The Einstein–Szilárd refrigerator is an absorption refrigerator invented in 1926 by Albert Einstein and his student Leó Szilárd. It has no moving parts, operates at a constant pressure using only a heat source, and was intended to provide a safer alternative to home refrigerators of the time. Einstein and Szilárd were granted 45 patents for three models. While not immediately mass produced, the design inspired modern developments aiming to provide refrigeration without electricity.
The Einstein–Szilárd refrigerator is an absorption refrigerator invented in 1926 by Albert Einstein and his student Leó Szilárd. It has no moving parts, operates at a constant pressure using only a heat source, and was intended to provide a safer alternative to home refrigerators of the time. Einstein and Szilárd were granted 45 patents for three models. While not immediately mass produced, the design inspired modern developments aiming to provide refrigeration without electricity.
The Einstein–Szilárd refrigerator is an absorption refrigerator invented in 1926 by Albert Einstein and his student Leó Szilárd. It has no moving parts, operates at a constant pressure using only a heat source, and was intended to provide a safer alternative to home refrigerators of the time. Einstein and Szilárd were granted 45 patents for three models. While not immediately mass produced, the design inspired modern developments aiming to provide refrigeration without electricity.
The Einstein–Szilárd refrigerator is an absorption refrigerator invented in 1926 by Albert Einstein and his student Leó Szilárd. It has no moving parts, operates at a constant pressure using only a heat source, and was intended to provide a safer alternative to home refrigerators of the time. Einstein and Szilárd were granted 45 patents for three models. While not immediately mass produced, the design inspired modern developments aiming to provide refrigeration without electricity.
The EinsteinSzilard or Einstein refrigerator is an absorption refrigerator which has no moving parts, oper- ates at constant pressure, and requires only a heat source to operate. It was jointly invented in 1926 by Albert Ein- stein and his former student Le Szilrd and patented in the US on November 11, 1930 (U.S. Patent 1,781,541). This is an alternative design from the original invention of 1922 by the Swedish inventors Baltzar von Platen and Carl Munters. 1 History From 1926 until 1933 Einstein and Szilrd collaborated on ways to improve home refrigeration technology. The two were motivated by contemporary newspaper reports of a Berlin family who had been killed when a seal in their refrigerator broke and leaked toxic fumes into their home. Einstein and Szilrd proposed that a device with- Annotated patent drawing. out moving parts would eliminate the potential for seal failure, and explored practical applications for dierent refrigeration cycles. Einstein used the experience he had gained during his years at the Swiss Patent Oce to apply for valid patents for their inventions in several countries, the two eventually being granted 45 patents in their names for three dierent models. It has been suggested that most of the actual invent- ing was performed by Szilrd, with Einstein merely act- ing as a consultant and helping with the patent-related paperwork. [1] The refrigerator was not immediately put into commer- cial production, the most promising of their patents being quickly bought up by the Swedish company Electrolux. A few demonstration units were constructed from other patents. 2 Operation The machine is a single-pressure absorption refrigerator, similar in design to a gas absorption refrigerator. The re- frigeration cycle uses ammonia pressure-equalizing uid, butane refrigerant, and water absorbing uid, has no mov- ing parts, and does not require electricity to operate, 1 2 7 EXTERNAL LINKS needing only a heat source, e.g. a small gas burner or elec- tric heating element or even solar energy. In an Einstein refrigerator with the standard working uids, a water-ow loop serves as an ammonia pump, and the ammonia-ow loop serves as a butane pump. Ammonia and water are suitable choices because ammonia is highly soluble in wa- ter and its solubility declines steeply with increasing tem- perature. Butane is a suitable choice for the refrigerant because it has a suitably low boiling point and is virtually insoluble in water. On the cold side of a conventional refrigerator, a re- frigerant evaporates at a temperature-dependent pressure, P(T). Evaporation absorbs heat from whatever is being cooled, and the vapor ows to a compressor. In an equivalent Einstein refrigerator, the refrigerant liquid evaporates at what is now a partial pressure P(T), mixing with a ow of ammonia vapor to form a gas with a total pressure near the system pressure: P + P = P. The mixture ows, not to a pump, but to an ammo- nia absorber. On the hot side of a conventional refrigerator, a compres- sor raises the pressure of the refrigerant vapor, enabling it to condense at a relatively high temperature to deliver heat to an external heat exchanger. On the hot side of an Einstein refrigerator, an ammonia absorber raises the partial pressure of the refrigerant vapor to accomplish the same result. The absorber works by removing ammonia vapor by dis- solving it in water. As this happens, the gas mixture ows to maintain the nearly constant pressure P, and as a con- sequence, the partial pressure of the refrigerant, P, can approach P. At this higher partial pressure, it can con- dense and deliver heat to an external heat convector, as in a conventional refrigerator. The condensed refrigerant liquid cannot dissolve in water and, in the case of butane, it will oat, making it easy to separate and return to the evaporator. Meanwhile, the ammonia/water solution ows to an ammonia generator, where the heat source that powers the refrigerator raises the temperature of the solution, driving out the ammonia and providing the ammonia vapor that is the other input to the evaporator. This is the operating principle of the system. Practical implementations include other elements, such as means for contacting liquids and vapors, and so forth. The Ein- stein refrigerator has been described as noiseless, inex- pensive to produce and durable. 3 Present day In September 2008 it was reported that Malcolm Mc- Culloch of Oxford University was heading a three-year project to develop more robust appliances that could be used in locales lacking electricity, and that his team had completed a prototype. He was quoted as saying that im- proving the design and changing the types of gases used might allow the designs eciency to be quadrupled. [2] 4 See also Refrigeration Refrigeration cycle Absorption refrigerator Rudolf Goldschmidt (for the EinsteinGoldschmidt hearing aid) Icy Ball Timeline of low-temperature technology 5 Notes [1] Dannen, Geene (1997), The EinsteinSzilard Re- frigerators, Scientic American 276 (1): 9095, doi:10.1038/scienticamerican0197-90 [2] Alok, Jha (21 September 2008). Einstein fridge design can help global cooling. The Guardian. 6 References Einstein, A., L. Szilrd, Refrigeration (Appl: 16 December 1927; Priority: Germany, 16 December 1926) U.S. Patent 1,781,541, 11 November 1930. Einstein, A., L. Szilrd, Accompanying notes and remarks for Pat. No. 1,781,541. Mandeville Spe- cial Collections Library USC. Box 35, Folder 3, 1927; 52 pages. Einstein, A., L. Szilrd, Improvements Relating to Refrigerating Apparatus. (Appl: 16 Decem- ber. 1927; Priority: Germany, 16 December 1926). Patent Number 282,428 (United Kingdom). Com- plete accept.: 5 November 1928. 7 External links Einstein`s No Electricity/No Freon Fridge Revived at Oxford Goettling, Gary extquotedblEinsteins Refrigerator extquotedbl. Completed project that works. Flanigan, Allen, extquotedblHistory and Philosophy of Science (German site) Wolfgang Engels from the University Oldenburg rebuilt the original concept the housing is manufactured out of concrete, i.e. the 3 total mass of the completed apparatus is around 400 kg with 20 kg of alcohol in the refrigeration cycle. The project was completed in 2005. Patent document US1781541 (European Patent Of- ce) Patent document GB282428 (European Patent Of- ce) How kerosene refrigerators work. Archived version of page. 4 8 TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES 8 Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses 8.1 Text Einstein refrigerator Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Einstein_refrigerator?oldid=620486961 Contributors: XJaM, SimonP, Heron, Cosmicforce, Michael Hardy, Reddi, Robertb-dc, Itai, Ed g2s, AlainV, Chris 73, Jredmond, Blainster, Tobias Bergemann, Giftlite, Tom harrison, Marcika, DO'Neil, Gzornenplatz, Edcolins, Mineminemine, Karol Langner, Jcm, Rich Farmbrough, Egregius, Roodog2k, Roy- Boy, Bobo192, Duk, Cmdrjameson, Jjk, Slicky, Jeltz, Gene Nygaard, Kupojsin, Wackyvorlon, Uncle G, Kelisi, PhilHoward, Waldir, Rjwilmsi, Avochelm, BradBeattie, DVdm, Hillman, DMahalko, Gaius Cornelius, Dialectric, Howcheng, Salmanazar, SmackBot, Franny Wentzel, Jerome Charles Potts, Audriusa, Xiner, Mion, ML5, P199, Tawkerbot2, Dricherby, Magioladitis, Jackson Peebles, MartinBot, Goingstuckey, Potatoswatter, Almazi, TXiKiBoT, P1h3r1e3d13, Malcolmxl5, Janopus, Napishtim, ClueBot, Arakunem, Lampak, BO- Tarate, Addbot, Glane23, Flatsh89, Lightbot, AnomieBOT, FrescoBot, OgreBot, Full-date unlinking bot, RjwilmsiBot, Salvio giuliano, Acather96, ZroBot, Susfele, Xanchester, ClueBot NG, Marsha Watson, 069952497a, Acetotyce, Jinkinson and Anonymous: 89 8.2 Images File:Einstein_Refrigerator.png Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/Einstein_Refrigerator.png License: Pub- lic domain Contributors: ? Original artist: ? File:Einstein_Refrigerator_pat1781541_clarified.jpg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/55/Einstein_ Refrigerator_pat1781541_clarified.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: http://www.google.com/patents?id=t0BRAAAAEBAJ&pg=PA1&source=gbs_selected_pages&cad=2#v=onepage&q&f=false Original artist: Einstein/Szilard with annotations by P. Brandon Malloy File:Question_book-new.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/99/Question_book-new.svg License: ? Contributors: Created from scratch in Adobe Illustrator. Based on Image:Question book.png created by User:Equazcion Original artist: Tkgd2007 8.3 Content license Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0