SBIR-STTR Award

Wasted rations due to food spoilage are a $50 million dollar a year problem for the Department of Defense. SunDanzer’s approach to solving this problem consists of developing technology for a storage container that could reduce internal storage temperatures. Concepts to reduce heat transfer included thermal control coatings, insulation, active cooling driven by photovoltaics and phase change materials. A small scale test of several of these and other concepts were conducted at SunDanzer’s Tucson facility. The most reliable and cost effective approach will be considered for selection to meet the requirement of a $3500 retrofit.

Keywords:
Thermal Control Coating, Insulation, Passive Cooling, Active Cooling, Solar Cooling, Phase Change Material, Thermal Siphons, Ir Cooling

The potential of large, real world shelf life gains by reducing the peak temperatures during the summer, lead to the proposed solution of low alpha/e vinyl, form fitted covers for 20 ft containers destined for long term storage in a desert environment. SunDanzer proposes this passive solar technology that effectively minimizes container heating from the full solar spectrum, while allowing the container to cool via infra red transmission and conduction at night. For hotter environments, SunDanzer has developed a method of temporarily attaching a refrigeration system to the inside of a container door and powering the system using photovoltaic panels on the roof of the externally insulated container. Both systems are optimized to provide the maximum shelf life extension for the least amount of cost, given the non-linear degradation rate of the MREs.

Keywords:
Solar Powered Refrigeration, Container Thermal Control, Photovoltaic Power, Iso Container, Pv Direct