Einstein refrigerator

Einsteins and Szilrds patent application.

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
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