DE102007028787B4 - Refrigerated container for land, road and rail vehicles - Google Patents

Abstract

Refrigerated container for land, road and rail vehicles, at the rear inside a vertically and largely over the width of the container extending shaft (18) is formed with a transverse wall (32), above which collected under the roof area of the container heated cooling air Shaft under deflection is supplied to the bottom, wherein in the transverse wall at least one passage opening (38) is formed with an inserted ring member (40) through the free cross-section, the heated cooling air into the shaft protruding heat exchange surfaces (22) of an evaporator of a coolant circuit via a fan (44) is zuleitbar, and wherein the cooled at the heat exchange surfaces cooling air from the bottom of the shaft in the bottom region of the refrigerated container is zurückleitbar, characterized in that above the transverse wall (32) baffles (52) are arranged, which are located on opposite sides of Ring part (40) in the transverse direction d there cooling container along the width of the shaft (18) extend outwardly and for the lateral introduction of the fan (44) sucked heated cooling air in the free cross section (50) of the ring member (40) are formed with an inflowing cooling air facing open curvature.

Description

The invention relates to a refrigerated container for road and rail vehicles.

Such containers have a substantially rectangular basic shape with a long axis of, for example, 40 feet (about 14 m). They are generally arranged on the vehicle such that the longitudinal axis of the container is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

The loading opening of the container is at one end face, while at the opposite end a cooling unit is inserted through a receiving opening in this end face. The cooling unit is usually usually releasably secured by a peripheral flange with bolt connections around the outer edge of the receiving opening.

The inner bottom of the container is formed with longitudinal ribs that remain between the ribs longitudinal channels for cooling air. The crests of the longitudinal ribs, which conventionally form an upwardly projecting T-profile, support load of the container.

Measures have been taken in the area of the loading opening so that the cooling air, which in the meantime has been heated by the load, can ascend to the roof of the container, provided that it has not previously risen to the roof area through the load. There is a level mark or other appropriate regulation of the height of the load that between the load and the roof of the container, the heated air to the loading opening opposite end wall of the container and thus can be returned to the cooling unit.

The cooling unit forms a vertical shaft on the inside of the respective end face of the container and this shaft complements the previously described circulation of the cooling air for a closed circuit.

In the shaft, heat exchange surfaces of an evaporator of a refrigerant circuit protrude. The refrigerant circuit is of conventional construction and typically has, in addition to the evaporator, a compressor, a condenser and an expansion device, to which the evaporator is connected in this sequence in a closed circuit.

The shaft usually has an air-permeable, for example sieve-like aluminum sheet, top cover, which forms a protection against falling material or objects and at the same time an injury protection against unwanted human interference. Between this cover, the inner wall surface of the end wall and the inner wall surface of the container remains open to the storage space of the container chamber within which the back flowing heated cooling air is diverted through the cover into the shaft inside. This chamber extends substantially or substantially over the entire width of the container.

Below the cover, and with a clear vertical distance to this, the shaft is divided by a transverse wall, in the conventional axisymmetric with respect to the container depending on a passage opening down for the heated cooling air, conventionally designed as a round hole. This does not exclude that in special cases only an average opening or a different number of the same are provided.

In the respective passage opening of the transverse wall, a ring member is used, which engages over the transverse wall with an outer flange-like structure and is supported on this and expediently attached. The ring member engages through the transverse wall so that the sweeping part serves as an air supply to each axial fan. The axial fan directs the descending heated cooling air to the heat exchange surface of the evaporator. As a result, the heat of the descending heated cooling air is delivered to the coolant of the cooling circuit, and the cooling air, which is now suitable for cooling, is returned to the longitudinal channels at the bottom of the container.

Up to now, there has been a desire to make optimal use of the space available in the cooling unit and especially in its shaft space with little design effort. In particular, one has chosen the free passage cross section of the ring part for the descending heated cooling air as large as possible. The maximum diameter is determined by the distance between the inner surface of the end wall of the container, which is opposite to the loading opening, and the adjacent wall surface opposite to the load and the inner dimensions of the shaft derived therefrom. It has therefore been the outer flange-like structure of the ring member only on both sides thereof, but not in the axial direction of the container, formed so as not to restrict the free cross section of the inner opening of the ring member in this axial direction of the container.

A refrigerated container of the type described shows the EP 1 619 454 A1 ,

From the DE 196 33 378 C2 It is known per se to provide in the wall region of a refrigerator a curved guide for emerging from a double-walled region of the wall of the refrigerator cooling air of a distribution device in the form of a blower.

The invention is based on the object with the least possible design effort to further improve the efficiency of the cooling of the cargo of the refrigerated container.

Starting from common features with the refrigerated container according to the EP 1 619 454 A1 This object is achieved by the characterizing features of claim 1.

Comparative experiments have shown that only by these measures, a significant increase in efficiency can be achieved. Depending on the practical application, you can use this increase in efficiency for different goals. These goals include a lower consumption of drive energy for the most electrically driven axial fan, lower power levels of drive motors of the respective axial fan and an improvement in the flow of the load with cooling air. Specifically, it has been shown that even in the transverse direction of the container, the cooling effect is better than previously homogenized. This surprising effect can probably be explained by the fact that in the hold of the container near-side cooling air is promoted better than before in the cooling circuit or less than previously held by adhesion to the side wall more or less pronounced. The flow profile of the returning heated cooling air in this context is considered less achsbetont or in other words evened.

By facing the outflowing heated cooling air open curvature of the arranged in the transverse direction of the refrigerated container on both sides of the ring part guide surfaces, the introduction of the heated cooling air can be made uniform in the free cross section of the ring member. This also reduces the noise.

These effects are achieved even more clearly according to claim 2. A particular advantage lies in the better capture of radially distant warmer heated cooling air.

According to claim 3 can initially be avoided or at least mitigated that generate free edges of the lateral vanes as protruding into the inflowing heated cooling air obstacles turbulence. According to claim 4, this effect is further reduced while avoiding Strömungsstoträumen and at the same time created the opportunity to obtain at least selectively a flange-like support of the ring member on the transverse wall of the shaft in the outer region of the ring member.

Claim 5 is based on the idea not to arrange the guide surfaces and possibly the flange-like supports so that they generate an independent space consumption at the expense of the receiving space of the cargo.

Claim 6 has - if appropriate, including the ideas of claim 5 - special significance when in the known manner the diameter of the free cross section in the ring member between the loading space facing inner surface of the front wall of the shaft and the front surface of the rear wall of the container so large as possible is chosen.

In the conventional ring parts, these consist of a cylindrical sleeve, on both sides of which an annular flange portion for attachment to the transverse wall protrudes at right angles at the top. The free cross section of this sleeve is circular. Such a circular inner cross section is also preferred in the context of the invention. This is especially true for the configuration according to claim 6. However, this does not exclude that not only in connection with claim 6, but in the context of the invention quite generally, the sleeve part has a non-circular as a free cross-section. Of particular interest are flattened free cross-sections, preferably with a curved, for example oval, inner contour, wherein the flattening expediently extends to avoid influencing the loading space volume in the shaft in the transverse direction.

Claim 7 shows that the invention can be realized in a particularly simple manner by an integral with a small structural means integral ring part, which causes a similar increase in efficiency with the same kind of use as in the known case.

The known cylindrical ring member is usually made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy. In the context of the invention can even provide a thin-walled production of plastic injection molding according to claim 8, since the taking place in connection with the baffles expedient three-dimensional outer geometry also gives a thin-walled insert sleeve in the transverse wall sufficient dimensional stability (see claim 9).

The features of claim 10 are known per se. The meaning of claim 10 is that also in the context of the invention without any other modification, a two-stage gearless drivable fan can be used as a particularly simple solution.

In principle, any known type of blower can be used within the scope of the invention, for example a radial blower. However, such requires special adaptation measures, so that in the context of the invention preferably according to claim 11, the known use of an axial fan is maintained.

However, such an axial fan is expediently further adapted in the context of the invention to the aim of the invention to further increase the efficiency efficiency by slight modification of shapes.

The conventionally used axial blowers have straight running blades which only have increasing strength for stabilization towards the axis. From the US 38040E are also cascaded turbine blades with curvature against the conveying direction known per se. According to the invention, instead of a shaping according to claim 12 - preferably with the peculiarities according to claims 13 to 17 - preferably used. This not only serves to increase the dimensional stability of the leaves, possibly with an effect on their strength rating. Above all, the drive power of the respective blower and its noise development can be further reduced. Contributing to such positive effects also contributes to the fact that the heated cooling air delivered further by the blades of the axial fan is detected by the respective blade from radially to radially outside with a slight time delay.

Claim 18 contains first in its own generic term a distinction against inherited characteristics of conventional ring parts. In the development according to claim 18 and in its preferred further embodiments according to claims 19 and 20, the preferred embodiment of an insertable in the context of the invention ring member is described in detail. Here, the inventive construction of a flange structure for the support and optionally attachment of the ring member to the transverse wall of the shaft is realized in that the baffles in the radially inner space laterally from the sleeve part - as possible according to claim 20 along the entire axial extent of the inner shaft cross-section at maximum opening and direct connection to the front side of the rear wall of the container - are arranged and continue radially further outward backward to the transverse wall in a respective lateral flange structure, which is advantageously dissolved tongue-like.

The surprising increase in the efficiency alone by replacing the conventional ring member, as used by the applicant previously, by a ring member according to the invention according to the embodiments described below is clear from the following comparative experiments.

These comparative tests yield, on the one hand quantitatively, to what extent alone, by exchanging the known ring part for the new one, the power consumption of an electrically driven axial fan can be changed by changing the ring part according to the invention (power consumption in watts).

This results in addition to the fact that there is also an interaction with the geometry of the blades of the axial fan in particular, for which there are currently no systematic comparative experiments.

The axial fan was still operated in the comparative experiments with straight blades with pitches (pitches) of 19, 22 and 25 degrees (standard).

The drive motor of the axial fan was in all cases an electric gearless two-pole and four-pole motor (low and high speed depending on the two-pole or four-pole circuit). Test results: Power consumption: Watt conventional, pitch 25 (standard) new, angle of attack 19 new, angle of attack 22 new, angle of attack 25 60 hz fast 1657 985 1280 1430 60 hz slow 375 228 265 285 50 hz fast 1008 617 800 870 50 hz slow 283 181 204 213 Air flow in m 3 / hours 60 hz fast 5,625.06 5,420.76 6,209.36 6,428.64 60 hz slow 2,906.51 2,615.58 3,132.60 3,234.75 50 hz fast 4,791.52 4,459.19 5,239.61 5,435.47 50 hz slow 2,397.12 2,141.06 2,557.02 2,651.81

It can be seen that even without taking into account an adaptation of the geometry of the blades of the axial fan in high-speed operation (460 V, 60 Hz), a reduction in the power consumption of the axial fan of 13 to 40 can be achieved.

The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to schematic drawings of an embodiment. Show it:

1 a partial section of the rear end portion of a container along the axis of its longitudinal extent; 1a at the same height as in 1 a partial section at a right angle in the transverse direction of the container;

2a a plan view;

2 B a view from below;

2c a side view of an arrangement of the 1 and 1a used ring part; and

3 an isometric view of the leaves of a likewise in the arrangement of 1 and 1a used axial blower.

The in 1 illustrated end portion of a container shows the bottom plate 2 whose roof panel 4 and its back wall 6 , The bottom plate 2 has at its top along the container extending ribs, which have between them bottom side longitudinal channels (not shown) for guiding cooling air.

The back wall 6 has almost over its entire height and just about the entire width of a section 10 on, by the outside of a cooling unit 12 is inserted into the interior of the container.

The outer wall 14 the cooling unit 12 functionally complements the back wall 6 of the container and can be functionally identical with this.

The cargo space 16 facing the container forms the cooling unit 12 a vertical shaft, through the heated at the back of the container cooling air from above the cooling unit 12 is supplied. In its lower part is the shaft 18 narrowed in the axial direction to be flush with the outside of the rear wall 6 of the container a receiving space 20 for the essential functional elements of the cooling unit 12 to accomplish. In the upper part of the shaft, which is solely interested in the invention, is the shaft 18 extends and extends to the inside of the outer wall 14 the cooling unit 12 , which, as mentioned, has taken over the function of the rear wall of the container here.

The in the recording room 20 arranged functional elements of the cooling unit are conventional. Any known such arrangement can be used. Of interest to the invention is that in the extended area of the shaft 18 Heat exchange surfaces 22 an evaporator of the cooling device protrude.

At the heat exchange surfaces 22 inside the shaft 18 is heated cooling air in the shaft 18 cooled again to low operating temperature and at the bottom of the narrow section of the shaft 18 in the longitudinal channels between the ribs 8th initiated. Arrows indicate the circulation of the cooling air in 1 indicated. The cooling air occurs along the entire cargo space 16 from the lower longitudinal channels under flow around the cargo upwards, is below the roof panel 4 collected and after heat absorption from the hold 16 and its load again up in the extended area of the shaft 18 led back. By a nominal level 24 corresponding to about the upper end of the shaft 18 (or slightly lower) is ensured that below the roof panel 4 a collection room 26 remains free for the heated cooling air.

In height of the level 24 or about it extends at the upper end of the extended area of the shaft 18 a grid 28 , This is used in a conventional manner prevents unwanted objects or larger clumps in the shaft 18 be registered. In addition, the grid represents 28 a person protection against unwanted intervention with a person's arms or legs from above into the shaft 18 dar. The cargo space 16 is from the front wall 30 the cooling unit 12 formed, which is substantially planar and vertically according to the design of the cutout 10 extends over the height and width of the container and thereby - under constriction of the internally formed shaft 18 between its upper and lower areas - parallel to the outer wall 14 of the shaft 18 runs.

Clearly (about 20 cm to 30 cm in this embodiment) is located below the grid 28 parallel to this a transverse wall 32 , It is between the front wall 30 and the outer wall 14 one hand, and the grid 28 and the transverse wall 32 on the other hand, a collection chamber 34 at the top of the shaft 18 formed for incoming now heated cooling air, which (see 1a ) in the context of the width design of the section 10 between the side walls 34 practically extends over its entire width. The lateral clearance is kept so small that it is meaningless in practice.

On both sides of the longitudinal axis (phantom line 36 in 1a ) is on the left side and right side each provided a similar arrangement, of which only one is discussed in detail below and the other is mirror-symmetrical with reflection on the longitudinal axis or the corresponding median plane of the container to think is complementary.

Accordingly, in 1 also only in 1a left-sided area drawn.

In the middle here so the left side mentioned area is in the transverse wall 33 a passage opening 38 recessed with here circular inner cross section.

In the passage opening 38 the transverse wall 32 is from above a ring part 40 used in detail below with reference to the 2a to 2c is described.

This ring part 42 has a cylindrical sleeve 42 on, which in the passage opening 38 is inserted and with its free inner cross section, the heated cooling air an axial fan 44 supplies, which is an electrically gearless powered drive motor 46 having two and four poles to selectively operate the axial fan at a low or high speed. In that regard, the axial fan 46 with drive motor 46 conventional.

The axial fan 44 also has an in 3 illustrated wreath of fan blades 48 on whose novel structure will be described in the present context.

First, be the ring part 40 which is the sleeve 42 has at its bottom, in its structure at the top of the sleeve 42 based on 2a to 2c more in detail.

The whole ring part 40 is an integral plastic molded part. For its choice, there is a large well-known freedom of choice. In question, for example, comes only an integral production of polyamide or polypropylene, in both cases appropriately reinforced by glass or carbon fiber. With this choice of material one comes with wall thicknesses of about 1.5 mm, which compared to the usual wall thickness of 2 mm when manufactured from aluminum or aluminum alloy results in a significant cost savings.

The sleeve 42 has a round free passage cross-section 50 maximum diameter. Maximum here means that the diameter of the passage cross-section 50 plus the double wall thickness of the sleeve 42 in the distance between the inside of the outer wall 14 and the inside of the front wall 30 the cooling unit 12 equivalent. This is in the direction of this distance in 2a illustrated by the dimension of the free cross section with diameter D and twice the dimension d of the sleeve wall thickness.

The upper end of the sleeve 42 then goes only in both lateral directions, that is in the transverse direction of the container or parallel to the front sides, in steadily outwardly further opening curvature in each case a lateral guide surface over, extending over the entire width of the shaft 18 extends. Laterally radially thereafter, the respective lateral guide surface 52 through individual tongues 54 continued, in accordance with this drawing in particular in this respect 2c approximately circular towards the surface of the transverse wall 32 are bent back. The apexes of the bent-back tongues thereby avoid free edges in the direction of the air inflow. Also, the individual tongues may be on top of the bulkhead 32 supported and optionally there also serve as a fastener flange. This can be done in not made drawing representation, for example, the free end 56 the respective tongue 54 engage in a retaining groove at the top of the bulkhead.

3 Finally, the preferred adapted shaping of a fan ring 58 of the axial fan 44 ,

The fan ring 58 has a hub 60 on, by means of a clamping device 62 on the output shaft of the drive motor 46 is fastened.

About the circumference of the hub 60 are at equal mutual distance, the fan blades 48 distributed. As from the isometric representation in 3 is readable, are the fan blades 48 of the axial gear 44 curved in the conveying direction concave and beyond twisted in the direction of rotation from the inside to the outside. The direction of rotation is in 3 represented by an arrow, while the conveying direction is to be provided in the drawing plane from front to back.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

2

baseplate

4

roof panel

6

rear wall

8th

ribs

10

neckline

12

cooling unit

14

outer wall

16

hold

18

shaft

20

accommodation space

22

Heat exchange surface

24

level

26

plenum

28

grid

30

front wall

32

partition

34

Side wall

36

longitudinal axis

38

Through opening

40

ring part

42

shell

44

axial fan

46

drive motor

48

fan blades

50

Passage cross-section

52

lateral guide surface

54

tongues

56

free ends

58

fan wreath

60

hub

62

clamper

Claims (20)

Refrigerated container for land, road and rail vehicles, at the rear inside of a vertically and largely across the width of the container extending shaft ( 18 ) with a transverse wall ( 32 ), above which heated cooling air collected under the roof area of the container can be fed to the shaft under deflection downwards, wherein at least one passage opening in the transverse wall ( 38 ) with an inserted ring part ( 40 ) is formed, through whose free cross section, the heated cooling air in the shaft projecting heat exchange surfaces ( 22 ) of an evaporator of a coolant circuit via a blower ( 44 ) is zulleitbar, and wherein the cooled at the heat exchange surfaces cooling air from the bottom of the shaft in the bottom region of the refrigerated container is zurückleitbar, characterized in that above the transverse wall ( 32 ) Baffles ( 52 ) are arranged on opposite sides of the ring member ( 40 ) in the transverse direction of the refrigerated container along the width of the shaft ( 18 ) extend to the outside and for the lateral introduction of the blower ( 44 ) sucked heated cooling air in the free cross section ( 50 ) of the ring part ( 40 ) are formed with an oncoming cooling air facing open curvature. Refrigerated container according to claim 1, characterized in that the respective lateral guide surface ( 52 ) opens laterally, preferably as the side wall of an opening flower to the outside. Refrigerated container according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the lateral guide surface ( 52 ) to the transverse wall ( 32 ) of the shaft ( 18 ) is bent back. Refrigerated container according to claim 3, characterized in that the end of the return bend on the transverse wall ( 32 ) is supported. Refrigerated container according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the loading space ( 16 ) of the container-facing gap between the mutual guide surfaces ( 52 ) is at least partially, preferably completely, kept open. Refrigerated container according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the loading space ( 16 ) averted gap between the mutual side fins ( 52 ) at least partially from the back wall ( 6 . 14 ) of the container is formed. Refrigerated container according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the guide surfaces ( 52 ) integral components of the ring part ( 49 ) are. Refrigerated container according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the ring part ( 40 ) and / or the fins ( 52 ) consist of plastic injection molding. Refrigerated container according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the ring part ( 40 ) together with the guide surfaces ( 52 ) is formed thin-walled with dimensional stability. Refrigerated container according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the engine ( 46 ) of the blower ( 44 ) is a gearless electric motor with two and four poles. Refrigerated container according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the respective fan ( 44 ) is an axial fan. Refrigerated container according to claim 11, characterized in that the leaves ( 48 ) of the axial fan ( 44 ) are concavely curved in the conveying direction. Refrigerated container according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the guide surfaces ( 52 ) from the upper level of the transverse wall ( 32 ) of the shaft ( 18 ) by 2 to 5 cm, preferably 3 cm, raise. Refrigerated container according to claims 12 and 13, characterized in that the depth of the concave formation of the leaves ( 48 ) in the range between 1/4 and 1/2, preferably 1/3, the height of their collection makes. Refrigerated container according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that the leaves ( 48 ) of the axial fan ( 44 ) Run in the direction of rotation twisted from the inside out. Refrigerated container according to one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that the at a round opening radial extension length of a lateral guide surface ( 52 ) is 5 to 10 cm, preferably 7 cm, from the opening to the lateral end. Refrigerated container according to claim 15, characterized in that the rotation in an angular range about the radial axis of the leaves ( 48 ) is dimensioned from 5 ° to 25 °, preferably 10 °. Refrigerated container according to one of claims 1 to 17, in which the ring part ( 40 ) one in the passage opening ( 38 ) of the transverse wall ( 32 ) inserted sleeve whose free inner cross section ( 50 ) the free cross section for the passage of the heated cooling air into the shaft ( 18 ) and which has on its upper side a laterally outwardly projecting flange structure for fixing the ring member on the transverse wall, wherein in particular the diameter of the free cross section of the sleeves by twice their wall thickness within tolerances of the distance of the front inner wall surfaces of the shaft of the The rear wall of the container corresponds and the flange structure is formed at least predominantly fragmentary on both sides along the lateral extension direction of the rear wall of the container, characterized in that the lateral flange structure in the outward direction following the end of the sleeve first the respective lateral guide surface ( 52 ) which laterally outwardly into individual tongues ( 54 ) bent back to fix the ring member to the top of the transverse wall ( 32 ) are provided. Refrigerated container according to claim 18, characterized in that the lateral guide surfaces ( 52 ) with a continuously opening curvature from the end of the sleeve ( 42 ). Refrigerated container according to claim 18 or 19, characterized in that the side guide surface formed by the lateral flange structure ( 52 ) completely or at least substantially between the front of the shaft ( 18 ) and the front of the back wall ( 6 . 14 ) of the container is formed continuously.

Images