Modular passive refrigeration container

Abstract

The invention relates to a modular passive refrigeration container for the cold storage and transport of goods, especially fresh produce and deep-frozen goods as well as to a method for the assembly of such a modular passive refrigerated container, comprising at least: (i) a cooling element, suitable for binary ice as coolant, comprising at least three plate-shaped hollow cooling segments, wherein the plate-shaped cooling segments define at least a portion of the refrigeration space, (ii) an insulation material in plate form, and (iii) a housing, suitable for receiving said cooling element and said insulating material in plate form, wherein said cooling element is removably surrounded by said housing, and wherein a space between the said cooling element and said housing is at least partially filled with said insulating material which is reversibly connected with either said housing or said cooling element or both.

Claims

1. A modular passive refrigeration container comprising at least: (i) a cooling element, suitable for binary ice as coolant, comprising at least one plate-shaped hollow cooling segment, wherein the plate-shaped cooling segment defines at least a portion of a refrigeration space, (ii) any insulating material in plate shape, and (iii) a housing, suitable to receive, said cooling element and said insulating material in plate shape, wherein said cooling element is removably surrounded by said housing, and wherein a space between said cooling element and said housing is at least partially filled with said insulating material, the insulating material being reversibly connected with either said housing, or said cooling element, or both, wherein the cooling element comprises at least one connector for providing binary ice in the hollow cooling segment, wherein the cooling element has at least two connectors, wherein a first connector is situated near the bottom of the cooling element, and a second connector is located near the top of the cooling element, wherein the cooling element comprising the second connector is provided with an air-permeable and liquid-permeable, but ice-withholding compartment, forming a partition between the second connector and the rest of the cooling segment, wherein said compartment is a perforated fin, and wherein the first connector is an inlet of the cooling element and the second connector is an outlet of the cooling element.

2. The refrigeration container according to claim 1, wherein the cooling element comprises at least two plate-shaped hollow cooling segments, wherein the plate-shaped cooling segments define at least a part of the refrigeration space.

3. The refrigeration container according to claim 2, wherein the at least two plate-shaped hollow cooling segments are connected to each other so that substantially a single hollow, double-walled space is formed.

4. The refrigeration container according to claim 2, wherein three plate-shaped hollow cooling segments form a C-shaped cooling element, in which two plate-shaped cooling segments are arranged parallel to each other and connected by a third which extends perpendicularly between the parallel to each other arranged plate-shaped cooling segments.

5. The refrigeration container according to claim 4, wherein the third plate-shaped cooling segment which extends perpendicularly between the parallel to each other arranged plate-shaped cooling segments is divided into two separate hollow spaces which are not in fluid communication with each other.

6. The refrigeration container according to claim 1, wherein the cooling element comprises at least one further plate-shaped cooling segment, that is connected to one or more edges with the at least three hollow plate-shaped cooling segments.

7. The refrigeration container according to claim 6, wherein the further plate-shaped cooling segment is a hollow plate-shaped cooling segment connected to one or more edges with the other present hollow plate-shaped cooling segments in order to form together one hollow space.

8. The refrigeration container according to claim 6, wherein the further plate-shaped cooling segment is a full plate-shaped cooling segment connected to one or more edges, or is in thermal contact, with the other existing plate-shaped cooling segments.

9. The refrigeration container according to claim 1, comprising a C-shaped cooling element and three full plate-shaped cooling segments, wherein one plate-shaped segment only partially closes the refrigeration space, whereby an opening is left for the passage into the refrigerated container.

10. The refrigeration container according to claim 1, wherein the cooling element is at least partially filled with binary ice.

11. The refrigeration container according to claim 1, wherein at least one plate-shaped cooling segment of the cooling element comprises a structure in the hollow space of the plate-shaped cooling segment comprising essentially of one or more inverted V-shaped partitions which define interconnected interstices, and which are provided with at least one through opening on the one hand to prevent the ascension of the ice and on the other hand to allow the avoidance of gas from an interstice, bounded by two inverted V-shaped partitions, to a higher located interstice.

12. The refrigeration container according to claim 11, wherein a free passage is provided on both sides of the inverted V-shaped partitions.

13. The refrigeration container according to claim 1, wherein the plate-shaped insulation material comprises a vacuum insulation panel (VIP) and/or an aerogel insulation plate.

14. The refrigeration container according to claim 1, wherein the housing is formed by six plate-shaped parts which together define the space which encloses the cooling element and the insulation, preferably an essentially rectangular space.

15. The refrigeration container according to claim 1, wherein the housing is provided with at least one opening in the housing which may be reversibly closed, preferably with a plate-shaped cooling segment.

16. The refrigeration container according to claim 1, wherein the lower cooling segment is provided with perforations in the bottom of it, wherein the perforations are in liquid contact with a container placed under the bottom of the lower cooling segment, equipped for the accommodation of a liquid and on the front side provided with an opening for discharging the liquid.

17. Use of the refrigeration container according to claim 1 for the storage and refrigerated transportation of goods, especially fresh produce and deep-frozen goods, where the goods are stored in the refrigerated container.

18. A method of assembling of a refrigeration container according to claim 1, comprising the steps of: (i) providing a cooling element; (ii) placement of the cooling element in a box-shaped housing which comprises at least 4 sides, until the cooling element is completely enclosed by the box-shaped housing, wherein a space between said cooling element and said housing is at least partially filled with said insulation material and (iii) further sealing of the box-shaped housing with further housing parts.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the cooling element is covered with insulating material in plate form and the cooling element, covered with insulating material in plate form is placed in the box-shaped housing until the cooling element, covered with insulating material in plate form is totally enclosed by the box-shaped housing.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein the box-shaped housing is covered on the inside with insulating material in plate form and the cooling element is placed in the box-shaped body covered with insulating material in plate form until the cooling element is completely enclosed by the housing with insulating material in plate form.

21. The method according to claim 18, wherein the further sealing of the housing with further housing parts comprises the application of a back and/or the application of a front which is provided with at least one opening which may be reversibly closed, preferably with a plate-shaped cooling segment.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the refrigeration container according to the invention.

(2) FIG. 2 shows a C-shaped cooling element according to the invention.

(3) FIG. 3 shows a cross-section of the refrigeration container of FIG. 1.

(4) FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of a rear cooling element according to the invention.

(5) FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of a V-shaped partition according to the invention.

(6) FIG. 6 shows an embodiment of a perforated fin according to the invention.

(7) The following reference numbers are used in the text and the figures:

(8) TABLE-US-00001 1 Refrigeration container 1a-f Panels 2 Door 3 Rubber sealing 4 Screws 5 Filling opening 6 Vent 7 Undercarriage 8 Wheel 9 Frame 10 Cooling element 10a-c Hollow plate-shaped cooling segment 11 Insulation layer 12 Housing 13 Cooling space 14 V-shaped partition (fin) 15 Interstice 16 Openings 17 Free passages 18 Perforated fin

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(9) The refrigeration container according to the invention will now be further illustrated by way of example and with reference to certain embodiments and to certain figures, without being restricted thereto. The same reference numbers refer to the attached drawings for the same parts.

(10) In the following description and the claims are left- and right-hand references determined by standing before the front of the refrigeration container and looking in the direction of the back side of the refrigeration container, i.e., against the inside of the back of an open refrigeration container. Also in the following description and claims, it should be understood that terms such as front, back, bottom, top, inside, outside-side, left, right, up, below, inside, outside, etc. as used throughout this description, be determined with reference to the normal operating mode of the refrigerated container and in its normal orientation, unless otherwise stated. The terms mentioned above should not be understood be as limiting terms.

(11) FIGS. 1 and 2 show a refrigeration container 1 according to the present invention. The refrigeration container is in the form of a six-sided rectangular box of about 2.2 meters high, about 1.2 meters wide and about 0.6 meters deep. The cooling container comprises three hollow cooling elements for the respective top, rear and bottom (FIG. 3, 10a, 10b, 10c), which are interconnected and which together form a hollow C-shaped cooling element, and three full cooling elements which, respectively, form the sides and the front. The housing of the refrigeration container is formed by respectively panels 1a (top), 1b (back), 1c (bottom), 1d (left) and 1e (right), and a half-open panel 1f (front), each panel being connected to a further panel, possibly via a rubber seal 3. The half-open panel 1f comprises an opening which is closed by a hinged door 2. The panels on the front and back 1b, 1f are detachably attached, for example, through screws 4. The panels together constitute the housing of the refrigeration container. In the front there is at the bottom a filling opening 5 and a vent 6. In one embodiment (FIG. 2), the refrigeration container may be provided with a chassis 7 with wheels 8 to be able to easily move the refrigeration container, and/or with a frame 9 in order to be able to handle the refrigeration container and to protect it against collisions.

(12) FIG. 3 shows a cross-section through the refrigeration container (front side is not shown). The refrigeration container is composed of a C-shaped cooling element 10, an insulating layer 11, comprising a plate-shaped insulation and housing 12. The cooling element 10 comprises three hollow plate-shaped cooling segments 10a, 10b, 10c, which are connected to each other at their edges so that substantially a single hollow double-walled space is formed with a C-shaped cross-section transverse to the cooling element, and wherein the three hollow double-walled cooling segments together define the refrigeration space 13. The two right and left sides of the C-shaped cooling element are sealed with a full plate-shaped cooling segment that is in thermal contact with the hollow double-walled cooling element. Also, the front side may bepartiallyclosed off with a full plate-shaped cooling segment, in particular a half-open panel 1f comprising an opening which is closed by a hinged door 2. In this way, the refrigeration container is provided on three sides (1a, 1b, 1c) with walls which are cooled by binary ice and on three sides (1d, 1e, 1f) by walls which be cooled by thermal conduction. The lower cooling segment 10c is provided with a first connector at the front 5, for the filling of the cooling element with binary ice, and a second connector 6 at the front in the upper cooling section 10a for venting the air from the cooling element.

(13) FIG. 3 further shows a perforated fin 18 in order to prevent the vent 6, located in the upper cooling segment 10a of the C-shaped cooling element, from getting clogged with heaping ice from the moment that the binary ice begins to fill the upper cooling segment. A surface of such a perforated fin 18 is shown in FIG. 6.

(14) FIG. 4 shows the rear cooling element 10b which is provided over its entire surface, with inverted V-shaped partitions 14 which define mutually interconnected interstices 15, and which are provided with through small openings 16 on the one hand, to prevent the ascension of the ice and on the other hand to allow the avoidance of gas from an interstice to a higher interstice. A surface of such a V-shaped partition is shown in FIG. 5. At both ends of the inverted V-shaped partitions, free passage 17 is provided for the pressure-free and leveling filling of the refrigeration container.

(15) Prior to use, the refrigeration container is filled with binary ice by means of the bottom filling opening of a filling station. For operation with the fresh produce, typically a binary ice slurry comprising 50% of an ice fraction and 7.1% polyethylene glycol is used. With this slurry, an ice temperature of about 2 C. may be attained. For use with the frozen products, typically a binary ice slurry comprising 25% of an ice fraction and 38.6% potassium formate (KCOOH) is used. With this slurry, an ice temperature of about 33 C. may be reached.

(16) It may also be useful to increase the ice fraction in the cooling element whereby the ice temperature remains the same, for example, in order to obtain an extended autonomy of the refrigeration container. Because binary ice with a larger ice fraction is difficult to be pumped, a different approach may be followed in order to bring greater amount of ice in the cooling element. Hereby, the cooling element is first filled with a binary ice slurry with a certain fraction of ice. Then one waits until the (solid) ice and the (liquid) water/polyethylene glycol mixture are fractionated. Then, a portion of this (liquid) water/polyethylene glycol mixture is discharged through the bottom filling opening and replaced by a quantity of binary ice. This process can be repeated two or more times until the desired amount of ice is introduced in the cooling element. According to a particular embodiment, the lower (horizontal) cooling section 10c is also provided with perforations in the bottom of it, for example in a part of the bottom, in which the perforations, for example are in liquid contact with a container, for example, a flat tank, placed under the bottom of the lower cooling segment and equipped for collecting a liquid, particularly the liquid fraction, and provided at the front with an opening for the discharge of the liquid, particularly the liquid fraction. In this way the liquid fraction, comprising the melting ice, may be removed and replaced by a quantity of binary ice slurry, so as to increase the ice fraction in the binary ice.