TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: Re: Gas Refrigerator (was 25 Hz Power)

Re: Gas Refrigerator (was 25 Hz Power)

DLR (news22@raleighthings.com)
Sun, 12 Mar 2006 05:19:07 -0500

Dave Grebe wrote:

>> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: A water cooler with a DC motor is
>> interesting; but did you ever see a _refrigerator_ powered by -gas-
>> rather than -electricity-? I had one of those in a long since for-
>> gotten apartment in Chicago back in the 1960's. No motor of course, no
>> compressor, etc, but it was a refrigerator, freezer, etc, and I think
>> (cannot remember for sure) it was manufactured by 'Frigidaire
>> Company'. Totally silent of course. I have no idea how it worked; if
>> I ever knew, I have since forgotten. PAT]

> I encountered a gas refrigerator on a trip out West back in 1966 or
> so. The place we stayed had only recently got AC power so the gas
> refrigerator made sense. It seemed to be cold and freeze water just
> like any other refrigerator. Being 9 or 10 years old at the time I
> was fascinated that a device could be built that could make cold using
> only a flame. My dad had seen such things before and was not surprised,
> he told me there were even kerosene refrigerators at one time.

> Anyway Google "absorption cycle" if you want to know the history and
> how it works. Here's one example:

> http://www.robur.it/us/pag_technology_history.jsp

> Sorry, can't think of any way to tie this back to telecom. Never
> heard of a gas phone.

"This Old House" showed a gas power "AC" unit from the late 1700s early
1800s a while back in Savannah (I think). It was basically a cupola with
a ring of flame from gas that when running would create an updraft and
pull air throughout the entire house. Quite a bit of air as I recall.
One of those "outside the box" designs where you use fire in the summer
to cool a building. :)

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