Intermodal Containers Research Articles

Army Resumes Disposal Of VX Nerve Gas

VX nerve gas destruction at the Army's Newport Chemical Agent Disposal Facility, in Indiana, resumed on Sept. 14. Neutralization of the nerve gas was halted in June in part because tests found the caustic wastewater, dubbed hydrolysate, to be flammable. Diisopropylamine (DIPA) was fingered as the culprit. Army engineers, Project Manager Jeffrey Brubaker says, found the recipe for reducing flammability. According to Brubaker, the solution is to mix VX with hot water and sodium hydroxide at 194 °F for one hour. Then the temperature in the reactor is lowered to 150 °F for the remainder of the neutralization process. While neutralization is occurring, nitrogen is passed through the reactor to reduce the level of DIPA in the hydrolysate. Jeffrey Lindblad, spokesman for the Army's Chemical Materials Agency, says the caustic wastewater produced is being stored on-site in four intermodal containers until the Army receives the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention's (CDC) approval to ship ...

Nuclear materials detection using high-energy γ-rays

The FIGARO technique uses 6–7MeV γ-rays produced in the 19F(p,αγ)16O reaction to detect materials used in nuclear weapons or associated with their production. These γ-rays induce neutron emission via the photoneutron and photofission processes in nuclear materials. Previous experiments have shown that FIGARO gives responses specific to nuclear materials with little or no response to common benign materials. The technique is also resistant to both photon and neutron shielding countermeasures. We present preliminary results from modeling studies of neutron detection rates with simulated air cargo and intermodal shipping containers. A general methodology to compare operating performance based on receiver–operator–characteristic curves is also discussed.

(47) Optimal Low Pressure Conditions for Long-term Storage of Fresh Commodities Kill Caribbean Fruit Fly Eggs and Larvae

U.S. regulations prevent importation of fresh horticultural commodities that have not received an approved quarantine treatment assuring 100% mortality of potentially invasive insect pests. Because imported mangoes are likely to be infested by the Caribbean fruit fly (Anastrepha suspensa Loew) and other tropical fruit flies such as A. ludens Loew, A. striata, A. distincta, A. fraterculus, A. serpentina, or A. oblique, they must be hot-water treated prior to shipment in order to satisfy quarantine requirement. Hot water treatment often damages the fruit, especially if it is not fully mature. Hypobaric (low pressure = LP) intermodal shipping containers developed by the VacuFreshSM Corp. preserve fresh commodities, such as horticulturally mature mangoes, far longer than is possible using other technologies. We tested the ability of over 70,000 Caribbean fruit fly eggs and larvae to survive a simulated optimal hypobaric condition for shipment of mangoes (15 mm Hg, 98% RH, at the lowest, safe non-chilling temperature, 13 °C). A. suspensa eggs or larvae were maintained on agar media, flushed with one air change per hour at the storage pressure, and shielded with Mylar to prevent radiant heat uptake and limit evaporative cooling. Nearly 98% of the eggs and larvae were killed within 1 week at 15 mm Hg in eight replicated experiments. All eggs were killed at that pressure by 11 days, whereas a significant number survived at ambient pressure. Shipment of fresh produce using this technology promises to provide quarantine control while preserving the freshness of fully mature tropical fruits and vegetables.

Feasibility of a Container-on-Barge Network Along the Texas Gulf Coast

Freight volumes in Texas and throughout the world have been increasing as a result of growing national economies and international trade. The use of intermodal containers to transport this freight presents the opportunity for a more efficient transportation system. Using barges to carry containers could diminish roadway congestion, reduce fuel consumption and emissions, increase shipper options, and expand the reach of smaller ports. Although a number of benefits could be realized from container-on-barge (COB) service, the feasibility of a COB network along the Texas Gulf Coast remains less clear. At present, the likelihood of a COB network is slight because the hindrances are daunting: the lack of infrastructure and equipment; inadequate distribution of population along the Texas Gulf Coast; only a few navigable inland waterways, with none serving a major population center outside Houston; transport times that are incompatible with many manufacturers’ needs; a history of failed attempts for COB companies; intense competition from railways; unclear costs for serving ports without container infrastructure; and a limited number of participants due to restrictions of the Jones Act. Opportunities may exist, however, for a COB operation to exploit the substantial amount of industrial activity along the Texas Gulf Coast and the inefficiencies in the existing supply chain. Growing U.S. trade with Mexico might also offer some possibilities for COB services, but the recent trend has been toward Texas receiving a diminishing share of the value and weight of containerized commodities being moved from Mexico.

Scheduling Direct and Indirect Trains and Containers in an Intermodal Setting

The focus of our research is on rail transportation of intermodal containers. We address the problem of determining day-of-week schedules for both direct and indirect (via a hub) trains and allocating containers to these trains for the rail (linehaul) portion of the intermodal trip. The goal is to minimize operating costs, including a fixed charge for each train, variable transportation and handling costs for each container and yard storage costs, while meeting on-time delivery requirements. We formulate the problem as an integer program and develop a novel decomposition procedure to find near-optimal solutions. We also develop a method to provide relatively tight bounds on the objective function values. Finally, we compare our solutions to those obtained with heuristics designed to mimic current operations, and show that a savings of between 5 and 20% can be gained from using our solution procedure.

98/02486 Significance of structural and chemical changes in metamorphic coals in the formation of geological discharge hazard : Frolkov, G. D. et al. Bezop. Tr. Prom-sti., 1997, (1), 23–30 (In Russian)

The waxed cardboard cartons used to prevent a loss of box strength during high humidity export shipments in intermodal sea containers have been banned in Europe because the boxes cannot be recycled. They have been replaced with laminated water-resistant recyclable paperboard boxes (Solidboard), and with plastic boxes. International Paper’s Climaseries or Interstate Container’s GreencoatTM cardboard boxes are impregnated with wax alternatives that make them recyclable and water resistant or waterproof. They have replaced waxed cardboard boxes in the United States. Any of these box types should prevent the weight loss caused by water condensation in nonwaxed cardboard boxes during hypobaric storage. Vented open-topped waterproof plastic bins are now used to reduce floral water loss when roses and other flower types are stored in Vivafresh hypobaric warehouses. To minimize commodity water loss during LP storage, heat transfer by radiation and convection from the vacuum chamber’s wall to commodity present in storage boxes must be prevented by keeping the plant matter warmer than the wall. Then the only heat available to evaporate commodity water is the small amount of respiratory heat produced at a low pressure. This requirement is readily satisfied in a hypobaric warehouse in which the humidity is brought to supersaturation by a combination of mechanical humidification and commodity transpiration. In a VacuFresh hypobaric intermodal container the venturi pneumatic air horn emits 97% RH low-pressure air around boxes at the door end, and this is not a high enough RH to prevent an excessive commodity water loss. At a 0°C storage temperature a polyethylene liner in the box only needs to warm the commodity in a door-end box by 0.5–1.0°C to increase the RH within the liner by 3.7–7.5%. A temperature rise of this magnitude easily saturates the microclimate around plant matter in door-end boxes and minimizes its water loss.

98/02487 Solid combustible agent for removing soot and tar from chimneys : Boinet, O. and Faijon, T. Fr. Demande FR 2,749,855 (Cl. C10L10/06), 19 Dec 1997, Appl. 96/12,365, 10 Oct 1996; 11 pp. (In French)

The waxed cardboard cartons used to prevent a loss of box strength during high humidity export shipments in intermodal sea containers have been banned in Europe because the boxes cannot be recycled. They have been replaced with laminated water-resistant recyclable paperboard boxes (Solidboard), and with plastic boxes. International Paper’s Climaseries or Interstate Container’s GreencoatTM cardboard boxes are impregnated with wax alternatives that make them recyclable and water resistant or waterproof. They have replaced waxed cardboard boxes in the United States. Any of these box types should prevent the weight loss caused by water condensation in nonwaxed cardboard boxes during hypobaric storage. Vented open-topped waterproof plastic bins are now used to reduce floral water loss when roses and other flower types are stored in Vivafresh hypobaric warehouses. To minimize commodity water loss during LP storage, heat transfer by radiation and convection from the vacuum chamber’s wall to commodity present in storage boxes must be prevented by keeping the plant matter warmer than the wall. Then the only heat available to evaporate commodity water is the small amount of respiratory heat produced at a low pressure. This requirement is readily satisfied in a hypobaric warehouse in which the humidity is brought to supersaturation by a combination of mechanical humidification and commodity transpiration. In a VacuFresh hypobaric intermodal container the venturi pneumatic air horn emits 97% RH low-pressure air around boxes at the door end, and this is not a high enough RH to prevent an excessive commodity water loss. At a 0°C storage temperature a polyethylene liner in the box only needs to warm the commodity in a door-end box by 0.5–1.0°C to increase the RH within the liner by 3.7–7.5%. A temperature rise of this magnitude easily saturates the microclimate around plant matter in door-end boxes and minimizes its water loss.

Radio-Frequency Identification Applications in Construction Industry

This paper provides information on radio-frequency identification (RFID) and its potential applications in the construction industry. RFID involves the use of miniature read/write transponders that are capable of storing data in harsh environments. These transponders can be used in situations where optical scanning is not practical because vision is blocked or because labels fall off or become unreadable due to dust, dirt, or other contaminants. The technology is currently used in several applications outside the construction industry (e.g., reading meters, preventing theft of store merchandise, tracking railroad cars and intermodal freight containers, collecting tolls, and performing agricultural and animal research), and is seen as having potential in the construction industry. Potential construction applications for RFID technology discussed here include concrete processing and handling, cost coding for labor and equipment, and materials control. Conceptual design systems for these applications are also considered and developed. Discussion of limitations of RFID technology for construction applications include proximity of equipment, nearby metallic objects, costs, and workforce attitudes. Conclusions are drawn regarding possible future impacts on construction industry.

Design and performance of insulated and refrigerated ISO intermodal containers

The various types of intermodal containers available which can be used for temperature-controlled transportation of perishables are described. Details are given of typical performance of modern equipment, including thermal performance, air movement, and temperature control. Likely rates of temperature change and ranges of temperature are indicated for various operating conditions. Likely future developments are considered.

The promise of air cargo—system aspects and vehicle design

A review of the current operation of the air cargo system and a discussion of the prospects for the future indicate that if technological innovations can be brought to maturity and implemented, and if the efficiency of the interface with the surface mode can be improved, the air mode would show an unprecedented growth. Air cargo demand is forecasted to increase in a dynamic manner. Estimates vary between 11–16%/yr between now and the 1990s. These forecasts convervatively indicate a fourfold increase in air cargo traffic between 1975 and 1985. Specialized, advanced terminals will be required to support the air cargo system of the future. A synergetic approach is imperative. Intermodal containers, automated handling systems and computerized control and billing may be key ingredients. Farsighted planning for tomorrow's air freight center is in evidence; the town of Coalinga, California, is studying the system requirements and the potential benefit of serving as a worldwide aerial trade center. Other nations, particularly in Europe, are seriously considering a freight distribution network using advanced freighter aircraft. NASA and industry studies indicate that large gains in aircraft payload and fuel efficiency are possible from the application of advanced technologies and configuration concepts. Recent results have indicated that for containerized payloads exceeding about 0.3 Gg (600,000 lb), the spandistributed-load concept provides savings in operating costs over advanced fuselage-loaded designs. The distributed-load concept benefits from reduced bending material and from part commonality.