History of things
"Food Freshness at the Price of Two Cars",
or How the Refrigerator Was Invented
We are launching a new column where we will share interesting facts from the history of the creation of washing machines, refrigerators, and other household appliances.
The first prototype of the modern refrigerator is considered to be the primitive refrigerator by Thomas Moore. This American entrepreneur was engaged in delivering butter from rural areas to Washington. In 1803, to prevent the butter from spoiling on the road, Thomas created and patented a box made of steel sheets, wrapped the construction with rabbit fur, and placed it in a box with ice. This resulted in a giant thermos capable of cooling the delicate product during transportation.
John Gorrie, an American specialist in tropical diseases working at a hospital in Florida, designed a mechanism in 1844 to cool the air in hospital rooms. He aimed to combat malaria. In essence, he developed the basic principle of refrigeration, in which a gas or liquid compressed by a compressor is cooled as it passes through a special device – a coil.
After the London Industrial Exhibition in 1862, dozens of refrigerated ice-making machines by French scientists Ferdinand and Edmond Carré were installed in Parisian cafes to produce ice and ice cream. The machines ran on ammonia vapor and produced up to 200 kilograms of ice per hour. These refrigerators didn’t have a compressor and needed to be heated like a stove with wood, coal, or kerosene.
John Gorrie, an American specialist in tropical diseases working at a hospital in Florida, designed a mechanism in 1844 to cool the air in hospital rooms. He aimed to combat malaria. In essence, he developed the basic principle of refrigeration, in which a gas or liquid compressed by a compressor is cooled as it passes through a special device – a coil.
After the London Industrial Exhibition in 1862, dozens of refrigerated ice-making machines by French scientists Ferdinand and Edmond Carré were installed in Parisian cafes to produce ice and ice cream. The machines ran on ammonia vapor and produced up to 200 kilograms of ice per hour. These refrigerators didn’t have a compressor and needed to be heated like a stove with wood, coal, or kerosene.
Ferdinand and Edmond Carré's refrigeration machine.
The first refrigeration machines of the late 19th and early 20th centuries were bulky and noisy. The usable chamber made up only one-fifth of the appliance, and a separate room was needed for the compressor (if there was one). The refrigerants used (ether, ammonia, sulfuric gas) and sulfuric acid formed when dissolved in water were poisonous, corrosive, or flammable. It was impossible to use such equipment in a home.
The first home refrigerator appeared in 1913. Inventor Fred Wolf took into account all the developments of previous decades and created a unit with a closed refrigerant circulation system powered by an electrically driven compressor. The refrigerator was named DOMELRE, or DOMestic ELectric REfrigerator. It cost $900, equivalent to two Ford cars. This marked the beginning of the era of household refrigerator production.
The first home refrigerator appeared in 1913. Inventor Fred Wolf took into account all the developments of previous decades and created a unit with a closed refrigerant circulation system powered by an electrically driven compressor. The refrigerator was named DOMELRE, or DOMestic ELectric REfrigerator. It cost $900, equivalent to two Ford cars. This marked the beginning of the era of household refrigerator production.
A 1916 DOMELRE condenser, evaporator, and motor are installed on the first floor of the headquarters of the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) in Atlanta.
For over 200 years, scientists, engineers, and industrialists from various countries and continents have been working on the challenge of keeping food fresh for extended periods, improving models, and searching for new materials. And now, we continue their work.
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