WO2017039437A1

WO2017039437A1 - Device for cooled transport and storage of goods and method for operating the device

Info

Publication number: WO2017039437A1
Application number: PCT/NL2016/050597
Authority: WO
Inventors: Martijn LOHMANN
Original assignee: PHARMA COOLING BV
Current assignee: PHARMA COOLING BV
Priority date: 2015-08-28
Filing date: 2016-08-26
Publication date: 2017-03-09
Anticipated expiration: 2018-02-28
Also published as: NL2015366B1; EP3341666A1

Abstract

Device for cooled transport and storage of goods, such as medicines, comprising a cooling chamber (2) for cooling the good, surrounded by walls (3), a cooling system, comprising a hydraulic circuit (7), comprising a pump (8) for pumping a coolant around, at least one first heat exchanger (9), in thermal contact with at least one of said walls, for having heat from the cooling chamber absorbed by the coolant, at least one second heat exchanger (13), in thermal contact with the surroundings of the device, for dispensing heat from the coolant to the environment of the device, a thermal insulation (14), for shielding the cooling chamber and at least a part of the cooling system wherein the cooling system further comprises a phase-change material (15, 16, 17, 18) in thermal contact with the coolant.

Description

Device for cooled transport and storage of goods and method for operating the device

The present invention relates to a device for cooled transport and storage of goods, such as medicines. For numerous goods, the temperature during transport and storage is of high importance for the quality of the product. This is not only the case for food and lifestock, but also for chemical preparations, such as medicines, which require cool and stable temperatures.

Several solutions exist for this purpose, amongst which refrigerators for cooling during storage, and portable cooling boxes comprising cooling blocks. An example is given in the international patent application WO 2012 / 150859 by the same applicant.

The device described in that application has the advantage that the heat exchange with the environment is minimal, but it requires a power source for powering the pump during use. Although this solution has served to work very well in the circumstances it was designed for, further development has appeared to be required, to meet specific nowadays' requirements, regulations or standards, in particular for transport in

(airplane) containers. In the case of medicines, also in particular during transport from pharmacy to the patients home.

Restrictions are made to amongst others external power use, the presence of batteries and to heat exchange with the environment. Although the above described state of the art successfully fulfils a certain need, with respect to power use and thus requirement, improvement has appeared to be possible.

US patent 2812643 describes a device according to a part of the preamble of claim 1, be it that there is no hydraulic system in the sense of the present invention, but more a refillable coolant container. The devise requires an external cooling and pump system.

It is a goal of the present invention to solve the disadvantages of the prior art, or at least to provide an alternative to the existing devices for device for cooled transport and storage of goods. The invention thereto proposes a device for cooled transport and storage of goods, such as medicines, comprising a cooling chamber for cooling the good, surrounded by walls, a cooling system, comprising a hydraulic circuit, the circuit comprising a pump for pumping a coolant around; at least one first heat exchanger, in thermal contact with at least one of said walls, for having heat from the cooling chamber absorbed by the coolant, at least one second heat exchanger, in thermal contact with the surroundings of the device, for dispensing heat from the coolant to the environment of the device, a thermal insulation, for shielding the cooling chamber and at least a part of the cooling system, characterized in that the cooling system further comprises a phase-change material in thermal contact with the coolant.

The device according to the invention allows to be operated in at least the two following modes. In a first mode, during storage of the good and thus the device, the pump can be powered for pumping the coolant through the hydraulic circuit and thus absorbing heat from the cooling chamber via the first heat exchanger, and dispensing the heat to the environment via the second heat exchanger. In this mode, there may also be heat extracted from the phase change material for (re)charging it. c. The pump may be powered from a mains grid, or via an internal power source of the device, such as a battery or a green energy source, such as a solar panel.

In a second mode, during transport of the good and thus the device, the pump is left unpowered, for absorbing heat from the cooling space by the phase change material via the coolant. Even when the coolant is not pumped around and heat is kept within the device, thanks to the combination of the coolant and the phase change material, the device has such a heat capacity, that it can keep the cooling space at temperature even when the pump is unpowered. As stated above, the first heat exchanger is in in thermal contact with at least one of said walls, but may as well even form part of it. Multiple first heat exchangers may be present, for instance arranged at or constituting (part of) the cooling chamber. This cooling chamber may be accessible via a closable lid. In an embodiment, the phase-change material is included in at least one container that is placed in the coolant. This construction has multiple advantages. Due to the direct contact between the coolant and the container holding the phase change material, an optimal heat exchange between the coolant and the phase change material can take place. Furthermore, when desired, the phase change material can be quickly replaced, for example when it is saturated, or worked out. The configuration further allows to change the type of phase change material, which may be desired to adapt the device for different purposes, in particular for different operating temperatures. In a practical embodiment the first heat exchanger comprises a reservoir for coolant, adjacent to the at least one wall, wherein the container is comprised. The reservoir allows for a large thermal contact surface which leads to a high efficiency heat exchange. The container is preferably placed in a carrier in the heat exchanger, wherein the carrier is adapted for forcing coolant along the container when the coolant is pumped around. In an embodiment, the carrier may thereto be provided with a guidance pattern, comprising guidance elements or guide ribs, that are directed towards the container, taking a normal flow direction of the coolant into account.

In another embodiment, the container itself is provided with a guidance pattern, comprising guidance elements or guide ribs, that are directed towards the container, taking a normal flow direction of the coolant into account. In yet another embodiment, the carrier comprises a blister package. Such package has a double function: the phase change material can be packed, and the protrusions following from this package form a guidance pattern for the cooling fluid.

In an alternative embodiment, the phase-change-material is included in multiple containers, which are movable through at least part of the hydraulic circuit. These containers are for instance little balls, wherein the containers are spherical. The balls or otherwise shaped particles can be dimensioned such that they can freely move throughout at least a part of the hydraulic circuit. An advantage of this embodiment is that there is a large contact- surface formed by the outer wall of the container, between the coolant and the phase change material.

The invention will now be explained into more detail with reference to the following figures.

Herein:

Figure 1 shows a perspective schematic ghost-view of a device according to the present invention;

- Figure 2 shows perspective cut-through of the device from figure 1;

Figure 3 shows a schematic side view of a reservoir with predefined cooling channels;

Figure 4 shows a top view of a reservoir according to the invention;

Figure 5 shows an alternative embodiment of a reservoir according to the invention; and

Figure 6 shows a top view of a stacked reservoir with coolant and phase change material layers.

Figure 1 shows a device 1 or cooled transport and storage of goods, such as medicines, comprising a cooling chamber 2 for cooling the good, surrounded by walls 3, 4, 5, 6, a cooling system, comprising a hydraulic circuit 7, comprising a pump 8 for pumping a coolant around, four first heat exchangers 9, 10, 11, 12, in thermal contact with at least one of said walls 3, 4, 5, 6, for having heat from the cooling chamber absorbed by the coolant (and optionally by the PCM when (partly charged)), at least one second heat exchanger 13, in thermal contact with the surroundings of the device 1, for dispensing heat from the coolant to the environment of the device, a thermal insulation 14, for shielding the cooling chamber and at least a part of the cooling system. The cooling system further comprises a phase-change material 15, 16, 17, 18 in thermal contact with the coolant. Figure 2 shows perspective cut-through of the device 1 from figure 1. Herein the phase- change material 16, 18 is included containers 19, 20 that are placed in the coolant 21. The first heat exchangers 10, 12 comprise a reservoir 22, 23, adjacent to the at least one wall, wherein the containers are comprised. The containers are placed in carriers 24, 25, formed by blisters in the heat exchanger, wherein the carriers 24, 25 are adapted for forcing coolant along the container when the coolant is pumped around.

Figure 3 shows a schematic side view of a reservoir 30 with predefined cooling channels wherein containers 34 filled with phase change material are placed. The reservoir forms part of the cooling system, and can be applied solitary or cascaded. In the figure, numeral 31 indicates an entrance or input opening for the coolant, numeral 32 indicates a divider for the flow of the coolant, numeral 33 indicates a flow channel along the container 34 with the phase change material. By changing the flow direction (indicated with arrows) a number of times, the efficiency can be increased. Seals (not shown) between the containers and the reservoir wall may be applied to force the coolant to follow the intended paths. Numeral 36 shows an exit opening for returning the coolant to the pump.

Figure 4 shows a top view of a reservoir 40, having coolant channels 41 along the phase change material. At the top side there is space 42 left to enable a change of direction of the coolant or to enable it to leave the reservoir here. Also in this embodiment, seals 43 may be applied to at least partly close the space between the reservoir and the phase change material container in order to force the coolant in the desired flow direction.

Figure 5 shows an alternative embodiment of a reservoir 50 according to the invention. In this embodiment, the phase change material containers are is not placed in the reservoir, but a stack (shown in figure 6), alternatingly formed with coolant layers and phase change material layers is used. The reservoir comprises an entrance 51 for the coolant, which is forced in a direction 51. The reservoir comprises walls 53 forming a labyrinth like path for the coolant, which is then delivered back to the cooling system via exit 54. Multiple labyrinth layers may be cascaded in the hydraulic circuit.

Figure 6 shows a top view of a stacked reservoir 60 with coolant and phase change material layers. The reservoir 30 comprises multiple layers with coolant, designed as a labyrinth with walls 62, stretching only partly from bottom to top, each either touching the bottom or top side, preferably alternatingly. This way, cooling channels 63 are formed in between the layers formed by containers 64 comprising the phase change material.

Claims

1. Device for cooled transport and storage of goods, such as medicines, comprising: a cooling chamber for cooling the good, surrounded by walls;

- a cooling system, comprising:

o A hydraulic circuit, comprising:

^■ A pump for pumping a coolant around;

^■ At least one first heat exchanger, in thermal contact with at least one of said walls, for having heat from the cooling chamber absorbed by the coolant;

^■ At least one second heat exchanger, in thermal contact with the surroundings of the device, for dispensing heat from the coolant to the environment of the device;

o A thermal insulation, for shielding the cooling chamber and at least a part of the cooling system; characterized in that the cooling system further comprises a phase-change material in thermal contact with the coolant.

2. Device according to claim 1, wherein the phase-change material is included in at least one container that is placed in the coolant.

3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first heat exchanger comprises a reservoir, adjacent to the at least one wall, wherein the container is comprised.

4. Device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the container is placed in a carrier in the heat exchanger, wherein the carrier is adapted for forcing coolant along the container when the coolant is pumped around.

5. Device according to claim 4, wherein the carrier comprises a blister.

6. Device according to claim 2, wherein the phase-change-material comprises is included in multiple containers, which are movable through at least part of the hydraulic circuit.

7. Device according to claim 6, wherein the containers are small spherical objects increasing the contact surface between coolant and PCM.

8. Device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the cooling system comprises stacked layers of containers holding the phase change material and a coolant circuit, in particular a coolant labyrinth, in thermal contact therewith.

9. Method for operating a device according to any of the preceding claims, comprising during storage of the good, powering the pump for pumping the coolant through the hydraulic circuit and thus absorbing heat from the cooling chamber and the phase change material, and dispensing the heat to the environment.

10. Method according to claim 9, comprising leaving the pump unpowered during transport of the good, for absorbing heat from the cooling space by the phase change material and the coolant.