DE202011101179U1 - Container with a tempering device for freight - Google Patents

Abstract

Container with a temperature control device for freight, characterized by: an insulation layer with cooling fluid channels embedded therein; Receivers for cooling and / or heating units with connections to the cooling fluid channels; a controller with at least one temperature sensor arranged in the container and a detachable electrical connection to the at least one cooling and / or heating unit; at least one electrically operated cooling and / or heating unit; wherein the at least one cooling / and / or heating unit has an electrical connection for external energy supply as well as its own storage device for electrical energy for the temporary self-sufficient temperature control of the container.

Description

The invention relates to a container with a device for controlling the temperature of the cargo.

It is customary to transport special cargo in tempered special containers. Typical refrigerated goods are food, pharmaceuticals, flowers; live fish and other animals, organs for organ donation and others. These goods require very different freight conditions: Frozen freight is relatively unproblematic, since it can be frozen as desired - live animals, tropical fruits such as "flight pineapple" flowers or pharmaceuticals are considerably more sensitive and require a narrow temperature range, which, for example, may fluctuate only by 5 ° C ,

Refrigerated containers for airfreight with special temperature control are already known from Dokasch or Envirotainer. In the outer dimensions they correspond to the usual freight containers, so-called ULD (Unified Load Device), as required by the aviation authorities.

Since refrigerated containers are housed in the same place in the aircraft as the air cargo containers, they must also meet the same mechanical and static requirements. It is required that containers for thermally-managed goods must be able to hold the contents in a narrow temperature range for at least 14 hours.

It is also problematic that conventional cooling systems, like most compressors, do not use appropriate coolant according to the IATA regulations.

As a rule, therefore, dry ice (CO.sub.2) is used for cooling, which can come into contact with the container inner walls via a controller or flows into the container interior. On the one hand to meet the strength requirements and on the other hand, the cooling capacity, a correspondingly large amount of material must be driven, which inevitably increases the weight. Another problem is that CO2 as a refrigerant for pharmaceuticals or live animals is undesirable because it reacts with the latter or stifles them.

Another problem known reefer containers is the effort that is to drive with them. Unfortunately, a full utilization of the container is not given, so often empty containers fly back or must be loaded with non-refrigerated goods. Due to this lack of pairing of the container traffic an unnecessary effort in the return of the container is driven.

As a rule, one can assume that a "light" refrigerated container weighs approx. 250 kg net today. For economic reasons, a container of this variety must be constantly in use in order to achieve profitability. For smaller airlines, this is not the case.

Another problem is that the containers are expensive to manufacture - especially the aggregates with their own battery power supply, eg. Batteries are expensive and heavy and are thus unnecessarily flown or transported. The failure of the temperature control units is also problematic: If cooling or heating fails, the entire vessel must be taken out of circulation and repaired at high cost. An adaptation of the existing container to other Temperierungsverhältnisse is not possible - thus often containers with higher temperature control and thus greater manufacturing costs have to be used for lack of adaptability to the circumstances.

The invention has for its object to provide containers for the transport of sensitive material, such as plants, flowers, meat, medicines, which avoid the disadvantages of the prior art.

The object is solved by the features of patent claim 1.

Advantageous developments emerge from the dependent claims.

In an air cargo container with a temperature-control device for cargo is thus an insulating layer with cooling fluid channels embedded therein; Holders for cooling and / or heating units with connections to the cooling fluid channels; a controller having at least one temperature sensor arranged in the container and a detachable electrical connection with the at least one cooling and / or heating unit; provided at least one electrically operable cooling and / or heating unit; wherein the at least one cooling and / or heating unit has an electrical connection for external energy supply and own memory for electrical energy for temporary self-sufficient temperature control of the container.

A typical connection can take place, for example, on the electrical system of an aircraft, a lorry or a warehouse and then allows long-term temperature control.

It is preferred that the aggregates are exchangeable. Preferably, this can be done without tools and the unit units are used according to the requirements of the cargo or from the container wall in order Weight saving removed and replaced by modules with lines but without tempering. This is necessary because possibly only fewer units are needed to achieve a lower temperature.

The accumulators for electrical energy of the units are preferably selected from batteries, accumulators, fuel cells; in order to maintain the temperature for a predetermined period of time when separating the units from a power grid - for example, the on-board power grid of an aircraft or other vehicle.

The control of the temperature control can also be designed modularly interchangeable to allow easy maintenance. It has connections for temperature sensors installed in the tank and control connections with the temperature control units, so that it is capable of maintaining the tank temperature. It is possible to provide on the control unit a monitor and an input, by means of which the temperature can be adjusted or read. The control unit may also have a temperature record known per se, which records the measured temperature (s) of the container for control purposes during carriage of the cargo. Other special functions, such as. Monitoring the container for unauthorized opening u. Like. Can be provided.

Preferably, the air cargo container is made substantially of plastic, wherein a puncture-resistant outer layer protects the softer, thermoplastic insulating layer with the coolant lines extending therein. Typical materials of the outer layer may comprise polycarbonate, polyamide, fiber-reinforced plastics, as are familiar to the person skilled in the art.

Preferably, the insulating layer is selected from weldable plastics to prevent heat leakage, for example. From thermoplastic elastomers, EPP, PU.

Advantageously, the air cargo container can have special edge protection made of impact-resistant materials.

In the outer wall of the air cargo container receptacles for insertion / removal / replacement of aggregate modules or line modules are provided, so that the tempering capacity and the internal temperature of the container can be controlled by providing a selected number of aggregate modules in prepared receptacles in container walls. The fact that now module-like units are provided, it is possible to produce them in large numbers and vorzuhalten, which increases the efficiency.

The temperature sensors are usually arranged firmly in the container wall and equipped with lines for control.

For example, electrically operable Peltier elements, compressors, electrical heating elements, dry ice or (liquid) nitrogen containers with electrical control of the coolant supply as well as combinations thereof can be provided as tempering units, which can either be connected to an external power supply, for example in a warehouse or in a vehicle, such as an aircraft - as well as on-board electrical storage for temporary supply - such as accumulators, batteries, fuel cells - are connected.

Such exchangeable modular temperature control units in airfreight containers make it possible to convert airfoil containers provided with insulation and lines into refrigerated containers or temperature-controlled containers in a simple manner if required. It is also possible to replace the same in a simple manner in case of failure of an aggregate, without requiring long repair times. If the airfreight container is flown without refrigerated cargo, the units and possibly also the control can be removed to save weight and, if necessary, to keep units for other containers.

The fact that the units for cooling and heating can be removed with energy storage, weight may be saved when transporting the container, it can be saved investment costs, since not always equipment of a container for maximum requirements is necessarily maintained, it can be kept as needed aggregates - without requiring large storage space for the containers; An aggregate failure can be quickly remedied by a replacement part and a corresponding control panel makes central control possible.

The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments illustrated in the attached drawing, to which the invention is by no means limited.

It shows

1 a side view of a cargo container for the main deck of an aircraft.

2 a perspective view of the container of 1 from the left front.

3 perspective views of the container of 1 from the right rear with inserted and removed units

4 a schematic sectional view through a cargo container with attached pallet;

5 a lower deck cargo container in side view.

6 Perspective view of the container 5 from right behind with inserted units in phantom representation

7 a schematic view of the container of 5 from the right rear with inserted units;

8th a schematic view of a container of 5 from the right rear with removed units; and

9 a sectional view of a container of 5 with used aggregates.

Essentially, the container is made according to 1 and 5 from a floor element 1 with pallet or forklift engagement underneath; a roof element 2 and different wall elements 3 , Which each consist of an outer layer of puncture-resistant plastic and a Isoationsschicht of EPP with fluid lines and sensors and electrical connecting lines.

In at least one wall element 3 are recordings for exchangeable temperature control units with battery units 10 provided as in 6 to 8th respectively. 3 and 4 seen.

The lines or tempering are known in the art and therefore need not be explained in detail. Possibly. Also, a ventilation device, such as a fan, be provided in the container to ensure a uniform distribution of the internal temperature.

The wall elements may also have connection means for connecting further containers so as to form a larger loading unit.

While the invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, various alternative designs and embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which this disclosure applies as defined in the claims.

Claims (9)

Container with a temperature control device for freight, characterized by: an insulating layer having cooling fluid channels embedded therein; Holders for cooling and / or heating units with connections to the cooling fluid channels; a controller having at least one temperature sensor arranged in the container and a detachable electrical connection with the at least one cooling and / or heating unit; at least one electrically operable cooling and / or heating unit; wherein the at least one cooling and / or heating unit has an electrical connection for external energy supply and own memory for electrical energy for temporary self-sufficient temperature control of the container. Container according to claim 1, characterized in that the units are interchangeable. Container according to claim 1 and / or 2, characterized in that the memory for electrical energy are selected from batteries, accumulators, fuel cells. Container according to claim 3, characterized in that the control is exchangeable in a modular manner Container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is made substantially of plastic, wherein a puncture resistant outer layer protects the softer, thermoplastic insulation layer. Container according to claim 5, characterized in that the insulating layer is selected from weldable plastics selected from the group consisting of thermoplastic elastomers, EPP, PU. Container according to claim 1 and / or 2, characterized in that the outer layer of the container is selected from hard plastic with edge protection. Container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the internal temperature of the container can be controlled by providing a selected number of aggregate modules in prepared receptacles in container walls. A container according to claim 7, characterized in that the aggregates are selected from Peltier elements, compressors, electric heating elements, dry ice or liquid) nitrogen containers and combinations thereof.

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