How Do Shipping Containers Freezer Work?
Shipping container Freezers, commonly referred to as ‘reefers’, have been an important part of the transportation chain for many decades now. They are the most commonly used form of transportation for food or other types of goods which need to be kept in lower temperatures.
They are also used as stationary refrigerators and storage units sometimes, but the very wide use of them in ships, trains, or vehicles during long periods of transportation makes them best known as mobile refrigerators. Shipping container refrigerators, are a vital part of the international food trade, because without them, transportation of food and other spoilable materials such as pharmaceuticals, would be impossible.
How Do Shipping Container Freezers Work?
Reefers can maintain temperatures from around -30 degrees Celsius to about +25. Other than temperature, they need to carefully maintain moisture and airflow to make sure that their load is remaining in optimal conditions. Cargo ships usually have power for each shipping container they carry, and that is how the shipping container refrigerators are powered during long periods of transport over water. On rail or vehicles, these mobile refrigerators are powered by generators.
Pockets of hot air trapped on top of the reefer are sucked into refrigeration from the ceiling of the container, and after going through the refrigeration process, they are injected back into the container. Underneath the container, there must be room for airflow, so that the chilling mechanism can be carried out properly, and the floor of the container must be properly sealed to make sure that this airflow doesn’t affect the temperature inside.
During loading the shipping container refrigerators, extra attention must be paid to make sure that no pocket of hot air can be trapped at any spot, because if that happens, not only the energy needed to maintain the temperature will increase, some parts of the load might not be properly cooled, which can and will cause them to spoil in the usually long durations of transportation. In some cases, some fresh air is added to the system to make sure the stored food doesn’t spoil.
How Are Shipping Container Freezers Made?
The build of shipping container refrigerators is pretty standard, since these types of units have been part of the transportation chain for decades. Their sizes can vary, and there are some special types, such as explosion-proof reefers, military containers, DNV containers, and ultra-low temperature shipping containers. Other than these cases, the standard parts of a shipping container refrigerators are;
Control units: Where you can access and configure all the options available in a shipping container refrigerator, such as temperature, airflow, ventilation, and humidity.
Fans: Proper airflow is one of the most important factors of any refrigeration, and since shipping containers are rather large, multiple fans are installed inside the shipping container to make sure there is proper air circulation and stability.
Evaporators: This is another vital piece of equipment which makes sure the extra moisture in the shipping container refrigerator does not cause any problems. Not only moisture can disrupt proper airflow and cooling, it can damage the goods itself, so it’s very important to take measures in form of evaporator units to get that unwanted extra moisture out of the system. The evaporator unit can also heat the cargo. Sometimes the desirable temperature of a shipping container is not cold, but warm, and sometimes the cold temperatures required for the cargo are actually warmer than the environment. An evaporator can produce the heat needed to create that stability inside a shipping container refrigerator.
Condensers: The condenser unit is used to lower the temperature, and as such, it is one of the most important parts of the entire shipping container refrigerator. These condensers can be air coolers or water coolers, although most of the condensers in the industry are air coolers.
Vents: Some cargos, such as fruits, emanate gasses, which if trapped inside could cause problems with the cooling system or even very dangerous situations. For getting these gases out, and if needed getting some fresh air in, special vents are needed which can trap the heat inside but allow the flow of the gas when needed.
Transformers: Not all voltages are suitable for the listed parts of a shipping container refrigerator, and since these units usually travel far and are exposed to different types of power outlets, it is important for them to have their own voltage transformers.
Generators: You can’t always count on power to be provided externally for the shipping container refrigerators, sometimes during moving them from vessel to vessel or shore, or when they are at land, they could lose power and therefore heat up. In order to prevent that, generator sets or ‘gensets’ are installed.
Depending on the type of cargo and usage, shipping container refrigerators can have other parts as well, such as special frames or partitions. These extra parts, and some of the main parts which are listed, mainly depend on the usage of these units and can be installed or not.
Where To Get A Shipping Container Refrigerator?
Here at Green Box Containers, we have a long history of modifying and delivering shipping container refrigerators of all types. The prices of these units can vary depending on their types, sizes, and features installed. Reefers are among the most important units for transporting goods, and we have been producing all types of them for years. In order to find out about specifics of a shipping container refrigerator and how much they would cost, contact us. We can modify, prepare, and deliver your reefer within 30 days.