Evaporative cooling systems and methods of controlling product temperatures during delivery

• US 10,488,095 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2017
• Issued: 11/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Winkle, David C., McHale, Brian G., High, Donald R., Mattingly, Todd D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zerphey, Christopher R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sanks, Schyler S
• Application Number:
  US15/598,699
• Publication Number:
  US 20170336125A1
• Time in Patent Office: 922 Days
• Field of Search: 624571
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2500/04 Calculation of parameters
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2600/04 Controlling heat transfer
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/16 Sensors measuring the temperature of products
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 29/001 for cryogenic fluid systems
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 29/003 for movable devices
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 3/06 Movable containers
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 3/105 Movable containers
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 7/00 Devices using evaporation effects without recovery of the vapour butter or cheese dishes with cooling devices A47G19/26

Abstract

In some embodiments, systems and methods are provided that limit the change in temperature and/or control a temperature of a product during delivery. Some embodiments provide systems to limit temperature changes, comprising: an evaporative product cooling system comprising: a product cavity that supports a product while the product is transported to a delivery location, wherein the product cooling system comprises an interior wall defining the product cavity, an exterior wall, an evaporative cavity between the interior and exterior walls, a coolant dispensing system, at least one evaporative opening, and a temperature sensor; and a temperature control circuit configured to receive temperature data from the temperature sensor while the product is in transit, determine that a temperature of the product is greater than a transport temperature threshold, and autonomously activate the coolant dispensing system to release evaporative coolant into the evaporative cavity while the product is transported.

Claims

1. A system to limit temperature changes of one or more products during transit, comprising:

an evaporative cooling system comprising;

a product cavity that supports a first product while the first product is transported to a delivery location by a delivery vehicle, wherein the cooling system is separate from and removable from the delivery vehicle and comprises an interior wall defining the product cavity, an exterior wall, an evaporative cavity defined between the interior wall and the exterior wall, a coolant dispensing system coupled with the evaporative cavity, at least one evaporative opening exposing a portion of the evaporative cavity to an exterior environment, and a temperature sensor positioned to detect temperature data corresponding to a temperature of the first product while the first product is in transit to be delivered to the delivery location; and

a temperature control circuit coupled with the temperature sensor and the coolant dispensing system, wherein the temperature control circuit is configured to receive the temperature data from the temperature sensor while the first product is in transit to the delivery location, determine based on the temperature data that the temperature of the first product is greater than a first transport temperature threshold, and autonomously activate the coolant dispensing system to release evaporative coolant into the evaporative cavity while the first product is transported by the delivery vehicle;

wherein the cooling system further comprises;

a primary coolant reservoir configured to store the evaporative coolant having a first evaporation rate; and

a secondary reservoir configured to store a secondary evaporative coolant having a second evaporation rate that is greater than the first evaporation rate such that the secondary evaporative coolant evaporates more rapidly than the first evaporative coolant when in the same conditions;

wherein the temperature control circuit is configured to identify that the temperature of the first product is greater than a second transport temperature threshold, and activate the coolant dispensing system to inject the secondary evaporative coolant into the evaporative cavity.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the cooling system further comprises a fluid distributing material within the evaporative cavity configured to distribute the evaporative coolant toward the at least one evaporative opening.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the delivery vehicle comprises an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) configured to secure and lift the cooling system and the first product supported by the cooling system while the UAS transports the cooling system and the first product by air to the delivery location.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the temperature control circuit is further configured to determine an orientation of the cooling system and the at least one evaporative opening relative to a direction of travel to achieve a controlled airflow through the at least one evaporative opening and into the evaporative cavity in response to the temperature of the first product being greater than the first transport temperature threshold, and to communicate an instruction to cause a modification of the orientation of cooling system as the delivery vehicle travels toward the deliver location to modify the airflow through the at least one evaporative opening.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the temperature control circuit is further configured to determine a change to velocity of the delivery vehicle as a function of the temperature data to control a rate of evaporation of the evaporative coolant within the evaporative cavity, and autonomously communicate an instruction to the delivery vehicle to cause the change to the velocity of the delivery vehicle.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the cooling system comprises a vent system cooperated with the at least one evaporative opening, wherein the temperature control circuit couples with the vent system to control the vent system in controlling a volume of airflow through the at least one evaporative opening and into the evaporative cavity as a function of the temperature data of the first product.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a temperature control selection system configured to obtain a temperature threshold of the first product, identify a method of transport of the first product by the delivery vehicle to the delivery location, and select from multiple different types of temperature control systems an evaporative temperature control system comprising the cooling system as a function of the method of transport.

8. A method of limiting temperature changes of one or more products during transit, comprising:

obtaining a first transport temperature threshold of a first product to be transported to a delivery location by a delivery vehicle;

receiving, while the first product is being transported to the delivery location by the delivery vehicle, temperature data from a temperature sensor of an evaporative cooling system that is separate from and removable from the delivery vehicle and that supports the first product within a product cavity while in transit to the delivery location;

determining based on current temperature data that a temperature of the first product is greater than the first transport temperature threshold;

autonomously activating the coolant dispensing system, while the first product is transported by the delivery vehicle, to release evaporative coolant into an evaporative cavity of the cooling system while at least one evaporative opening is exposing a portion of the evaporative cavity to an exterior environment;

identifying that the temperature of the first product is greater than a second transport temperature threshold; and

autonomously activating the coolant dispensing system to inject a secondary evaporative coolant into the evaporative cavity, wherein the secondary evaporative coolant has a second evaporation rate that is greater than a first evaporation rate of the evaporative coolant such that the secondary evaporative coolant evaporates more rapidly than the first evaporative coolant when in the same conditions.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the releasing the evaporative coolant into the evaporative cavity comprises causing the evaporative coolant to be in contact with a fluid distributing material within the evaporative cavity that distributes the evaporative coolant toward the at least one evaporative opening.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

causing the delivery vehicle, comprising an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), to lift the cooling system and the first product supported by the cooling system and transport the cooling system and the first product by air to the delivery location.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining, while the first product is in transit, an orientation of the cooling system and the at least one evaporative opening relative to a direction of travel to achieve a controlled airflow through the at least one evaporative opening and into the evaporative cavity; and

communicating an instruction to cause a modification of the orientation of the cooling system as the delivery vehicle travels toward the delivery location and modify the airflow through the at least one evaporative opening.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining a change to velocity of the delivery vehicle as a function of the temperature data to control a rate of evaporation of the evaporative coolant within the evaporative cavity; and

autonomously communicating an instruction to the delivery vehicle to cause the change to the velocity of the delivery vehicle.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

controlling a vent system of the cooling system in controlling a volume of airflow through the at least one evaporative opening and into the evaporative cavity as a function of the temperature data of the first product.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

identifying a method of transport of the first product by the delivery vehicle to the delivery location; and

selecting from multiple different types of temperature control systems the evaporative cooling system with the evaporative cavity and evaporative coolant as a function of the method of transport.