Refrigeration unit for container

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016227802-A1
Application number	US-201415025202-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 3, 2014
Priority date	Oct 3, 2013
Publication date	Aug 11, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An oxygen concentration in the interior of a container is detected by an oxygen concentration detection sensor. If the oxygen concentration detected by the oxygen concentration detection sensor is higher than that of a gas mixture, the container is supplied with the gas mixture having an oxygen concentration lower than that of the outside air and higher than a target concentration. The oxygen concentration in the interior of the container is reduced to the vicinity of the oxygen concentration of the gas mixture by supplying the interior of the container with the gas mixture, and then is further reduced to the target concentration by respiration of plants. This appropriately controls the oxygen concentration in the interior of the container, and reduces a decrease in the degree of freshness of the plants.

First claim

1 . A container refrigeration apparatus which includes a refrigerant circuit performing a refrigeration cycle, and which is attached to a container that stores plants to cool air in the interior of the container, the container refrigeration apparatus comprising:
an oxygen concentration detector which detects an oxygen concentration in the interior of the container; and a gas mixture supplier which supplies the interior of the container with a gas mixture having a higher nitrogen concentration and a lower oxygen concentration than outside air, where the oxygen concentration of the gas mixture is higher than a predetermined target concentration, wherein the gas mixture supply device is configured to:
reduce the oxygen concentration in the interior of the container to the vicinity of the oxygen concentration of the gas mixture by supplying the interior of the container with the gas mixture if the oxygen concentration detected by the oxygen concentration detector is higher than the oxygen concentration of the gas mixture; and
stop supplying the gas mixture since the oxygen concentration in the interior of the container has been reduced to the vicinity of the oxygen concentration of the gas mixture and until the oxygen concentration in the interior of the container is reduced to the target concentration by respiration of the plants absorbing oxygen in the air and releasing carbon dioxide into the air.

2 . The container refrigeration apparatus of claim 1 , wherein
the gas mixture supply device is configured to increase the oxygen concentration in the interior of the container to the target concentration by supplying the interior of the container with the gas mixture if the oxygen concentration detected by the oxygen concentration detector is lower than the target concentration.

3 . The container refrigeration apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising
an intake portion through which the outside air is introduced into the interior of the container, wherein the intake portion is configured to increase the oxygen concentration in the interior of the container to the target concentration by supplying the interior of the container with the outside air if the oxygen concentration detected by the oxygen concentration detector is lower than the target concentration.

4 . The container refrigeration apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising
an oxygen supplier which supplies the interior of the container ( 11 ) with oxygen gas, wherein the oxygen supplier is configured to increase the oxygen concentration in the interior of the container to the target concentration by supplying the interior of the container with the oxygen gas if the oxygen concentration detected by the oxygen concentration detector is lower than the target concentration.

5 . The container refrigeration apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a carbon dioxide concentration detector which detects a carbon dioxide concentration in the interior of the container; and an exhaust portion configured to exhaust the air in the interior of the container out of the container if the carbon dioxide concentration detected by the carbon dioxide concentration detector is higher than a predetermined target concentration.

6 . The container refrigeration apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising
a carbon dioxide concentration detector which detects a carbon dioxide concentration in the interior of the container, wherein the gas mixture supply device is configured to supply the interior of the container with the gas mixture with a higher oxygen concentration than the air in the interior of the container if the carbon dioxide concentration detected by the carbon dioxide concentration detector is higher than the predetermined target concentration.

7 . The container refrigeration apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising
an inert gas supplier which supplies the interior of the container with an inert gas used to reduce the oxygen concentration in the interior of the container without causing an increase in the carbon dioxide concentration in the interior of the container, wherein the inert gas supplier is configured to reduce the oxygen concentration in the interior of the container to the vicinity of the oxygen concentration of the gas mixture by supplying the interior of the container with the inert gas before the gas mixture supply device supplies the interior of the container with the gas mixture.

8 . The container refrigeration apparatus of claim 7 , wherein
the inert gas is nitrogen gas.

Assignees

• Daikin Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Tanaka Naohiro
• Ozato Atsushi
• Ikemiya Makoto
• Ukon Tetsuya

Classifications

• A23B7/04

  Freezing; Subsequent thawing; Cooling · CPC title

• F25D17/042

  Air treating means within refrigerated spaces (air conditioning in general F24F) · CPC title

• A23B7/055

  with direct contact between the food and the chemical, e.g. liquid N2, at cryogenic temperature · CPC title

• A23B7/148 Primary

  in a controlled atmosphere, e.g. partial vacuum, comprising only CO2, N2, O2 or H2O · CPC title

• F25D11/003

  Transport containers · CPC title