage container (2) is released toward the inside of the storage transport container (2) to increase the temperature is composed of a heat generating section (24). The second thermoelectric element 20 is spaced apart from the first thermoelectric element 10. The heat absorbing portion side fins 22A may be formed on the surface of the heat absorbing portion 22 to increase the heat transfer efficiency, and the heat generating portion side fins 24A may be formed on the surface of the heat generating portion 24 to increase the heat transfer efficiency. . However, the heat absorbing portion side pin 22A and the heat generating portion side pin 24A may be omitted to form the second thermoelectric element 20 thinly and compactly.

The first thermoelectric element 10 plays a role of lowering the temperature in the storage transport container 2, and the second thermoelectric element 20 plays a role of raising the temperature in the storage transport container 2. Be careful. That is, in the first thermoelectric element 10, the heat absorbing portion 12 must face the inside of the storage transport container 2, and the heat generating portion 24 of the second thermoelectric element 20 must necessarily store the storage transport container 2. Should face toward the inside of.

The first phase change material pack 16 filled with the phase change material is formed on the heat absorbing part 12 side of the first thermoelectric element 10, and the phase change material also appears on the heat generating part 24 side of the second thermoelectric element 20. The filled second phase change material pack 26 may be formed. A phase change material is a material that has a property of storing heat or releasing heat as the state of the material changes from liquid to solid or from solid to liquid according to temperature, and uses this property to store energy or It is used for the purpose of keeping the temperature constant. The phase change temperature is different depending on the type of phase change material, and the phase change material having a characteristic in which the phase change temperature of the specific phase change material and the target temperature in the storage transport container 2 are the same or close to each other is used. ) And the second phase change material pack 26 are preferable. For example, when the target temperature inside the storage container 2 is 0 ° C, it is preferable to fill the first phase change material pack 16 and the second phase change material pack 26 with the phase change material having a melting point of 0 ° C. Most preferred. It may also be assumed that only the first phase change material pack 16 or the second phase change material pack 26 is installed in the delivery device 100 according to the present invention. In order to prevent the rapid change of the delivery apparatus 100, it is preferable that both the first phase change material pack 16 and the second phase change material pack 26 are installed.

The temperature sensor 6 measures the temperature inside the storage transport container 2 and is preferably located between the first thermoelectric element 10 and the second thermoelectric element 20.

On the other hand, in order to store the agri-food in a fresh state without a separate refrigeration, freezing, heating facilities, the delivery device 100 according to the present invention selectively powers the first thermoelectric element 10 and the second thermoelectric element 20. It is further provided with a power supply (8) capable of supplying. The power supply 8 is preferably a removable disposable or rechargeable battery. As the battery, a dedicated battery may be used, a commercially available 9V, 12V battery, or the like may be used, or a battery having a lower voltage may be connected and used. In order to maintain the agri-food at the target temperature for at least 36 hours or more without a separate refrigeration, freezing and heating facilities, the voltage of the power supply unit is preferably determined in the range of 8V to 13V.

Hereinafter, the target temperature is 0 ° C, the heat absorbing portion 12 is -3 ° C when the first thermoelectric element 10 is operating, and the heat generating part 24 is 3 ° C when the second thermoelectric element 20 is operating. For example, a case in which the external temperature is 20 ° C will be described as an example in which the inside of the delivery apparatus 100 according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention is maintained at a target temperature.

First, the delivery apparatus 100 is put in a refrigerating facility maintained at 0 ° C. for a predetermined period. In this case, the phase change material filled in the first phase change material pack 16 and the second phase change material pack 26 is maintained at a solid state of 0 ° C. In this state, the agri-food is placed in the storage transport container 2 of the delivery device 100 and the lid 4 is closed to fill the solid inside the first phase change material pack 16 and the second phase change material pack 26. The temperature inside the storage transport container 2 may be maintained at 0 ° C. until the phase change material in the state becomes a liquid state of 0 ° C. However, after that, the temperature inside the storage container 2 rises above 0 degreeC.

When the temperature inside the storage container 2 sensed by the temperature sensor 6 is higher by a predetermined reference (eg, by 1 ° C.) than the target temperature of 0 ° C., the first thermoelectric element 10 is controlled by a controller (not shown). Driven. When the first thermoelectric element 10 is driven, the heat absorbing portion 12 becomes -3 ° C, and the heat absorbing portion 12 faces the inside of the storage transport container 2, so that the first phase change material pack 16 is cooled. do. Cold air is discharged from the cooled first phase change material pack 16 toward the inside of the accommodation space, and since the air in the accommodation space has a higher temperature than the cooled first phase change material pack 16, the first phase change material pack The cold air from (16) and the air inside the receiving space mix with each other and cause natural convection.

If the temperature inside the storage container 2 sensed by the temperature sensor 6 is lower than a target temperature of 0 ° C. by a predetermined reference (eg, 1 ° C.), the second thermoelectric element 20 may be a controller (not shown). Driven by). When the second thermoelectric element 20 is driven, the heat generating part 24 becomes 3 ° C., and the heat generating part 24 faces the inside of the storage transport container 2, so that the second phase change material pack 26 is heated. . Since the warmth is released from the heated second phase change material pack 26 toward the inside of the accommodation space and the air in the accommodation space is lower in temperature than the heated second phase change material pack 26, the second phase change material pack The warmth from (26) and the air inside the receiving space mix with each other and cause natural convection.

Although the case where the target temperature in the storage transport container 2 is 0 degreeC was mentioned as the example, the target temperature can be set freely as many as 5 degreeC, 10 degreeC, etc., In this case, the 1st thermoelectric element 10 is The temperature of the heat absorbing portion 12 during operation and the temperature of the heat generating portion 24 when the second thermoelectric element 20 is operated should be set differently from the above-described example. Of course, the phase change material filled in the first phase change material pack 16 and the second phase change material pack 26 should have different melting point and different physical properties than the above-described example.

On the other hand, if the difference between the temperature of the heat absorbing portion 12 when the first thermoelectric element 10 is driven and the temperature of the heat generating portion 24 when the second thermoelectric element 20 is driven is too large storage container 2 The agri-food stored inside is subject to severe temperature changes, which may cause the fresh food to deteriorate or deteriorate. Therefore, the temperature of the heat absorbing portion 12 when the first thermoelectric element 10 is driven and the temperature of the heat generating portion 24 when the second thermoelectric element 20 is driven are different in the range of 4 ° C to 8 ° C. desirable.

As described above, since the delivery device 100 according to the present invention includes the first thermoelectric element 10 and the second thermoelectric element 20 spaced apart from each other, the storage transport container 2 without a separate fan is provided. The air inside can be circulated. In addition, it is more than simply cooling or heating the agri-food until all the cold or warm air from the phase-change material packs 16 and 26 is discharged, thereby actively accumulating or accumulating the phase-change material packs 16 and 26 so that the agri-food can be greatly reduced. It has the advantage of keeping fresh at the target temperature for a long time.

In the conventional cold chain system, even if the agri-food is delivered to a vehicle equipped with a refrigeration, refrigeration, and heating facility, there is a problem that the agri-food is deteriorated because the box containing the agri-food is exposed to room temperature during the loading and unloading process. More serious. On the other hand, in the case of a delivery method using an ice box, there is a problem that the period for storing agri-food in a fresh state is too short. However, the delivery device 100 according to the present invention not only does not need a refrigeration, refrigeration, or heating facility, but also can store the agri-food for a long time as described above, and the delivery device 100 can be stored for a long time during the unloading process. Even if stored at room temperature, the heat storage, the cold storage process, and the air circulation inside the storage and transport container 2 may continuously occur, and thus, there is an advantage that the logistic cost can be drastically reduced in the fresh food delivery. .

Although the present invention has been described above by means of limited embodiments and drawings, the present invention is not limited thereto and will be described below by the person skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. Of course, various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the claims.

According to the agri-food delivery device to which the thermoelectric element according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention is applied, the following effects are obtained.

First, it is possible to provide an agri-food delivery device to which the thermoelectric element is applied, which can maintain the freshness of agri-food for a long time.

Second, it is possible to provide an agri-food transportation device to which a thermoelectric element is applied, which can maintain freshness of agri-food only by transporting a storage container containing agri-food without refrigeration, freezing, or heating facilities.

Third, it is possible to provide an agri-food transport apparatus to which the thermoelectric element is applied, which does not require a separate fan for circulating cold or warm air.

Claims

A storage transport container for accommodating agri-food;

The heat absorbing portion 12 disposed to face the inside of the storage transport container to lower the temperature in the storage transport container, and the heat absorbed through the heat absorbing portion 12 to face the outside of the storage transport container. A first thermoelectric element consisting of a heat generating portion 14 for emitting to the outside of the storage transport container; And

The heat absorbing portion 22 disposed to face the outside of the storage transport container, and the heat absorbed through the heat absorbing portion 22 disposed to face the inside of the storage transport container and discharged toward the inside of the storage transport container. And a second thermoelectric element disposed to be spaced apart from the first thermoelectric element to increase the temperature in the storage transport container. 2. The agri-food transport apparatus to which the thermoelectric element is applied.
The method of claim 1,

Wherein the first thermoelectric element is installed on the wall of the storage transport container, and the second thermoelectric element is installed on the wall of the storage transport container facing the first thermoelectric element. Device.
The method of claim 1,

Agro-food applied to the thermoelectric element, characterized in that the phase change material pack filled with a phase change material is formed in at least one of the heat absorbing portion 12 and the heat generating portion 24 of the second thermoelectric element of the first thermoelectric element Shipping device.
The method of claim 1,

Among the heat absorbing portion 12 side of the first thermoelectric element, the heat generating portion 14 side of the first thermoelectric element, the heat absorbing portion 22 side of the second thermoelectric element, and the heat generating portion 24 side of the second thermoelectric element. Agri-food delivery device to which the thermoelectric element is applied, characterized in that it further comprises a fin (fin) to at least one of the heat transfer efficiency.
The method of claim 1,

And a control unit for driving the first thermoelectric element when the temperature in the storage transport container is higher than a target temperature by a predetermined reference and driving the second thermoelectric element when the temperature in the storage transport container is lower by a predetermined reference than the target temperature. Characterized in that, the agricultural food delivery device to which the thermoelectric element is applied.
The method of claim 5,

The difference between the temperature of the heat absorbing portion 12 when the first thermoelectric element is driven and the temperature of the heat generating portion 24 when the second thermoelectric element is driven is 4 ℃ ~ 8 ℃, thermoelectric Agri-food delivery device to which the element is applied.
The method of claim 1,

And a power supply unit capable of selectively supplying power to the first thermoelectric element and the second thermoelectric element.
The method of claim 7, wherein

The power supply is a disposable or rechargeable battery, characterized in that the thermoelectric element is applied agri-food delivery device.
The method of claim 8,

The voltage of the power supply unit is characterized in that the 8V ~ 13V, agri-food delivery apparatus applied thermoelectric element.
The method of claim 1,

And a temperature sensor for measuring a temperature inside the storage container.
The method of claim 10,

The temperature sensor is characterized in that located between the first thermoelectric element and the second thermoelectric element, the thermoelectric element applied agri-food delivery device.