Document Type

Restricted Campus Only

Publication Date

4-28-2026

Abstract

Transporting wine presents several challenges for consumers and wine enthusiasts. Wine is highly sensitive to environmental conditions, particularly from changes in temperature and physical shock, both of which can either degrade the quality of the wine or cause permanent damage to it. Existing wine transport options are often expensive, single-use, poorly insulated, or not compliant with airline regulations. This project was adapted from a previous Senior Design Project in 2019 that created a preliminary wine suitcase with insulation and foam inserts. The Wine Suitcase 2.0 improves upon this initial design by optimizing the subsystems, adding temperature sensing and spill containment systems, and scaling down to a smaller suitcase. The primary objectives were to maintain a stable internal temperature without active electronics, protect bottles from mechanical damage during transit, comply with airline size and safety regulations, and ensure reusability for repeated travel.

The final prototype of the Wine Suitcase 2.0 involves four subsystems that address these project objectives: the foam bottle compartments, temperature indicating labels, cut resistant spill containment bags, and a lightweight polycarbonate shell.

The polycarbonate shell provides a durable, carry-on–sized structure that withstands handling stresses and protects the wine bottles from impact according to the ASTM Durability Test. The suitcase also meets the required airline size constraints according to the Weight Test. The H95 foam bottle compartments securely hold six 750 mL bottles of varying sizes and shapes according to the Capacity Test. The 8 mm cut-resistant Ziploc-style bag effectively contains both wine spills and glass shards in the event of bottle failure, while permanent temperatureindicating labels alert the user when the bottles exceed a 77°F threshold for 30 minutes, all without the use of active electronics, as validated through Spill Containment and Temperature Sensor Tests, respectively. Finally, the Insulation Test showed that the suitcase can keep all internal bottle temperatures below 77°F for over 30 minutes, exceeding the required duration for safe transport.

However, some limitations remain. Although the chemical indicators provide maximum temperature exposure data, they do not offer continuous monitoring or precise temperature tracking. Additionally, there is room to improve size configurability of the foam molds to accommodate different bottle shapes more effectively.

In summary, the wine suitcase prototype demonstrates a practical, cost-effective, and airlinecompliant solution for safe wine transport by successfully meeting all five project objectives. In doing so, it addresses the core challenges faced by wine consumers and provides a strong foundation for a wine suitcase for further development and potential commercialization.

Comments

Team Advisor: Dr. Keith Bartels, Institute Engineer at SwRI

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