Thermo Shipper
ThermoShipperTM        Patent Number 6,875,486

 

  • ThermoShipper™ is an innovative, cost-effective solution that eliminates complications caused by dry ice. 
  • This new packaging technology is suitable for extended-time domestic or international shipping. It has two different temperature ranges to satisfy all your shipping needs.
  • Custom Pack and Ship(CPS) patented ThermoShipper™ container provides a radiant barrier film that reflects 97% of all radiant heat, including direct sunlight.
  • Our container also provides up to 10 times the insulating ability of a typical Styrofoam cooler. Also, by utilizing the correct refrigerant packs, goods can be shipped and temperatures maintained whether the product is frozen (0ЕC) or negative frozen (-20ЕC).
  • The 0ЕC refrigerant pack protects materials at freezing temperatures. Also, by wrapping a product in bubble wrap or some other form of insulation, fresh products requiring temperatures ranging from 1-8ЕC can be maintained. The -20ЕC phase change pack handles negative freezing requirements. Products including food items such as meat and ice cream will require the -20Е C pack. Also, each pack features a sweat resistant outer layer that absorbs moisture and eliminates any damage caused by condensation.
  • CPS has an unsurpassed reputation for quality service includes trained personnel throughout the CPS network following established perishables procedures recognized worldwide.
  • The fee for ThermoShipper™ includes the container, refrigerant, interior protective bag, special handling & material management. The shipment of dry ice shipping requires a number of individual costs that routinely exceed the cost of CPS ThermoShipper™

How the ThermoShipper System Works  

ThermoShipper packaging is designed to reduce heat transfer from conduction, convection, and radiation.

The radiant barrier film employed on the box reflects 97% of the infrared radiation that strikes it. With almost no infrared absorption, very little radiant heat is generated in the ThermoShipper box, even in direct sunlight. NASA uses the same type of material to protect people and equipment from radiation heat while in space.

To protect against conduction and convection heat transfer, the ThermoShipper box employs special insulating foam selected for its excellent thermodynamic properties and superior strength. This insulation combined with the unique design of the ThermoShipper box means the box has more than 10 times the insulating ability of a typical Styrofoam cooler. Heat transfer through the box is so low that it cannot be detected even with sophisticated infrared photography. The unique construction of the ThermoShipper box also provides an extraordinarily strong container to protect the payload inside.

How the Refrigerant Packs Work

Providing a container that reflects infrared radiation and provides excellent insulation describes only half of the ThermoShipper packaging system. The system also includes two different types of refrigerant to pack around the payload to ensure the desired temperature is maintained in transit.

To understand how this refrigerant works requires a basic understanding of some chemistry principles. Let?s begin with “phase change.” All substances have three phases: solid, liquid, and gas. The term “phase change temperature” refers to the temperature at which a substance changes from one phase to the next. The most familiar example is water, which we all know changes from liquid to solid at 0Е Celsius (32Е Fahrenheit) and from liquid to gas at 100Е C (212Е F). The phase change in which we are most interested for refrigerated and perishables packaging is the change from solid to liquid.

The reason phase change is important is that most substances require a significant amount of energy to move between phases. Melting ice provides a familiar example. It requires about љ calorie of energy to raise the temperature of 1 gram of ice one degree Celsius (1 milliliter = 1 gram). This means that 1 gram of ice taken out of an ordinary household freezer (which is usually about ?15Е C) will warm quickly to 0Е C (freezing) and require only about 8 calories of energy to do so. But it will take 80 calories to change that cubic centimeter of ice to liquid water, all the while at 0Е C. It then takes only one calorie of energy to raise the temperature of one cc liquid water one degree Celsius. The chart below demonstrates this principle:

 

The amount of energy required to produce this phase change is called the “latent heat of fusion.” The refrigerants used in the ThermoShipper container have a very high latent heat of fusion compared to many other substances.

ThermoShipper refrigerants are highly effective because like ice, and as illustrated in the chart, these refrigerants initially warm a few degrees and then maintain a consistent temperature (-0Е or -20Е, depending on the refrigerant used) for a long period. This means that your product, packaged in a ThermoShipper box with the correct refrigerant, can remain in transit for several days at a consistent level of refrigeration.

ThermoShipper Offers a Choice of Three Refrigerant Levels

  • 0o C Refrigerant Packs — The is the perfect refrigerant for products requiring temperatures of 0Е C.
  • “Fresh” Refrigerant Packs — For materials that need to be kept cold at temperatures above 0ЕC, request the “fresh” refrigerant level. This uses a layer of insulation (thick paper, bubble wrap, etc.) placed between the payload and 0Е C refrigerant packs to prevent direct contact and freezing of the payload. The payload will be maintained at a temperature above freezing (0Е C), between 1o and 8o C.
  • -20oC Refrigerant Packs — Many medical, veterinary, and food products require temperature maintenance below 0Е C. For these materials, request a -20o C refrigerant pack.

Test Results

Advanced Packaging Technology Laboratories, an independent certified laboratory, generated the test results shown below. These tests, performed in conditions with constant ambient temperatures of 105o F, indicate that ThermoShipper box maintained frozen or 0o temperatures for 135 hours and maintained -20oC temperatures for 87 hours. (Failure in the 0o C ThermoShipper box was defined as reaching a temperature above 1o C. Failure in the -20o C ThermoShipper box was defined as reaching a temperature above -15o C.)