International. Experts from the University of Birmingham have worked with one of China's largest railway companies to develop the world's first shipping container using materials that store and release cold energy.
Using phase change material (PCM), Birmingham scientists and their counterparts at CRRC Shijiazhuang have developed a "refrigerated" Truck-to-Train container that is easier and more efficient to operate than conventional equipment.
Once "loaded", the PCM inside the container, which can be transferred from one train to another and vice versa, can maintain the indoor temperature between 5-12 °C for up to 120 hours. The technology has recently completed commercial tests with real goods for 35,000 kilometers of road and 1,000 kilometers of rail transport through different climatic zones.
Professor Yulong Ding, Director of the Birmingham Energy Storage Centre, who led the research in Birmingham, commented: "Energy storage is a leading global area of expertise at the University of Birmingham and cold chain technology research is one of the most important topics in our Energy Storage Center. We have developed a productive collaboration with CRRC Shijiazhuang and this innovative technology marks the beginning of the development of an efficient and economical railway freight cold chain."
"We are proud to contribute to the development of safe and clean low-carbon energy technologies in China and beyond, which will ultimately help us reduce the energy burden on our planet and address climate change," the professor added.
Cooling is essential for modern society, which already causes twice the global greenhouse gas emissions from shipping and aviation combined with the cold chain as a major cause of pollution. Increased demand for cooling will result in spiral energy use with potentially disastrous environmental impact, if left unchecked.
"Without ambitious intervention, research shows that energy demand from cooling could increase fivefold by 2050, increasing the pressure on global energy resources," Professor Ding said. "How the world meets its demand for cooling could have a major impact on climate change and air pollution."
Several cold chain logistics companies in China have expressed great interest in the container, which provides a more stable temperature, compared to mechanical units, and therefore a higher quality of products at the destination. You don't need a power supply during your trip, making it easy to transfer between road and rail. The location and temperature of the container can also be monitored in real time using mobile communication technologies.
Data Source Provider: University of Birmingham.
