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Einstein Refrigerator

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Re: Einstein Refrigerator

#11

Post by gwbas1c »

AstralStorm wrote: post #10
tinus_hn wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

According to the article the patents were bought by Electrolux. It could be this was just to block this technology from being adopted.

No, it has been actually deployed and is commercially sold as heat recovery chiller. The problem is an much lower efficiency than compression refrigerators, some of which could be regained by tuning the liquids used in the system. That is not a problem when you're working with waste heat though. (E.g. solar thermal, recovery from solar concentrated, cogeneration, geothermal.) The other problem is that it has to be pe…

I thought this is how RV (propane) refrigerators work? Or, am I confusing this with a different, but similar system?

Re: Einstein Refrigerator

#12

Post by mhb »

SuoDuanDao wrote: post #8
madengr wrote: post #3

They received the equivalent of $10k for their patent. Doesn’t it cost about $25k today to file a patent?

I imagine Einstein, given his first job, could file a lot of the paperwork himself ;)

Einstein used the experience he had gained during his years at the Swiss Patent Office to apply for valid patents for their inventions in several countries. The two were eventually granted 45 patents in their names for three different models.

Re: Einstein Refrigerator

#13

Post by mhb »

gwbas1c wrote: post #11
AstralStorm wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, it has been actually deployed and is commercially sold as heat recovery chiller. The problem is an much lower efficiency than compression refrigerators, some of which could be regained by tuning the liquids used in the system. That is not a problem when you're working with waste heat though. (E.g. solar thermal, recovery from solar concentrated, cogeneration, geothermal.) The other problem is that it has to be pe…

I thought this is how RV (propane) refrigerators work? Or, am I confusing this with a different, but similar system?

Absorption refrigerators are commonly used in Recreational Vehicles (RVs), campers, and caravans because they can be powered with propane fuel, rather than electricity.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absorption_refrigerator

Re: Einstein Refrigerator

#14

Post by [deleted] »

AstralStorm wrote: post #10
tinus_hn wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

According to the article the patents were bought by Electrolux. It could be this was just to block this technology from being adopted.

No, it has been actually deployed and is commercially sold as heat recovery chiller. The problem is an much lower efficiency than compression refrigerators, some of which could be regained by tuning the liquids used in the system. That is not a problem when you're working with waste heat though. (E.g. solar thermal, recovery from solar concentrated, cogeneration, geothermal.) The other problem is that it has to be pe…

[deleted]

Re: Einstein Refrigerator

#15

Post by chmike »

madengr wrote: post #3

They received the equivalent of $10k for their patent. Doesn’t it cost about $25k today to file a patent?

Technically, filling a patent is cheap. Less than 1000$. What is expensive is elaborating the patent document which requires an expert. It's their fee that is expensive

Re: Einstein Refrigerator

#16

Post by abfan1127 »

I'm not sure, but RV refrigerators work the same way, by heating Ammonia (via propane usually). because the heat source is typically propane, its great for locations without electricity.

Re: Einstein Refrigerator

#18

Post by baybal2 »

gwbas1c wrote: post #11
AstralStorm wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, it has been actually deployed and is commercially sold as heat recovery chiller. The problem is an much lower efficiency than compression refrigerators, some of which could be regained by tuning the liquids used in the system. That is not a problem when you're working with waste heat though. (E.g. solar thermal, recovery from solar concentrated, cogeneration, geothermal.) The other problem is that it has to be pe…

I thought this is how RV (propane) refrigerators work? Or, am I confusing this with a different, but similar system?

You mean fridges that use propane as fuel or ones that use it as a freon?

Re: Einstein Refrigerator

#19

Post by ljp_206 »

_rkz1 wrote: post #6
jmiskovic wrote: post #2

This design is among many low-tech alternatives to modern appliances and processes mentioned in book The Knowledge: How to Rebuild Civilization in the Aftermath of a Cataclysm. It was not successful because of already established industry of refrigerators that were good enough. The book is excellent.

Thanks for the book, I'm adding it to my list

You may also enjoy How To Invent Everything[0], from the creator of SMBC Comics. The frame device is that it's a manual that comes with your time machine, only to be used if you get stranded. I thought it would be a fun flip-through but it's delightfully dense, with fun comments on when, where, and why you'd need want/need to invent something depending on "when" you get stranded in time.

0: https://www.howtoinventeverything.com/

Re: Einstein Refrigerator

#20

Post by abfan1127 »

timeattack wrote: post #17
abfan1127 wrote: post #16

I'm not sure, but RV refrigerators work the same way, by heating Ammonia (via propane usually). because the heat source is typically propane, its great for locations without electricity.

Looks like you're talking about https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icyball

it says its used in RV applications, but I don't see how the described system uses propane to heat a portion of the closed loop.
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