Transport container

Abstract

In a transport container for transporting temperature-sensitive transport goods comprising a chamber for receiving the transport goods, a casing enclosing the chamber and at least one cooling element for temperature control of the chamber, the cooling element comprises an evaporation element with a cooling surface and a desiccant for receiving coolant evaporated in the evaporation element. The transport container further comprises a latent heat accumulator that communicates with the chamber for heat exchange.

Claims

1. Transport container for transporting temperature-sensitive transport goods comprising a chamber for receiving the transport goods, a casing enclosing the chamber and at least one cooling element for temperature control of the chamber, the at least one cooling element comprising: an element with a cooling surface, a desiccant for receiving coolant evaporated in the evaporation element, a transport path for transporting the evaporated coolant to the desiccant, wherein the transport container further comprises a latent heat accumulator that communicates with the chamber for heat exchange in addition to the evaporation element, the latent heat accumulator comprising a phase change material and being separate and distinct from the evaporation element, wherein the evaporation element and the desiccant are separated by a first thermal insulation, wherein the latent heat accumulator is arranged outside of the evaporation element and is arranged between the cooling surface and the chamber in a cascading manner such that, when viewed in a direction from outside to inside of the transport container through the first thermal insulation, first the evaporative cooling system is effective and then the latent heat accumulator relative to the chamber for heat exchange; wherein the latent heat accumulator has a phase transition temperature of 3-10 C.; wherein the evaporation element comprises a textile which contains the coolant; and wherein the phase change material includes paraffins.

2. The transport container according to claim 1, wherein the cooling surface communicates with the latent heat accumulator for heat exchange and the latent heat accumulator communicates with the chamber for heat exchange.

3. The transport container according to claim 1, wherein the cooling surface and the latent heat accumulator are separated by a second thermal insulation.

4. The transport container according to claim 1, wherein the cooling element is sealed against the environment in a vapour diffusion tight manner.

5. The transport container according to claim 1, wherein the latent heat accumulator surrounds the chamber on all sides.

6. The transport container according to claim 1, wherein the cooling surface of the evaporation element surrounds the chamber on all sides.

7. The transport container according to claim 1, wherein the latent heat accumulator and the evaporation element each form a layer of the casing of the transport container.

8. The transport container according to claim 1, wherein the textile comprises a felt and wherein the coolant comprises water.

9. The transport container according to claim 1, further comprising a reservoir for the coolant that is fluidly connectable with the evaporation element.

10. The transport container according to claim 1, wherein the latent heat accumulator is spaced from the casing that encloses the chamber and the at least one cooling element.

11. The transport container according to claim 1, wherein the latent heat accumulator is plate-shaped and positioned in a heat exchange connection with the cooling surface of the evaporation element.

12. The transport container according to claim 1, wherein the at least one cooling element is positioned on one side of the latent heat accumulator and the chamber is positioned on an opposite side thereof.

13. The transport container according to claim 1, wherein the phase transition temperature of the latent heat accumulator is lower than a temperature resulting from a cooling capacity of the evaporation element.

Description

(1) The invention will be described below in more detail with reference to exemplary embodiments as shown schematically in the drawing.

(2) Therein, FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the cooling system for a transport container according to the invention,

(3) FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of the cooling system for a transport container according to the invention,

(4) FIG. 3 shows a cross section of a first embodiment of a transport container with a cooling system,

(5) FIG. 4 shows a cross section along the line IV-IV of FIG. 3,

(6) FIG. 5 shows a cross section of a second embodiment of a transport container with a cooling system and

(7) FIG. 6 shows a cross-section along the line VI-VI of FIG. 5.

(8) In FIG. 1, a cooling system is shown, which comprises an evaporative cooling system 1 and a latent heat accumulator 2. The evaporative cooling system 1 comprises an evaporation element 3, which is soaked with a coolant, such as water, and has a cooling surface 4, and a desiccant 5 for receiving evaporated coolant from the evaporation element 3. Between the evaporation element 3 and the desiccant 5, a thermal insulation layer 7 is arranged, which is formed open to vapour diffusion, in order to allow the transport of the evaporated coolant from the evaporation element 3 to the desiccant 5. That evaporated coolant is adsorbed in the desiccant 5, which, e.g., is formed as silica gel. The described elements of the evaporative cooling system 1 are surrounded by a gas-tight shell or a gas-tight housing 8 so that the relative humidity of the gas atmosphere within the evaporative cooling system 1 can be controlled independently of the environment.

(9) The desiccant 5 is arranged on that side of the evaporative cooling system 1, on which heat is to be given off, and the evaporation element 3 is located on the (opposite) side of the evaporative cooling system 1, on which cooling is to be effected.

(10) On the cooling side of the evaporative cooling system 1, a plate-shaped latent heat accumulator 2 is now arranged, which is in heat exchange connection with the cooling surface 4 of the evaporative cooling system 1 either directly or with the interposition of a thermal insulation (not shown). The chamber 9 to be temperature controlled is arranged on the side of the latent heat accumulator 2 that faces away from the evaporative cooling system 1.

(11) In FIG. 2 an alternative embodiment is shown, wherein the same reference numerals designate the same components as in FIG. 1. The embodiment of FIG. 2 differs from the embodiment of FIG. 1 in that the transport of the evaporated coolant from the evaporation element 3 to the desiccant 5 is not performed through the insulating layer 7, but via a separate channel 10. The gas-tight shell therefore does not have to surround the insulating layer 7, but is limited to the evaporation element 3, the channel 10 and the desiccant 5. This design allows greater flexibility in the arrangement of the desiccant 5, wherein the desiccant, for example, may be interchangeably arranged in the transport container. Furthermore, a reservoir 6 for the coolant, in particular water, is provided, which is connected to the evaporation element 3, which allows refilling of coolant in a simple manner. The embodiment as shown in FIG. 2 is particularly suitable for large-volume transport containers.

(12) FIGS. 3 and 4 show a cuboid transport container 11, the walls of which are designated with 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16. On the sixth side the transport container 11 is closed by a door or a lid 17. The walls and the lid have the following layer structure. The walls 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 each comprise an outer insulating layer 18 made of a thermally insulating material. This is followed by a layer 19 formed as an evaporation element. The innermost layer 20, which delimits the chamber 9 to be temperature controlled, is designed as a latent heat accumulator layer. The wall 13 additionally has the desiccant as the outermost layer 21. However, the desiccant-containing layer may also be arranged on another wall as the outermost layer. The insulating layer 18 is formed to be permeable to vapour diffusion, in order to allow the transport of the evaporated coolant from the evaporation layer 19 to the desiccant 21. The lid 17 comprises only the outer insulating layer 18 and the latent heat accumulator layer 20.

(13) FIGS. 5 and 6 show a modified embodiment of a cuboid transport container 22, the walls of which are designated by 23, 24, 25, 26 and 27. On the sixth side the transport container 22 is closed by a door or a lid 28. The walls and the lid have the following layer structure. The walls 23, 24, 25, 26 and 27 each comprise an outer insulating layer 29 and an inner latent heat accumulator layer 30. The lid 28 likewise comprises an insulating layer 29, which is located between an inner layer 31 designed as an evaporation element and an outer layer 32 comprising the desiccant. The lid 28 is replaceable in a simple manner, whereby a consumed cooling element can be exchanged for an unconsumed cooling element.