Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
  • F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • F25D3/00—Devices using other cold materials; Devices using cold-storage bodies
  • F25D3/02—Devices using other cold materials; Devices using cold-storage bodies using ice, e.g. ice-boxes
  • F25D3/06—Movable containers
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
  • Y02E60/00—Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
  • Y02E60/14—Thermal energy storage

Definitions

• the present invention relates, in general, to the preservation of products at a controlled temperature and relates in particular to a temperature control system intended for the transport of products at a controlled temperature.
• the invention relates to the transport of medicines at controlled temperature from manufacturing laboratories to wholesale distributors, but especially from the latter to pharmacies.
• the invention relates, in general, to the storage or transport of products of various kinds at controlled temperature.
• it can be medication.
• it can also be vaccines, frozen food products or food products such as fish or meat which, depending on the nature of the product, must be kept at a controlled temperature or within a temperature range.
• This equipment comprises a set of two elements which must be combined and prepared under specific conditions in order to deliver the expected performance in terms of temperature.
• these elements must be preconditioned so that the insulated packaging and containers plastics are stored at +20°C and the cold packs are first frozen at -20°C/-25°C then stabilized at -10°C.
• the spaces occupied by the cold accumulators constitute a useful volume of transport which is not available for the drugs; and - depending on each season, or each variation in outside temperature, the cold storage load of the cold accumulators in the packaging must be adapted so as not to risk producing too much cold or, conversely, running out of cooling energy and therefore autonomy for the end of the transport.
• Such a system can have very good performance, but remains very heavy and very expensive.
• the object of the invention is to propose a temperature control system for the preservation of products at a controlled temperature which is easy to use, autonomous and reusable, which makes it possible to reduce consumables, while reducing the weight transported, in order to save fuel and reduce greenhouse gases.
• Another object of the invention is to provide a temperature control system for the preservation of products at a controlled temperature which can be used by everyone, in particular by individuals.
• the subject of the invention is therefore a temperature control system for the preservation of products at a controlled temperature, comprising:
• the device for storing and restoring calorific or refrigerating energy placed in the container, the device comprising a hollow structure internally delimiting a product storage volume and comprising a hollow wall having at least one volume internal to said wall containing a phase change material (PCM); and
• PCM phase change material
• phase change material for charging the phase change material with calories or cold, in heat exchange relationship with the internal volume of the wall of the hollow structure.
• the container comprises a body and a lid, the hollow structure forming an envelope which covers the internal wall of the body and which includes an internal volume for the phase change material extending over a part of the wall. internal to the body.
• the internal volume extends facing at least one side of the body, preferably one, two or 5 sides.
• the phase change material thus covers at least the face of the body.
• the charging device comprises a heat exchanger extending in the internal volume at the wall of the hollow structure and connected to an external charging station capable of producing heat. the calorific or refrigerating energy and to supply the heat exchanger with heat transfer fluid charged with calories or refrigeration.
• the heat exchanger comprises a coil connected to the charging station by a fluidic circuit equipped with a reversible pump.
• the temperature control system comprises means for supplying the heat exchanger with pulsed dry air to empty the heat exchanger at the end of the charging cycle.
• the container includes an insulated wall.
• the hollow structure externally comprises a thermal insulator.
• the hollow structure can be made of thermally conductive material.
• the phase change material is selected to have a phase change temperature plateau within the storage temperature range of the product.
• FIG 1 is a sectional view of a temperature control system according to the invention.
• FIG 2 is a top perspective view of the container equipped with the energy restitution storage device of the system of Figure 1;
• FIG 3 illustrates the heat exchanger of the system charging device of Figure 1
• FIG 4 shows an example of a charging station connected to the heat exchanger of figure 3.
• FIG. 1 schematically illustrate a temperature control device according to the invention, designated by the general reference numeral 1.
• This system is intended for the preservation of products at a controlled temperature.
• this system is intended to keep drugs at a constant temperature, for example drugs during their transfer from the manufacturing laboratories to the wholesale distributors, but especially from the latter to the pharmacies.
• the system essentially comprises a container 2 comprising a body 3 and a lid 4, and a device 5 for storing and restoring heat or cold energy placed in the container 2 and intended to be loaded with calories or cold and to restore them. to the products stored in the container 2, during transport.
• the body 3 is for example parallelepipedic, here of flared shape. It comprises a bottom 6 and four peripheral walls 7 erected from the bottom, which delimit with the bottom a product storage volume and on which the cover 4 rests in the closed position.
• the body 3 is for example made of plastic or metal.
• the container 2 can be isothermal.
• this comprises a hollow structure 8 which covers the body 3 on the inside and which comprises a hollow wall, made of a thermally conductive material, for example metal. , and internally comprising an internal volume 9 in which is placed a heat exchanger 10, visible in Figure 3.
• the exchanger 10 comprises a coil 11 connected to two external connectors 12 and 13, itself connected to a fluid circuit (not shown) equipped with a reversible pump for connecting the heat exchanger 10, in particular the coil 1 1 to a charging station S ( Figure 4).
• the internal volume 9 of the hollow structure 8 is also filled with a phase change material or PCM (for “Phase Change Material”, in English), preferably a phase change liquid, in a heat exchange relationship with the heat exchanger 10 and with the product storage volume.
• PCM Phase Change Material
• the PCM is for example placed permanently in the internal volume, during manufacture.
• an insulator 14 externally covers the hollow structure 8, being interposed between this structure 8 and the body 3.
• the use of an insulator between the hollow structure 8 and the body 3 is advantageous in the case of long transport time, typically greater than 12 hours.
• the nature of the insulation used is advantageously determined according to the duration of transport and the budget allocated to the realization of the control system 1.
• the device 5 for storing and restoring calories and/or cold temperatures covers all the faces of the body, namely the bottom 6 and the four side faces. from the body.
• the internal volume 9 of the hollow structure 8 extends opposite the five faces of the container 2, namely the bottom 6 and the four side walls.
• the device 5 therefore constitutes an envelope which covers the five faces of the container 2.
• this envelope namely the hollow structure 8 covers only one, two, three or four faces of the container 2.
• the hollow structure out of a thermally conductive material, for example metal, which covers the five faces of the container 2, while the internal volume 9 is only practiced opposite part of the faces of the container, for example opposite two faces of the container, the other faces of the device 5 for storing and restoring calories or cold temperatures being brought to temperature by thermal conduction.
• a thermally conductive material for example metal
• the device 5 is calibrated, according to the application, according to its wall thickness, the type of phase change material and the mass of phase change material filling the internal volume 9.
• a PCM+22°C phase change material consisting of a mixture of inorganic compounds and additives with a melting point at 22°C or a PCM +20°C material, which has a phase change temperature of +18.5°C, for transporting drugs at room temperature; an OM 03 material consisting of a mixture of organic compounds with a melting point of 3.5°C, for the storage or transport of drugs such as insulins; PCM 05 material, comprising N-decanol alcohol, 98% with a melting point of 5.8°C for the transport of vaccines; a -21°C PCM material comprising an aqueous mixture based on salts minerals and with a melting point of -21°C for the transport of frozen food products; or mineral water, for example from the city network, with a melting point at -0°C for the transport of food products such as fish or meat, for temperature maintenance between 0 and +2° vs.
• a PCM material will be chosen having a phase change at a temperature plateau located in the range, or in the middle of the range, of storage temperatures of the product.
• the use of the PCM05 material is advantageous for the transport of heat-sensitive drugs, such as vaccines or insulin, at temperatures required by regulations between +2 and +8°C.
• the calorie or cold storage and restitution device must be charged beforehand, that is to say cooled or heated, depending on the application.
• the heat exchanger 10 is connected, thanks to the connectors 12 and 13, to the fluidic circuit in which circulates a heat transfer fluid which is itself charged with calories or cold by the charging station S . It is possible, for example, to use glycol water or a paraffin-based fluid as a heat transfer or cooling fluid.
• the temperature of the fluid circulating in the coil 1 1 presents a relatively large temperature difference compared to the temperature of change of state of the PCM material.
• a PCM material +20°C can be used, which has a phase change temperature of +18.5°C.
• the PCM liquid present in the internal volume 9 of the hollow structure 8 is liquid at temperatures above 18.5°C and is solid at temperatures below +18.5°C.
• the latent heat of the PCM material is used during the energy absorption and release phases, the latent enthalpy being very high.
• the coolant circulating in the coil is brought to 0°C, for example.
• the coil is emptied, the transport of the system being done with an emptied heat exchanger.
• the fluidic circuit is equipped with a circuit for supplying the coil with pulsed dry air, in order to empty the exchanger after the charging phase.
• the products inserted into the container 2 can be in direct contact with the walls of the device 5, without any risk of thermal shock or risk of dropping below the lower limit temperature, as is the case with cold accumulators. standards currently in use.
• the internal volume of the container can be optimized.
• the device for storing and restoring calorific or refrigerating energy comprises a single hollow structure internally delimiting an internal volume filled with a PCM material in heat exchange relationship with a heat exchanger.
• a hollow structure comprising a wall comprising two separate internal volumes, each connected to an external connector 13 and each filled with a PCM material having different phase change temperatures.
• This embodiment makes it possible to implement successive transports with different temperature levels for the use of the same temperature control system for the transport of different products.
• such a system can be used the first day for the transport of blood at +30°C and the following day for the transport of anticancer drugs at +12°C.
• the two PCM materials will be placed in a heat exchange relationship with a common heat exchanger which is used to ensure the selective charging of the PCM materials respectively placed in the internal volumes 9 of the hollow structure.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Thermal Sciences (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Food Preservation Except Freezing, Refrigeration, And Drying (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=73699142

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Family Cites Families (7)

• 2020
  • 2020-10-28 FR FR2011056A patent/FR3115586B1/fr active Active
• 2021
  • 2021-10-27 EP EP21815559.6A patent/EP4237764A1/de active Pending
  • 2021-10-27 WO PCT/FR2021/051891 patent/WO2022090668A1/fr not_active Ceased

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