Investigation of Vaccine Cold Storage and Transport Containers Integrated With Phase Change Material and Vacuum Insulation Panels

ABSTRACT The global expansion of cold‐chain logistics underscores the critical need for reliable thermal management of temperature‐sensitive vaccines, a challenge that demands synergistic, multidimensional approaches integrating material innovation, structural design, and operational conditions. This study adopts a systematic research strategy combining theoretical modeling, numerical simulation, and experimental validation to investigate the thermal performance of a passive vaccine storage box integrating a custom‐formulated composite phase change material (PCM) with vacuum insulation panels (VIPs). The consistent results from these three methodologies reveal that the spatial arrangement of PCM panels profoundly affects temperature uniformity and insulation duration, with the top‐bottom configuration achieving the longest effective insulation time of 57.24 h, 17% longer than the least effective side placement—while all designs exceeded the 48 h benchmark. The synergy between VIPs (ultra‐low conductivity) and PCM (high latent heat) establishes a unified mechanism wherein the VIP minimizes steady‐state heat gain and the PCM buffers transient loads, together enabling extended, stable temperature control. This integrated system‐level approach provides a validated framework for designing efficient, reliable passive cold‐chain solutions, advancing both fundamental heat‐transfer science and practical global health logistics.