TECHNOLOGY OF TEMPORARY CONVERSION AND USE OF A CLASSIC CONTAINER INTO A REFRIGERATED CONTAINER BY INSTALLING A THERMAL LINER AND A CRYOGASIFIER WITH LIQUEFIED CRYOGENIC SUBSTANCES

This paper presents a proposal to use classical intermodal transport units for short and medium distances instead of existing refrigerated containers, semi-trailers and other intermodal transport units, which are sometimes in short supply on the world market, for the transport of certain categories of foodstuffs requiring temperature cooling. Based on the analysis of the properties of liquid nitrogen as a refrigerant, the article presents technological operations for the temporary conversion of a standard intermodal transport unit into a refrigerated one by installing a thermal liner inside the intermodal transport unit and further installing a cryogenic unit consisting of vacuum tubes and a cryogenic gasifier with an automatic valve for regulating the supply of liquid nitrogen to the cooling system based on the readings of temperature sensors placed on the walls of the intermodal transport unit. The permissible dimensions of the gasifier, which will occupy one cargo space, are determined. A method for calculating the refrigerant consumption of the proposed cryogenic unit under specified climatic conditions is presented. The method provides for the calculation of the heat flux entering the intermodal transport unit from the external environment by determining the heat transfer coefficient, the total external surface area of the transport unit while moving on the deck of a sea or river vessel (container ship, railway container platform) and the temperature pressure between the air inside the transport unit and outside. Subsequently, using special software, the interval time between refrigerant deliveries and the hourly liquid nitrogen consumption for a given cargo were calculated, which made it possible to determine the daily refrigerant consumption, the number of refrigerant deliveries per day and, as a result, to obtain the voyage time during which the cryogenic gasifier would fully use the maximum possible volume of refrigerant without additional refuelling.