Shipping Containers Blog

Posts Tagged ‘refrigerated shipping container’

So, carrying on from the questions we answered yesterday on refrigerated containers, we have the more technical aspect here.  A big thanks to Kev for getting these through to us in a way that we had a chance of understanding.

What power does a refrigerated container require?
Most marine units run on 3 phase electricity.   The actual requirements depend on the type of machine i.e. Carrier, Thermoking, Daikin, Misubishi, Zanotti etc., the ambient temperature, set point of the machine and the product placed inside.  But to give an idea based on a Carrier machine set to chill in this country it would require 40/60 amps per phase on start up and on running will pull between 10/15 amps.
I don’t have a 3 phase electricity supply; can I still run my refrigerated container?
Some refrigerated shipping containers have been adapted to run from the single phase domestic electricity supply.  These are normally more expensive than the 3 phase models due to the additional work involved in converting them.  Alternatively, all refrigerated containers can be run off diesel powered gen-sets which clip onto the front of the machine.

What length is a cable on a refrigerated container?
On average the length of cable is 18 metres but this varies depending on the type of machine.

How often should I service my refrigerated container?

Every 6 months is recommended although this does depend on where the refrigerated shipping container is sited.  In a very dirty or dusty environment if not cleaned out regularly it will affect the operation of the unit and so a much more frequent servicing programme is recommended.

Hope you now know everything you need to know about refrigerated units - and I suspect many of you will know much more than you ever thought possible - so that tomorrow we can return to less technical stuff!

We are all getting used to seeing shipping container conversions of  amazing h0uses, art galleries and classrooms but, in order to prove that uses of shipping containers and container conversions are really is only limited to yor imagination, here are some of the more unusal requests we have had over the last few months.

1. Rogrigo the human cannon ball wants to be able to transport his cannon over to Australia and needs to be able to secure his cannon for the trip.   This enquiry is  relatively simple to do but how could anyone resist including such a request?   7 metres in length,  2 metres in width and 2.5 metres high it weights 2000-2500 kg so is a substantial piece of kit!   Luckily shipping containers are used to taking a lot more weight than that so, providing the cannon is kept anchored in side securely it should not prove to be a problem.
2. Refrigerated shipping containers are often put to the most unusual uses.   Have you ever thought of them as being useful for bug extermination?   A well-known country house uses them to put in their antique carpets and turns down the temperature to kill off all the nasties that are trying to chomp through the carpet fibres.  Apparently if you keep the carpets at -20C for two weeks, let them slowly come back to normal ambient temperature for another two weeks before repeating the process again, this solves the problem.  These carpets are priceless so the refrigerated containers have to be kept in a bonded warehouse or somewhere equally as secure to make sure the carpets don’t get stolen.
3. Talking of creatures with more than 2 legs, we have also been asked for a shipping container conversion of a refrigerated container so it could be used as a climate controlled holding tank for crabs for a sea aquarium whilst the crabs were breeding.   The floor had to be bunded to hold 1 metre depth of water at a constant temperature and have a ledge for the crabs to be able to climb up on.   At the same time the refrigerator motor had to be totally secure so the crabs could not get into it!
4. One of our refrigerated containers has been used to test a Range Rover!   Regulations apparently required that the car underwent a series of tests at -20C and these were carried out in one of our containers that we hired out for 16 weeks.   Amazing!
5. Maybe not such an unusual shipping container conversion - but rather an unusual use - was the request for a shipping container to be converted into a mobile on-line auction room.   Fitted out to a luxury spec it was to provide a place where clients would feel happy to bid for luxury yachts in all parts of the world be this at  the Boat Show at Earls Court or  St Tropez or even Florida!   With the different power requirements, lots of glass, sofas and expensive rugs, as well as the need for air conditioning and heating (depending on where the conversion was sited at any particular time) it certainly proved to be a detailed job to undertake!

So there you are, next time you look at a shipping container you can think of these requests and see them in a whole new light!

We mostly think of refrigerated containers as being purely commercial and of no interest to us cooking at home.   It is true, of course, that most of us will not have a 20ft or 40ft refrigerated shipping container sitting in our garden waiting for us to put our shopping in!   But in all likelihood many of the fresh ingredients that we buy have probably been in a refrigerated container before we ever get them home.

It isn’t fashionable now to admit that your ingredients have not all been sourced locally or been grown in your allotment or back garden.  Truth is most of the food we eat has travelled from various parts of the country or, indeed, various parts of the world.   Whether our lamb comes from our local farmer, or from Wales or New Zealand the truth is it has still probably been transported at some point in a refrigerated container.

These industrial containers  that we call refrigerated containers, work by keeping their contents at a different temperature than the surrounding environment.  Sometimes this involves the temperature being set at higher than that outside -which, if you think about it, means that calling them “refrigerated containers” could be inappropriate!    In fact the range that these so called refrigerated containers can be set at is between -20C and +20C.    This gives the opportunity to store a whole range of different products.   After all, different food stuffs will require different temperatures for storage.    Icecream, for example is going to need to be kept at a much lower temperature than lettuces!  Indeed the temperature controlled environment of the refrigerated shipping container means that everything can be kept fresh at the optimum temperature. 

So how is all this relevant to you at home and the stuff that you cook with everyday?   Shipping containers have bought the price of food down, and have made it possible for it to be transported from all over the world.   The majority of our food travels at some point by sea, road or train.   The standard size of a shipping container is 20ft or 40ft and it is these very sizes of  shipping containers, refrigerated or otherwise, which has brought down the price of transportation considerably.   The fact that standard shipping containers are either 20ft or 40ft  means that handling of all the containers could be done simply rather than using a variety of different machinery and lots of man power thus saving money.

So next time you are on the road travelling to the shops and pass a lorry taking food to the supermarket or to your local greengrocer you know exactly why that refrigerated container you have just overtaken has helped you with the meals you are planning to prepare.

Refrigerated Containers, sometimes known as reefer containers, are shipping containers designed to hold goods in a temperature controlled environment. This can be set anywhere between -20C to +20C. As such a refrigerated container is suitable for a variety of goods ranging from fresh produce (chill controlled), ice cream (hard frozen) to explosives and chemicals (temperature controlled). All controllers on refrigerated containers have a display that will show the set point and running temperature.

It is important to site a refrigerated container on level hard standing. The weight of the container’s insulated doors mean that unless the unit is sited correctly the doors are likely to be hard to open and may even get a build up of ice behind the door seals, effectively freezing them shut.

A refrigerated shipping container is designed to maintain the temperature of the goods placed inside rather than to blast freeze them. For maximum efficiency the products should be stacked a foot away from the front panel (which is the end opposite the doors!) and be a foot below the ceiling for maximum efficiency. This allows the airflow to pass under the product (through the t-bar flooring) and up by the doors, before passing over the top and back down again. Refrigerated containers are designed to maintain the temperature of the goods placed inside rather than to blast freeze them.

Most reefer containers normally have a Partlow to record the temperature that the unit is running at. Some controllers even have the facility to download information via a laptop equipped with the appropriate software programme. It is also possible to attach a system which, should the unit drop below the set temperature, a call is generated to a phone (mobile or land line) by way of warning so an engineer can be called out promptly to fix the problem.

In order to keep the reefer container running efficiently it is a good idea to defrost (remembering that this defrosts the machinery and not the product stored inside) once or twice a day. A service is recommended every 6 months but this does depend on where the unit is sited as dirt/dust will affect the operation of the unit if not cleaned out regularly. For example, if you are putting the refrigerated container in a dusty environment you may need to service your container more regularly in order to stop it from becoming clogged. The servicing interval can also be dependent on the temperature the unit is running at - chill is less work for the machine than freezing for example.

Refrigerated Containers can be adapted in a variety of ways. Lights, internal alarms, emergency stop buttons, butchers or caterers doors are all commonly installed conversions. Solid checker plate flooring is also popular - particularly when the products are going to be store at temperatures above +0C.

We have been discussing refrigerated containers on this week’s blog and quite a few of you have rung the office with questions which I thought would be a good idea to answer here.

How is the temperature recorded on a refrigerated shipping container?

On marine units the controller will have a display that will show the set point and the running temperature.  If particularly required some units have displays which can also be “downloaded” - whereby you can see a set of parameters over a set period of time although you will need additional equipment in the form of a laptop,  specialised software etc.  Other units have a Partlowchart (like the taco graph that some lorries have) although it is important should you wish to use them you specify this to your supplier at point of order.

How should a refrigerated shipping container be loaded for maximum efficiency?

The products inside te container should be stacked at least a foot away from the front panel (which is the end opposite the doors!) and at least a foot away from the ceiling. This allows air to flow under the product (through the t-bar flooring) and up by the doors before going over the top of the goods and back down again.

Can I use a refrigerated container to bring things down to temperature?

A refrigerated container is designed  to maintain the temperature of the goods placed inside rather than bring the goods down/up to the set point temperature like a blast freezer.

Tomorrow we will deal with some of the more challenging technical questions to do with electricity supply and servicing that some of you seem so keen to know about - our electrician has been relentlessly quizzed and come up with some understandable answers to your questions.

Refrigerated Shipping Containers are available in a variety of different sizes and I have been asked to list the dimensions of them so that readers can get a clear idea of what they need.

POWER SUPPLY: 3 Phase, 415-460 volts. 32 Amp per phase, motor rated supply
POWER CONSUMPTION: 5.5kw @ -18C Frozen, 7.2kw @ +2C Chill
All used Reefer Containers sold in Wind & Watertight condition.

All refrigerated containers vary slightly in their actual dimensions but the above table gives a good general guide to base your calculations on.

Popular models of refrigerated shipping containers include carrier, thermoking, daikin and mitsibushi. Parts for these are readily available in the UK.