Having decided what shipping container to choose to transport your cargo, you have another task to do. You should think over the climatic conditions in the container as this is important for your cargo. Before considering this, pay attention to the main factors which have a decisive impact upon the microclimate in the container. They are: external climatic conditions, the cargo, the type of container. Having decided what shipping container to choose to transport your cargo, you have another task to do. You should think over the climatic conditions in the container as this is important for your cargo. Before considering this, pay attention to the main factors which have a decisive impact upon the microclimate in the container. They are: external climatic conditions, the cargo, the type of container.
External Climatic Conditions
The environment plays an important role and external climatic conditions have a decisive impact upon the climatic conditions inside containers. These are determined by the transport route, season and time of day and the current weather (rain, sunlight etc.). The following are factors that influence on container climate.
1. Temperature Conditions in the Container
The temperature outside influences on the container walls. And thus the temperatures in containers are primarily determined by heat exchange across the container walls. Good heat-transfer properties, especially through the steel walls, and the relatively large ratio of container surface area to container volume have a favorable impact in this respect. There are many factors that have influence on the external temperature: solar radiation, external air temperatures, wind and precipitation. Thus considerable temperature variation occurs inside the container. While raining, the container roof likewise cools more rapidly than, for example, the side walls, and the underside of the roof thus cools down most readily. And overheating of the air inside the container may be considerable even under normal weather conditions. But the variations in temperature of the cargo inside the container are less marked.
2. Humidity Conditions in the Container
Internal factors determine humidity conditions in the container. The prevailing conditions are largely determined by the hygroscopic characteristics of the cargo and its packaging. Otherwise, incoming outside air usually has no negative impact upon humidity. The temperature prevailing inside the container is generally higher than the outside temperature. That’s why, incoming air would also reduce relative humidity.