Determining Temperature Fields of Various Cargo Transported in Autonomous Refrigerated Containers Using Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Cooling

To develop a methodology for assessing cargo thermal condition by determining the temperature fields of various temperature-regulated goods during their transportation in autonomous refrigerated containers using liquefied natural gas (LNG). To validate the model experimentally. To determine a method for calculating the required LNG consumption for establishing thermal equilibrium in the container. Methods: The determination of the cargo temperature fields was reduced to solving a heat conduction problem in a two-dimensional domain with third-kind boundary conditions and to obtaining the corresponding temperature fields. The method for calculating the LNG consumption to maintain thermal equilibrium was developed based on the heat balance method. Results: A mathematical model describing the heat exchange in cargo during transportation in an autonomous refrigerated container using LNG cooling has been developed and experimentally validated. A method for calculating LNG consumption to compensate for excessive heat gains has been formulated. The calculations and resulting temperature fields have been presented for a transportation scenario involving fruits and vegetables. Practical significance: The findings of this study can be used to optimize refrigerated transport conditions and to develop new container cooling systems using LNG as an auxiliary cooling source.