阅读说明：本技术 用于小规模输送的主动冷却装置 (Active cooling device for small-scale transportation ) 是由 K.阿伦 C.普尔曼 于 2018-05-30 设计创作，主要内容包括：提供用于与运输容器一起使用的环境控制单元。环境控制单元包括：热电装置；风扇,以将空气吹过热电装置；冷却模块,所述冷却模块配置为：当运输容器可移除地连接到环境控制单元时,接收吹过热电装置的空气并将空气运送到运输容器的隔室；控制器,所述控制器与热电装置和风扇电子通信；以及通信模块,所述通信模块与控制器电子通信,其中,通信模块配置为通过无线通信将环境控制单元的参数传输到计算装置。(An environmental control unit is provided for use with a transport container. The environment control unit includes: a thermoelectric device; a fan to blow air across the thermoelectric device; a cooling module configured to: receiving air blown over the thermoelectric device and conveying the air to the compartment of the transport container when the transport container is removably connected to the environmental control unit; a controller in electronic communication with the thermoelectric device and the fan; and a communication module in electronic communication with the controller, wherein the communication module is configured to transmit the parameter of the environmental control unit to the computing device via wireless communication.)

1. An environmental control unit for use with a transport container, the environmental control unit comprising:

a thermoelectric device;

a fan to blow air across the thermoelectric device;

a cooling module configured to: receiving air blown over the thermoelectric device and conveying the air to a compartment of the transport container when the transport container is removably connected to the environmental control unit;

a controller in electronic communication with the thermoelectric device and the fan; and

a communication module in electronic communication with the controller, wherein the communication module is configured to transmit the parameters of the environmental control unit to a computing device via wireless communication.

2. The environmental control unit of claim 1, further comprising:

a battery configured to power the environmental control unit.

3. The environmental control unit of claim 1, further comprising:

a power source configured to power the environmental control unit, wherein the power source is a flywheel generator.

4. The environmental control unit of claim 1, further comprising:

a power source configured to power the environmental control unit, wherein the power source is a vehicle battery.

5. The environmental control unit of claim 1, wherein:

the communication module is configured to receive a control command from the computing device; and is

The controller is configured to: adjusting operation of the fan and the thermoelectric device in response to the control command.

6. The environmental control unit of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more sensors configured to detect at least one of a temperature of air flowing through the cooling module, a humidity of air flowing through the cooling module, and a location of the environmental control unit.

7. The environmental control unit of claim 1, wherein:

the transport container comprises more than one compartment; and is

The environmental control unit includes at least one thermoelectric device for each compartment.

8. The environmental control unit of claim 1, further comprising:

a control panel located on an exterior of the environmental control unit, wherein the control panel is configured to receive input for at least one of a selected temperature for the environmental control unit, a maximum temperature for the environmental control unit, and a minimum temperature for the environmental control unit.

9. The environmental control unit of claim 2, further comprising:

one or more piezoelectric devices configured to generate electrical power to charge the battery, wherein each of the one or more piezoelectric devices is electrically connected to the battery.

10. The environmental control unit of claim 9, wherein:

each of the one or more piezoelectric devices is operably connected to the transport container such that vibrations of the transport container are transferred to the one or more piezoelectric devices.

11. The environmental control unit of claim 10, wherein:

each of the one or more piezoelectric devices may be located within the transport container and operably connected to the compartment such that a weight of the compartment is transferred to each of the one or more piezoelectric devices.

12. The environmental control unit of claim 10, wherein:

each of the one or more piezoelectric devices may be located in a separate attachment assembly that is operably connected to the bottom of the transport container such that the weight of the transport container is transferred to each of the one or more piezoelectric devices.

13. A refrigerated transport system comprising:

a transport container;

an environmental control unit removably connected to the transport container, the environmental control unit comprising:

a thermoelectric device;

a fan to blow air across the thermoelectric device;

a cooling module configured to receive air blown over the thermoelectric device and to deliver the air to the compartment of the transport container;

a controller in electronic communication with the thermoelectric device and the fan; and

a communication module in electronic communication with the controller and in wireless communication with a computing device, wherein the communication module is configured to transmit the parameters of the environmental control unit to the computing device via wireless communication.

14. The refrigerated transport system of claim 13, further comprising:

a battery configured to power the environmental control unit.

15. The refrigerated transport system of claim 13, further comprising:

a power source configured to power the environmental control unit, wherein the power source is a flywheel generator.

16. The refrigerated transport system of claim 13, further comprising:

a power source configured to power the environmental control unit, wherein the power source is a vehicle battery.

17. The refrigerated transport system of claim 13, wherein:

the communication module is configured to receive a control command from the computing device; and is

The controller is configured to: adjusting operation of the fan and the thermoelectric device in response to the control command.

18. The refrigerated transport system of claim 13, further comprising:

one or more sensors configured to detect at least one of a temperature of air flowing through the cooling module, a humidity of air flowing through the cooling module, and a location of the environmental control unit.

19. The refrigerated transport system of claim 13, wherein:

the transport container comprises more than one compartment; and is

The environmental control unit includes at least one thermoelectric device for each compartment.

20. The refrigerated transport system of claim 13, further comprising:

a control panel located on an exterior of the environmental control unit, wherein the control panel is configured to receive input for at least one of a selected temperature for the environmental control unit, a maximum temperature for the environmental control unit, and a minimum temperature for the environmental control unit.

21. The refrigerated transport system of claim 13, wherein:

the computing device is configured to display the parameter on the map through a graphical user interface.

22. The refrigerated transport system of claim 14, further comprising:

one or more piezoelectric devices configured to generate electrical power to charge the battery, wherein each of the one or more piezoelectric devices is electrically connected to the battery.

23. The refrigerated transport system of claim 22, wherein:

each of the one or more piezoelectric devices is operably connected to the transport container such that vibrations of the transport container are transferred to the one or more piezoelectric devices.

24. The refrigerated transport system of claim 23, wherein:

each of the one or more piezoelectric devices may be located within the transport container and operably connected to the compartment such that a weight of the compartment is transferred to each of the one or more piezoelectric devices.

25. The refrigerated transport system of claim 23, wherein:

each of the one or more piezoelectric devices may be located in a separate attachment assembly that is operably connected to the bottom of the transport container such that the weight of the transport container is transferred to each of the one or more piezoelectric devices.

26. A method of managing environmental conditions within a refrigerated transport system by a computing device, the method comprising:

removably connecting an environmental control unit to the transport container;

starting an application program on a computing device;

scanning an environmental control system located within a selected radius of the computing device;

displaying, by a graphical user interface on the mobile device, the environmental control system located within the selected radius;

connecting the computing device to a particular environmental control system; and is

Displaying parameters of the particular environmental control unit when the computing device is connected to the particular environmental control system.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

adjusting, using the computing device, operation of the particular environmental control system.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

generating, by the graphical user interface on the computing device, a map; and is

Displaying a parameter on the map.

Technical Field

The subject matter disclosed herein relates generally to the field of shipping containers and, more particularly, to an apparatus and method for cooling shipping containers.

Background

Refrigerated trucks and trailers are commonly used to transport perishable goods such as, for example, produce, meat, poultry, fish, dairy products, cut flowers, and other fresh or frozen perishable products. A transport refrigeration system is mounted to the truck or trailer in operative association with a cargo space defined within the truck or trailer for maintaining a controlled temperature environment within the cargo space.

Conventionally, transport refrigeration systems used in association with refrigerated trucks and refrigerated trailers include a transport environment control unit having a refrigerant compressor, a condenser having one or more associated condenser fans, an expansion device, and an evaporator having one or more associated evaporator fans connected in a closed refrigerant flow circuit via appropriate refrigerant lines. Air or an air/gas mixture is drawn from the interior volume of the cargo space by means of the evaporator fan(s) associated with the evaporator, through the air side of the evaporator in heat exchange relationship with the refrigerant, thereby causing the refrigerant to absorb heat from the air, thus cooling the air. The cooled air is then supplied back to the cargo space.

Currently, last mile cooling is provided by dry ice or merely insulated containers, and there are few cases of use in which smaller compressor-driven systems can be used due to size, weight, etc. Typically, perishable goods within the transport refrigeration system of a truck are contained within a simple carton, wooden crate, or plastic container and are cooled or heated by the truck's environmental control system. Upon reaching the destination, the perishable cargo is discharged onto a dock or other uncontrolled area where the perishable cargo may sit for hours until it can be moved to an environmentally controlled location. For the "last mile" to the consumer, perishable goods may also need to be transported via a non-refrigerated route (e.g., a motorcycle or truck). This time spent leaving the controlled environment while spent on a dock or in a "last mile" shipment results in a degradation of product life and ultimately results in a lower quality product being provided to the end consumer.

Disclosure of Invention

According to one embodiment, an environmental control unit for use with a transport container is provided. The environment control unit includes: a thermoelectric device; a fan to blow air across the thermoelectric device; a cooling module configured to receive air blown over the thermoelectric device and to deliver the air to the compartment of the transport container when the transport container is removably connected to the environmental control unit; a controller in electronic communication with the thermoelectric device and the fan; and a communication module in electronic communication with the controller, wherein the communication module is configured to transmit the parameter of the environmental control unit to the computing device via wireless communication.

In addition or alternatively to one or more of the features described above, other embodiments may include: a battery configured to power the environmental control unit.

In addition or alternatively to one or more of the features described above, other embodiments may include: a power source configured to power the environmental control unit, wherein the power source is a flywheel generator.

In addition or alternatively to one or more of the features described above, other embodiments may include: a power source configured to power the environmental control unit, wherein the power source is a vehicle battery.

In addition or alternatively to one or more of the features described above, other embodiments may include: the communication module is configured to receive a control command from the computing device; and the controller is configured to adjust operation of the fan and the thermoelectric device in response to the control commands.

In addition or alternatively to one or more of the features described above, other embodiments may include: one or more sensors configured to detect at least one of a temperature of air flowing through the cooling module, a humidity of air flowing through the cooling module, and a location of the environmental control unit.

In addition or alternatively to one or more of the features described above, other embodiments may include: the transport container comprises more than one compartment; and the environmental control unit comprises at least one thermoelectric device for each compartment.

In addition or alternatively to one or more of the features described above, other embodiments may include: a control panel located on an exterior of the environmental control unit, wherein the control panel is configured to receive input of at least one of a selected temperature for the environmental control unit, a maximum temperature for the environmental control unit, and a minimum temperature for the environmental control unit.

In addition or alternatively to one or more of the features described above, other embodiments may include: one or more piezoelectric devices configured to generate electrical power to charge a battery, wherein each of the one or more piezoelectric devices is electrically connected to the battery.

In addition or alternatively to one or more of the features described above, other embodiments may include: each of the one or more piezoelectric devices is operatively connected to the transport container such that vibrations of the transport container are transferred to the one or more piezoelectric devices.

In addition or alternatively to one or more of the features described above, other embodiments may include: each of the one or more piezoelectric devices may be located within the transport container and operably connected to the compartment such that a weight of the compartment is transferred to each of the one or more piezoelectric devices.

In addition or alternatively to one or more of the features described above, other embodiments may include: each of the one or more piezoelectric devices may be located in a separate attachment assembly that is operably connected to the bottom of the transport container such that the weight of the transport container is transferred to each of the one or more piezoelectric devices.

According to another embodiment, a refrigerated transport system is provided. A refrigerated transport system comprising: a transport container; an environmental control unit removably connected to a transport container, the environmental control unit comprising: a thermoelectric device; a fan to blow air across the thermoelectric device; a cooling module configured to receive air blown over the thermoelectric device and to deliver the air to the compartment of the transport container; a controller in electronic communication with the thermoelectric device and the fan; and a communication module in electronic communication with the controller and in wireless communication with the computing device, wherein the communication module is configured to transmit the parameters of the environmental control unit to the computing device via wireless communication.

In addition or alternatively to one or more of the features described above, other embodiments may include: a battery configured to power the environmental control unit.

In addition or alternatively to one or more of the features described above, other embodiments may include: a power source configured to power the environmental control unit, wherein the power source is a flywheel generator.

In addition or alternatively to one or more of the features described above, other embodiments may include: a power source configured to power the environmental control unit, wherein the power source is a vehicle battery.

In addition or alternatively to one or more of the features described above, other embodiments may include: the communication module is configured to receive a control command from the computing device; and the controller is configured to adjust operation of the fan and the thermoelectric device in response to the control commands.

In addition or alternatively to one or more of the features described above, other embodiments may include: one or more sensors configured to detect at least one of a temperature of air flowing through the cooling module, a humidity of air flowing through the cooling module, and a location of the environmental control unit.

In addition or alternatively to one or more of the features described above, other embodiments may include: the transport container comprises more than one compartment; and the environmental control unit comprises at least one thermoelectric device for each compartment.

In addition or alternatively to one or more of the features described above, other embodiments may include: a control panel located on an exterior of the environmental control unit, wherein the control panel is configured to receive input of at least one of a selected temperature for the environmental control unit, a maximum temperature for the environmental control unit, and a minimum temperature for the environmental control unit.

In addition or alternatively to one or more of the features described above, other embodiments may include: the computing device is configured to display the parameters on a map (map) through a graphical user interface.

In addition or alternatively to one or more of the features described above, other embodiments may include: one or more piezoelectric devices configured to generate electrical power to charge a battery, wherein each of the one or more piezoelectric devices is electrically connected to the battery.

In addition or alternatively to one or more of the features described above, other embodiments may include: each of the one or more piezoelectric devices is operatively connected to the transport container such that vibrations of the transport container are transferred to the one or more piezoelectric devices.

In addition or alternatively to one or more of the features described above, other embodiments may include: each of the one or more piezoelectric devices may be located within the transport container and operably connected to the compartment such that a weight of the compartment is transferred to each of the one or more piezoelectric devices.

In addition or alternatively to one or more of the features described above, other embodiments may include: each of the one or more piezoelectric devices may be located in a separate attachment assembly that is operably connected to the bottom of the transport container such that the weight of the transport container is transferred to each of the one or more piezoelectric devices.

According to another embodiment, there is provided a method of managing environmental conditions within a refrigerated transport system by a computing device, the method comprising: removably connecting an environmental control unit to the transport container; starting an application program on a computing device; scanning an environmental control system located within a selected radius of a computing device; displaying, by a graphical user interface on the mobile device, the environmental control system located within the selected radius; connecting a computing device to a particular environmental control system; and displaying the parameters of the particular environmental control unit when the computing device is connected to the particular environmental control system.

In addition or alternatively to one or more of the features described above, other embodiments may include: a computing device is used to adjust the operation of a particular environmental control system.

In addition or alternatively to one or more of the features described above, other embodiments may include: generating a map through a graphical user interface on a computing device; and display the parameters on the map.

The technical effects of the embodiments of the present disclosure include: cooling the transport container using a removably connected environmental control unit that is wirelessly controllable by a computing device.

The foregoing features and elements may be combined in various combinations without exclusion, unless expressly stated otherwise. These features and elements and their operation will become more apparent in light of the following description and the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the following description and drawings are intended to be illustrative and explanatory in nature, and not restrictive.

Drawings

The following description should not be considered limiting in any way. Referring to the drawings, like elements are numbered alike:

FIG. 1 illustrates an isometric view of a refrigerated transport system in accordance with disclosed embodiments;

FIG. 2 illustrates an isometric view of an environmental control unit in accordance with the disclosed embodiments; and

FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating managing environmental conditions within a refrigerated transport system according to a disclosed embodiment.

Detailed Description

A detailed description of one or more embodiments of the disclosed apparatus and methods is presented herein by way of example and not limitation with reference to the figures.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure relate to environmental control of perishable goods during "last mile" transport. Typically, perishable goods in a truck's transportation environment control system are contained within a simple carton, wooden crate, or plastic container. Perishable goods may need to be transported for a "last mile" on a smaller vehicle without an environmental control system to be placed on the market. The term "last mile" is figurative to illustrate the last segment of the supply chain that a perishable good may take to reach the market. Typically, large trucks with environmental control systems are unable to transport perishable goods through this "last mile" for a variety of reasons (such as, for example, the size of a city street). For these reasons, smaller vehicles must transport perishable goods in the "last mile," such as, for example, motorcycles, mopeds (mopeds), bicycles, and rickshaws. This time spent in smaller vehicles leaving the controlled environment results in a degradation of product life and ultimately results in lower quality products being obtained by the end consumer. For example, the life of delicate fruits that ripen at harvest (e.g., raspberries and blueberries) decreases with the amount of time they spend in the ambient air. Advantageously, embodiments disclosed herein facilitate the preservation of perishable goods throughout the "last mile" of the supply chain.

Referring to fig. 1, an isometric view of a refrigerated transport system 100 in an example embodiment is depicted. The refrigerated transport system 100 includes a transport container 200 and an environmental unit 300 removably connected to the transport container 200. The environmental cell 300 is removable from the shipping container 200 and may be connected to a variety of different shipping containers other than that depicted in the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 1. The environmental cell 300 provides cooling to the transport container through one or more cooling modules 362, and will be discussed further below. To removably connect the environmental control unit 300 to the shipping container 200, one or more apertures 230 are formed in the base 206 of the shipping container 200, and a cooling module 362 is then inserted into each aperture 230. Each compartment 212 of the shipping container 200 may have one cooling module 230 and thus one aperture 230 for each compartment 212. The cooling modules 362 may include seals (not shown) configured to seal the connection between each formed bore 230 and each cooling module 362.

The shipping container 200 may be comprised of a base 201 and a lid 202. As shown in fig. 1, the base 201 may be an open-ended container in which perishable goods (such as, for example, produce, meat, poultry, fish, dairy products, cut flowers, pharmaceuticals, organs, and other fresh/frozen perishable products) are stored for transport. The lid 202 is configured to fit over the base 201, thereby enclosing the perishable goods within the transport container 200. The lid 202 is configured to be securely fastened to the base 201 such that an airtight seal is created between the lid 202 and the base 201. In various embodiments, the base 201 and lid 202 may be composed of plastic, metal vacuum, extruded polystyrene foam, polyurethane foam, polyethylene foam, or other lightweight insulating material. In one embodiment, the base 201 is foldable and when not in use can be folded for easy storage and transport.

The substrate 201 further includes an inner portion 204 and an outer portion 206. The interior 204 contains perishable goods and may be subdivided into a plurality of compartments 212a-212c by partitions 218. The auxiliary cover 240 may provide additional insulation for each compartment 212a-212c and/or the interior 204 as a whole. The auxiliary cover 240 also prevents additional cool air from escaping, thus increasing efficiency. In an embodiment, the auxiliary lid 240 may be transparent, which advantageously provides an opportunity to still see the cargo in each compartment 212a-212 c. The anchor 280 may be located on the exterior 206 of the base 201 such that the refrigerated transport system 100 may be secured to a vehicle, such as a motorcycle, for example.

The shipping container 200 may further include one or more piezoelectric devices 460, the piezoelectric devices 460 being configured to generate electricity 468 when a force 461 is applied to the piezoelectric devices 460. The force 461 may be a vibration of the shipping container 200 itself (i.e., a vibratory force) and/or a vibration of the cargo inside one or more compartments 212a-212c (i.e., a vibratory force). Each of the one or more piezoelectric devices 460 may be electrically connected to the battery 320 (see fig. 2) such that the battery 320 is charged when power 468 is generated by each piezoelectric device 460. Each of the one or more piezoelectric devices 460 is operatively connected to the shipping container 200 such that vibrations of the shipping container 200 are transferred to the one or more piezoelectric devices 460.

In a first non-limiting example, one or more piezoelectric devices 460 may each be located within the shipping container 200 and operatively connected to one or more compartments 212a-212c such that the weight of each compartment 212a-212c is transferred to each of the one or more piezoelectric devices 460. Advantageously, in this first non-limiting example, when the cargo in each compartment 212a-212c is being transported, for example on the back of a motorcycle, the cargo may bounce/vibrate in each compartment 212a-212c and, as a result, the compartments 212a-212c transfer force 461 from the bouncing and vibrating cargo to each piezoelectric device 460 in order to generate electricity 468. In a non-limiting embodiment, there may be a piezoelectric device 460 located within the shipping container 200 at each of the four corners 200a of the shipping container 200.

In a second non-limiting example, one or more piezoelectric devices 460 may each be located in a separate attachment assembly 290 operably connected to the bottom 250 of the shipping container 200 such that the weight of the shipping container 200 is transferred to each piezoelectric device 460. Advantageously, in this second non-limiting example, when cargo in the shipping container 200 is being shipped, for example, on the back of a motorcycle, the cargo may bounce/vibrate within the shipping container 200 and, thus, the bottom 250 of the shipping container transfers a force 461 from the bouncing and vibrating cargo to each piezoelectric device 460 in order to generate electricity 468. In a non-limiting embodiment, there may be a piezoelectric device 460 located at each of the four corners 290a of the attachment assembly 290.

It should be understood that the piezoelectric device 460 may be composed of different materials and configurations, and thus the disclosure herein is not limited to the piezoelectric device 200 as illustrated in fig. 1. As shown in fig. 1, the piezoelectric device 200 may be comprised of a piezoelectric material 466 interposed between a first plate 462 and a second plate 464. The first plate 462 and the second plate 464 may be separated by a distance D1. When a force 461 is applied to the piezoelectric device 460, the piezoelectric material 466 may expand and contract, thereby changing the distance D1 between the first plate 462 and the second plate 464. The expansion and contraction of the piezoelectric material 466 generates electrical power 468, which is transferred to the plates 462, 464 and the battery 320 (see fig. 2). Reference is now made to fig. 2, with continued reference to fig. 1. Fig. 2 illustrates an isometric view of the environmental control unit 300. Environmental control unit 300 may include a power converter 310, a battery 320, a controller 330, a fan 340, a thermoelectric device 360, a communication module 370, and a control panel 380. Thermoelectric device 360 provides cooling to shipping container 200. When a voltage is applied to thermoelectric device 360, thermoelectric device 360 in operation generates heating/cooling by creating a temperature difference across the sides of thermoelectric device 360. When the material properties cause atoms to diffuse to the first side or the second side of the thermoelectric device 360, the amount of heating and cooling varies in response to the polarity of the voltage applied to the thermoelectric device 360. This is also known as the Peltier effect (Peltier effect). In an embodiment, there is a thermoelectric device 360 for each compartment 212. There may be a single fan 340 or fan 340 for each thermoelectric device 360. Fan 340 pulls air 344 outside of environmental control unit 300 through vent 342. The air 344 passing through the thermoelectric device 360 is cooled and then sent into the transport container 200 through the cooling module 362. It will be understood that the term "air" as used herein with reference to the atmosphere drawn into the environmental control unit 300 by the fan 340 may include mixtures of oxygen with other gases (e.g., such as, but not limited to, nitrogen or carbon dioxide). The fan 340 may be rotated by a fan motor (not shown) powered by the power source 306 and/or the battery 320.

The environmental control unit 300 also includes a controller 330, the controller 330 being configured to control the operation of the environmental control unit 300, including but not limited to the operation of the thermoelectric device 360 and the fan 340, to provide and maintain a desired thermal environment within the transport container 200. The controller 330 may be an electronic controller including a processor and associated memory including computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform various operations. The processor may be, but is not limited to: a single-processor or multi-processor system of any wide range of possible architectures, including Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), Central Processing Units (CPUs), Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), Digital Signal Processors (DSPs), or Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) hardware, arranged uniformly or non-uniformly. The memory may be a storage device, such as, for example, a Random Access Memory (RAM), a Read Only Memory (ROM), or other electronic, optical, magnetic, or any other computer readable medium. The operation of the environmental control unit 300 may also be controlled by a control panel 380 located on the exterior of the environmental control unit 300. Using the control panel 380, a user may set a selected temperature 382 for each compartment 212 of the refrigerated transport system 100. Also using the control panel 380, the user can set a maximum temperature 386 and a minimum temperature 384 for the selected temperature 382.

The controller 330 is in electronic communication with a communication module 370. The communication module 370 may wirelessly communicate with a computing device 400 (e.g., such as a smartphone, PDA, smart watch, tablet, laptop, desktop computer, etc.). Computing device 400 may include a touch screen (not shown), a mouse, a keyboard, a scroll wheel, physical buttons, or any input mechanism known to those skilled in the art. As shown in fig. 1, computing device 400 may include a processor 450, a memory 452, and a communication module 454. The processor 450 may be any type or combination of computer processor, such as a microprocessor, microcontroller, digital signal processor, application specific integrated circuit, programmable logic device, and/or field programmable gate array. The memory 452 is an example of a non-transitory computer readable storage medium tangibly embodied in the computing device 400, including executable instructions stored therein, e.g., as firmware. The communication module 454 may implement one or more communication protocols, as described in further detail herein. Embodiments herein generate a graphical user interface on computing device 400 through application 455. The computing device 400 may view and/or adjust the parameters 410 of the environmental control system through the application 455.

The wireless communication between the communication module 370 of the environmental control system 300 and the communication module 454 of the computing device 400 may be satellite, Wi-Fi, cellular, bluetooth, radio, or any other wireless communication method known to those skilled in the art. Computing device 400 may be configured to wirelessly control the operation of environment control unit 300 and/or display parameters 410 of environment control unit 300. Parameters 410 may include, but are not limited to: the location of the environmental control unit 300, the temperature of the cooling output of the environmental control unit 300, and the humidity of the cooling output of the environmental control unit 300. The position and temperature output may be detected by one or more sensors 390. In embodiments, the sensor 390 may include a temperature sensor or a humidity sensor. A temperature sensor or humidity sensor may be located near one or more cooling modules 362. In an embodiment, the sensor 390 may include a GPS sensor configured to determine the location of the environmental control unit 300.

The environmental control unit 300 may be powered by an external power source 306 and/or a battery 320. Power source 306 may charge battery 320 such that battery 320 may supply power to environmental control unit 300 when environmental control unit 300 receives reduced power and/or no power from power source 306. The power source 306 may include an AC generator configured to generate Alternating Current (AC) power including at least one AC voltage at one or more frequencies. In an embodiment, the power source 306 may be, for example, a permanent magnet AC generator or a synchronous AC generator. In another embodiment, the power source 306 may include a single on-board DC generator configured to generate Direct Current (DC) power at least one voltage. In an embodiment, the power source 306 is a flywheel generator operably connected to a rotating component of the vehicle. In an embodiment, the power source 306 may be an on-board battery of the vehicle, such as a 12V battery, for example. Some power supplies may have internal voltage regulators while others do not. It will be understood that various power converters 310 (e.g., AC to DC rectifiers, DC to AC inverters, AC to AC voltage/frequency converters, and DC to DC voltage converters) may optionally be employed with the power source 306. The power converter 310 may include a voltage sensor to sense the voltage of the power source 306. The power source 306 may also include a battery, solar panel, or any similar power source known to those skilled in the art. As described above, the power source 306 may include one or more piezoelectric devices 460, the one or more piezoelectric devices 460 configured to generate power 468 as described above. One or more piezoelectric devices 460 may be connected to the battery 320 and/or the power converter 310.

Reference is now made to fig. 3, along with the components of fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows a flow chart illustrating a method 500 of managing environmental conditions within the refrigerated transport system 100 by the computing device 400. The first step may be: if not already connected, the environmental control unit 300 is removably connected to the shipping container 200. To removably connect the environmental control unit 300 to the shipping container 200, it may be desirable to form one or more apertures 230 in the base 206 of the shipping container 200 and then slide the cooling module 362 into each of the formed apertures 230. As described above, there may be one cooling module 230 for each compartment 212, and thus there may be one aperture 230 for each compartment 212. The cooling modules 362 may include seals (not shown) configured to seal the connection between each formed bore 230 and each cooling module 362. At block 504, an application is launched in a graphical user interface of the computing device 400. At block 506, the computing device 400 scans the environmental control system 300 located within a selected radius of the computing device 400. At block 508, the computing device 400 displays, via the graphical user interface, the environmental control system 300 located within the selected radius of the computing device 400. A user may select a particular environmental control system 300 via a graphical user interface to interface with the particular environmental control system 300. At block 510, it will be confirmed when the computing device 400 is connected to a particular environmental control system 300. If the computing device 400 is not connected to a particular environmental control system 300, an alert message may be displayed on the computing device 400 through the graphical user interface at block 512. The alert message may be visual and/or audible. If the computing device 400 is connected to a particular environmental control system 300, the parameters 410 of the particular environmental control system 300 will be displayed on the computing device 400 through the graphical user interface.

At block 516, the user may make a selection through the graphical user interface: whether to adjust the operation of a particular environmental control system 300 or to display parameters 410 of a particular environmental control system 300 on a map. If the user selects an adjustment operation at block 516, the user may adjust the operation of the particular environmental control system 300, including but not limited to the temperature and humidity within the transport container 200, at block 518. The controller 330 is configured to: the operation of the fan 340 and the thermoelectric device 360 is adjusted in response to control commands from the computing device 400 to adjust the temperature and humidity. If the user selects to view a map of parameters 410 at block 516, the graphical user interface will display a map of parameters 410 of environmental control system 300 on computing device 400 at block 520.

While the above description has described the flow of fig. 3 in a particular order, it should be clear that the order of the steps may be varied, unless specifically required otherwise in the appended claims.

As described above, embodiments may be in the form of processor-implemented processes and apparatuses (e.g., processors) for practicing those processes. Embodiments may also be in the form of computer program code containing instructions embodied in tangible media, such as network cloud storage, SD cards, flash drives, floppy diskettes, CD ROMs, hard drives, or any other computer-readable storage medium, wherein, when the computer program code is loaded into and executed by a computer, the computer becomes an apparatus for practicing the embodiments. Embodiments may also be in the form of computer program code, for example, whether stored in a storage medium, loaded into and/or executed by a computer, or transmitted over some transmission medium, such as over electrical wiring or cabling, through fiber optics, or via electromagnetic radiation, wherein, when the computer program code is loaded into and executed by a computer, the computer becomes an apparatus for practicing the embodiments. When implemented on a general-purpose microprocessor, the computer program code segments configure the microprocessor to create specific logic circuits.

The term "about" is intended to include the degree of error associated with measuring a particular quantity in accordance with available equipment at the time of filing the application. For example, "about" may include a range of ± 8%, or 5%, or 2% of a given value.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises" and/or "comprising," when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, element components, and/or groups thereof.

While the disclosure has been described with reference to an exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the disclosure. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the disclosure without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the disclosure not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this disclosure, but that the disclosure will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the claims.