Cooling system and methods for cooling interior volumes of cargo trailers

A monitoring system for use in controlling a temperature within an interior volume of a cargo trailer adapted to transport perishable goods, the cargo trailer including a fluid distribution assembly for channeling a flow of cryogenic cooling fluid into the interior volume to facilitate adjusting the temperature within the interior volume, a ventilation assembly including a fan assembly coupled to an opening extending through the cargo trailer to couple the interior volume in fluid communication with ambient air, and a cargo access assembly coupled to a sidewall of the cargo trailer and positioned adjacent to an access door of the cargo trailer to limit access into the interior volume of the cargo trailer, the monitoring system comprising:

• a plurality of sensors including a position sensor configured to sense a position of the access door, a temperature sensor configured to sense a temperature within the interior volume of the cargo trailer, and a first oxygen sensor and a second oxygen sensor mounted within the cargo trailer for sensing a level of oxygen within the interior volume of the cargo trailer;
• a display device mounted to the interior surface of the cargo trailer and including a graphical user interface;
• and
• a controller coupled to the plurality of sensors, the display device, the fluid distribution assembly, the ventilation assembly, and the cargo access assembly, the controller including a processor programmed to:
• detect the access door being moved to an open position and operate the ventilation assembly to channel ambient air into the cargo trailer interior volume;
• receive a signal from the display device indicating a request from an operator to access the interior volume of the cargo trailer;
• receive a first sensed oxygen level from the first oxygen sensor and a second sensed oxygen level from the second oxygen sensor;
• receive a sensed temperature from the temperature sensor;
• operate the cargo access assembly in an unlocked position to allow access into the interior volume upon determining the first sensed oxygen level and the second sensed oxygen level are within a predefined range of oxygen levels and the sensed temperature is greater than a predefined temperature;
• and
• operate the cargo access assembly in a locked position to restrict access to the interior volume and providing a notification signal to the operator upon determining the first sensed oxygen level and the second sensed oxygen level are not within the predefined range of oxygen levels or the sensed temperature is less than the predefined temperature;
• wherein, the cargo access assembly includes:
• a latch assembly coupled to an interior surface of the cargo trailer and including an electromechanical safety lock solenoid configure to operate between the locked position and the unlocked position;
• and
• a safety locking member removably coupled to the latch assembly, the safety locking member including a cable assembly extending between opposing sidewalls of the cargo trailer and configured to facilitate preventing the operator from entering the interior volume, wherein the safety locking member is coupled to the latch assembly in the locked position and decoupled from the latch assembly in the unlocked position.

A method of controlling a temperature within an interior volume of a cargo trailer, the cargo trailer including a fluid distribution assembly for channeling a flow of cryogenic cooling fluid into the cargo trailer interior volume, a ventilation assembly including a fan assembly coupled to an opening extending through the cargo trailer to couple the interior volume in fluid communication with ambient air, a cargo access assembly coupled to a sidewall of the cargo trailer and positioned adjacent to an access door of the cargo trailer to limit access into the interior volume of the cargo trailer, and a monitoring system including a plurality of sensors, a display device mounted to an interior surface of the cargo trailer and including a graphical user interface, and a controller, the method comprising the controller performing the steps of:

• receiving a signal from a position sensor indicating the access door being moved to an open position and responsively operate the ventilation assembly to channel ambient air into the interior volume;
• receiving a signal from the display device indicating a request from an operator to access the interior volume of the cargo trailer;
• receiving a first monitoring signal from a first oxygen sensor indicative of a first sensed oxygen level within the cargo trailer;
• receiving a second monitoring signal from a second oxygen sensor indicative of a second sensed oxygen level within the cargo trailer;
• receiving a third monitoring signal from a temperature sensor indicative a sensed temperature within the interior volume of the cargo trailer;
• operating the cargo access assembly in an unlocked position to allow access into the interior volume upon determining the first sensed oxygen level and the second sensed oxygen level are within a predefined range of oxygen levels and the sensed temperature is greater than a predefined temperature;
• and
• operating the cargo access assembly in a locked position to restrict access to the interior volume and providing a notification signal to the operator upon determining the first sensed oxygen level does not match the second sensed oxygen level are not within the predefined range of oxygen levels or the sensed temperature is less than the predefined temperature;
• wherein, the cargo access assembly includes:
• a latch assembly coupled to an interior surface of the cargo trailer and including an electromechanical safety lock solenoid configure to operate between the locked position and the unlocked position;
• and
• a safety locking member removably coupled to the latch assembly, the safety locking member including a cable assembly extending between opposing sidewalls of the cargo trailer and configured to facilitate preventing the operator from entering the interior volume, wherein the safety locking member is coupled to the latch assembly in the locked position and decoupled from the latch assembly in the unlocked position.