An investigation of thermal stratification in refrigerated container yards

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to investigate thermal stratification in refrigerated container yards through onsite measurement. Measurements were carried out using six refrigerated containers during the summer. Temperature measurement was done by placing thermocouples on all sides of the surfaces of the containers; this also measured the intensity of solar radiation. The containers were conditioned on a basic load without a cooling load arranged in three tiers and two rows. Results indicated that thermal stratification occurred at the gap space between adjoining containers under sunny weather with the intensity of solar radiation reaching 900 W/m2. The temperature difference between the top and bottom surfaces was as high as 5 °C at noon.

Keywords

• Thermal stratification
• Refrigerated container
• Container yard