REFRIGERATOR
Picture above is refrigerator from 1950, which for this model is made in England and assembled by Fisher & Paykel, one of New Zealand’s leading appliance manufacturers.
Source : Museum Of Transport And Technology (MOTAT),
Auckland
As we know, refrigerator is one of the most
essential electrical appliances in this 21st century to help
maintain and prolong the freshness of our valuable food product. Refrigerator is
one of the most affordable and safe way to preserve food without any additive
by using low temperature. Therefore, a study of refrigerator has been carried
out to investigate its evolution and social impact.
History of Refrigerator
Back
then before the refrigerator (freezer) have not been invent people use a lot of
method in preserved the food such as put ice and snow where can be found from
mountain or locally, cool streams, cave or cellar to prevent the grow of
bacteria, yeast and mold so their food can have long lasting period.
In
1000 B.C people in China use to cut and store ice. Where Hebrews, Greeks and
Romans places large amount of ice or snow inside the storage pit dug into the
ground and cover it with wood and straws (Jones, 1961, para. 1). Move to 500
B.C Egyptians and Indians used to made ice from the earthenware pots filled
with water and putting on the roof top then setting it out to the cool night.
Dorfman
(2011) state that “In 1748, Dr. William Cullen studied evaporation of liquid in
a vacuum and demonstrate the first artificial refrigeration at University of
Glasgow, but he did not, however do anything about it other than demonstrating
it” (para.3). In 1805, American investor, Oliver Evans designed the first
refrigeration machine that used vapor instead of liquid, but he never built the
machines. Until 1841, John Gorrie an American doctor from Florida used the
based operating design of Evans’ invention to build the first mechanical
refrigeration unit and cools the sickrooms in Florida hospital to cure yellow
fever patients. Because of his invention he granted to be first U.S. patent for
mechanical refrigeration in 1851. As today’s compression refrigeration system
operates on his basic principle of compressing gas, send through radiating
coils to cool it and then expanding it to lower temperature.
In
1856, James Harrison, known as an immigrant from Scotland living in Australia
developed the first ice making machine using ammonia and an ether (as coolant)
compression. It was used in the
brewing and meat packing industries of Geelong, Victoria. 3 years after, in 1859 Ferdinand Carré of France
improve with more complex system, the equipment contained rapidly expanding
ammonia. It were widely used cooling system at that time, however the cost,
size and time cooling, together with the toxicity produced from ammonia as the
coolant prevented it to be general use of refrigerator in the home(Jones, 1961,
para. 10).
In
the early of 19th century people in England used an icebox to keep
their food longer and cool the drinks: icebox was the first kitchen
refrigerator appearance in household and restaurant back then. Icebox is the
wooden box inside covered with tin or zinc and insulated with various type of
material such as sawdust, cork, and seaweed to hold blocks of ice and cool the
food. This icebox also installed with drip pan to collect water melt from the
ice and need to empty daily. The demand of ice was high at that time where ice
wagon can be seen familiarly on urban street, and when people need ice for the
icebox all they need just posted a sign “Ice Today” in the window and ice will
delivered to the house.
Picture of an icebox use to keep the food for longer
period and cool the drink.
Source: http://www.keepitcool.com/history_of_the_refrigerator2.htm
Come
to warm winter at 1889 and 1890 in United States it reduced the amount of
natural ice and also increase of pollution which becomes a health problem. As
the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-conditioning Engineers (n.d.)
mention “Good sources of ice were harder and harder to find. By the 1890’s, natural ice became a problem
because of pollution and sewage dumping”. This health issues first found in
brewing industry, after that meat packing and dairy industries come with the
same complaints. “This prompted the use of mechanical refrigeration for the
freezing and storage of fish and in the burgeoning brewing, dairy and meat
packing industries. Commercial refrigeration techniques were also applied to
railroad cars, "coolers" in grocery stores and in manufacturing”
(Drofman, 2011, para. 7).
Until
in 1911 General Electric Company released the first home refrigerator at Fort
Wayne, Indiana, which is designed by French monk. Later in 1915 Alfred Mellowes
introduces the Guardian refrigerator, it have self contained machines and
compressor installed at the bottom of the cabinet. This Guardian refrigerator
was assembled in a wash house at a Fort Wayne backyard. In 1916 Kelvinator
Company introduced two dozen home refrigerators into Unite State markets. This
type of refrigerator had compressor commonly driven by belts connected to motor
located at the basement while the cold box placed in the kitchen. By 1922
Kelvinator introduced the new model which is well known at that time, this
model consisted of a wooden cold box, water cooled compressor, an ice cube tray
and a 9 cubic foot (0.25 m3) compartment, and cost $714 (Wikipedia,
2012).
Video above showing TV commercial of Kelvinator refrigerator
Source : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqpIi0J2JiA
Source : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqpIi0J2JiA
The
General Electric produced Monitor Top refrigerator in 1927, it was the first
refrigerator to see widespread use. Monitor top refrigerator have compressor
assembly above the cabinet and surrounded with a decorative ring, which remove
a great deal of heat.
Monitor
Top refrigerator with a hermetically-sealed compressor mounted in a circular
unit on top
Source
: http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/images/I012/10240857.aspx
This
refrigerator used sulfur dioxide or methylformate as the refrigerant. However
this refrigerant (sulfur dioxide and methylformate) known as toxic gasses if
leaked, sulfur dioxide is corrosive to the eyes and cause loss of vision, and
painful skin burn; as the methylformate also harmful to the eyes, highly
flammable, and toxic if goes in our respiratory system and swallowed. Therefore
three American corporations combine together to do research and develop a less
dangerous refrigerant to use in the refrigerator, as their work result in
discovery of Freon. During 1930 the refrigerator market which used Freon as
refrigerant wells expand, it low toxic compare to previous one and provide a
safer use.
The
improvement of refrigerator keeps on moving; in 1950s to 1960s refrigerators
equip with other features such as automatic defrosting and automatic ice making
come out to market. In 1970s and 1980s more of efficient refrigerator develop
in concern of environment, which led to more energy efficiency refrigerators
and elimination of dangerous element in the system.
As
today we can see refrigerator become most used appliance for the society,
mostly every house have one refrigerator. Frozen foods become a common thing,
where previously it was a luxury item.
As
we can see at the graph above it showing the refrigeration production keeps
increasing from 1990 to 2000. By means the demand of refrigerator is keep
increasing time by time in few countries as state.
Source
: http://www.arap.org/docs/household.html
Societal
Impact
Refrigerator
was a really useful invention in the way of preserving and cool foods even
until now. Because of refrigerator it make people life easier to keep their
food fresh and last longer, not like at the past people need to store ice,
harvest ice, or even use the cool night to made an ice. When they want a cool
drink, they need put melting ice inside the reservoir or dig a hole and put in
the container in it, if no snow or ice then expose it outside at the cool
night. It was hard back then when people still use the natural way to
preserving and cool the food. As now we can have an ice cream and cool drink whenever we want,
just take it from freezer and also frozen entrees
With
refrigerator nowadays people can keep fresh food longer in the house, along
with modern supermarket allow most people purchase vegetables, fresh fruits and
meat. They do not require a garden or place to grow vegetables or fruits and
raise animals for their meats. Even without travel to any other country people
can enjoy the variety food from far off countries that have been imported by
using refrigeration. By having refrigerator allow people to buy food in
quantity, which purchase stuff in quantity saves more and they can take it at
time.
Even
though refrigerator give us such comfort and ease in keeping our food it still
having a bad affect. As in modern life there are frozen fast foods that can be
purchase everywhere in supermarket, it easy to cook, save time and can be store
in the refrigerator for a longer time. But not as easy to take cares our health,
this gives a bad impact on our body health. “While storing healthier foods for
longer times, more refrigerators and freezers are stocked with processed,
quick-cook foods that are less healthy. Studies that correlate frozen
(microwaved) foods and obesity have proven that access to easy meals leads to a
general decline in overall health” (Disease, 2010, para 3).
As video above briefly explain the way people store their in the healthy way (organic lifestyle)
Source : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKw1Sbq8_is&feature=related
Reference list
Dorfman.
(2011). The History of the Refrigerator: The Cold Truth and Hard Facts. Retrieved from http://www.housenotsobeautiful.com/Articles/icebox.html
Krasner. (n.d.). The Impact of Refrigeration. Retrieved
from http://www.history-magazine.com/refrig.html
Dulcinea
Media. (2012). The History of the Refrigerator: Staying Cool
Throughout the Ages. Retrieved from http://www.findingdulcinea.com/features/science/innovations/great-inventions/the-refrigerator.html
Conjecture
Corporation. (2003). What is The History
of Refrigerator? Retrieved from http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-the-history-of-the-refrigerator.htm#
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