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160 Comments
- DickyT83, on 09/21/2008, -4/+120E=MCold Beer^2
- CYR1X, on 09/21/2008, -2/+95And it takes us 78 years to try this? I mean if Einstein is on to something, I think we should try it.
- bwdd, on 09/21/2008, -0/+75The only thing Einstein can't do is stay alive when we need him.
- deff, on 09/21/2008, -3/+65Tired of heading down to the basement for a late night snack?
- inactive, on 09/21/2008, -8/+50*****, stop referring to freon as "freons" - it's a substance, not some scary floating gang of particles that's going to kill you the second it escapes into the atomosphere.
- wiggles, on 09/21/2008, -2/+39Anyone ever seen 'The Mosquito Coast'?
- tacojohn48, on 09/21/2008, -1/+31That is why we need to clone him. Then we can find out the nurture versus nature thing. Only problem is what if he gets mad, we would all die.
- sarcasm, on 09/21/2008, -0/+25*****'s response: Actually "freons" is correct. Freon is not "a substance" but rather refers to many substances that make up the Freon product line from DuPont.
- Dumbledorito, on 09/21/2008, -1/+26It makes you wonder how many other 'abandoned' inventions are just waiting to be re-discovered and made super-efficient by replacing one impractical part with what's now common technology.
- brentinkc, on 09/21/2008, -0/+24EINSTEIN SMASH!!!
- inactive, on 09/21/2008, -0/+23because he'd hulk out?
- ChayD, on 09/21/2008, -0/+22FTA:"The design was partly used in the first domestic refrigerators, but the technology was abandoned when more efficient compressors became popular in the 1950s."
Abandoned? This is still how some caravan (RV) fridges work. They're very flexible in that you can run them off mains voltage, car batteries or even butane gas (in fact anything that can generate heat to keep the cycle going)
Edit: Hmm, actually slightly different, read more about it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absorption_refrigerat ... - SubjectiveC, on 09/21/2008, -3/+23Must Einstein hog all the genius? Nowadays, you can't even grab a cool one without being reminded of what a failure you are when compared to the world's brightest mind.
- polalion, on 09/21/2008, -0/+20But the real question is: Will it protect me from a nuke if I hide in it?
- warsongs7, on 09/21/2008, -1/+21Blame your parents for making the freon based fridges more popular.
- Ransack, on 09/21/2008, -1/+19It still needs a pump which means it need electricity. The article says it will use solar power. Which is fine, but thats still electricity.
- petard, on 09/21/2008, -0/+14@thcobbs
Tesla COILS not towers - tacojohn48, on 09/21/2008, -1/+14I think Tesla might have had a good share of the genius too.
- dotcom101010, on 09/21/2008, -1/+14i thought they did not use freon any more
- thcobbs, on 09/21/2008, -3/+14What? Is it going to clean the kitchen for you if it leaks?
- pixelguru, on 09/21/2008, -1/+11Headline makes it sound like it doesn't require electricity. It does, but they're trying to run it on solar, so only cold beer when the sun is out I suppose.
- grumpyrain, on 09/21/2008, -0/+10Furthermore, it is a closed cycle. Under normal operations of the fridge or AC, the stuff does not escape into the atmosphere (and if it does, it becomes ineffective and you need to get it "re-gassed'). That is not to say we shouldn't be doing what we can to make fridges more efficient.
- kovac9478, on 09/21/2008, -4/+14now my sperm can be kept next to my couch.... not in the basement
- LucasVB, on 09/21/2008, -2/+12Einstein's design required ammonia, and that could be dangerous. Nowdays we have safer stuff to fill it with.
- thcobbs, on 09/21/2008, -1/+11What no one seems to be mentioning what could be the real energy-saver/green-advance is using this as the air conditioner in passenger vehicles.
Right now, most compressors are run by the automobile motor's rotational energy... sapping energy and using it to cool the passengers. Now, in electric cars, that's not an option really and the AC is driven by the power-source.... depleting it faster.
Now, if you had an air conditioner that didn't require a power source from the electric car's power source... BOOM! range/speed upgrade. Making the cars more practical just by keeping the passengers cool. - inactive, on 09/21/2008, -0/+9yeah, so much more dangerous than the other home appliances that run on gas...
- Murphys, on 09/21/2008, -0/+9BOOM! is right. It uses butane and ammonia. First explosion, then asphyxiation..
- skaspud, on 09/21/2008, -5/+14dugg for pun in the title.
- kingofspandex, on 09/21/2008, -3/+12When you close the door, does it break the speed of light?
- thcobbs, on 09/21/2008, -1/+9They still use freon. They just use a more "environmentally friendly" one.
- LimeParrot, on 09/21/2008, -0/+7I have a theory but it's radical and highly unstable...
...
Could Einstein kill Chuck Norris? - paperclips4u, on 09/21/2008, -0/+7Einstein was a genius. People like Szilard should be recognized more than they are. How many people know who invented MRI technology off the top of their head?
- LimeParrot, on 09/21/2008, -0/+7My mum just looked confused.
- hilo4321, on 09/21/2008, -0/+7what the hell is the point of not wetting your brush? you can wet your toothbrush with a ***** half ounce of water...
- caracter2, on 09/21/2008, -0/+7I read the book. It is one of my favourite pieces of literature. This reminded me of that giant cooler too!
- xrmb, on 09/21/2008, -1/+7I'm not a very smart man, but that sounds to me like a perpetual mobile... or will the door open/close mechanism generate them? what about the lights inside, how are they not going to use energy?
Why do I understand Einsteins relativity theory but not his fridge? - Otto, on 09/21/2008, -0/+6Actually, you've got it backwards. Einstein's fridge mechanism is fairly inefficient, in that it takes a lot more energy input to achieve the same results. A normal compressor based fridge is way more efficient. However, it still has two advantages:
1. It's a closed system with no real moving parts. It'll last a long, long time.
2. The energy input is heat, which is generally waste from damn near anything else. You could have the waste heat from your AC unit powering the thing. Or power it using solar mechanisms to direct heat from the sun to the input unit. Or whatever, heat energy is basically free if you do it right. - thcobbs, on 09/21/2008, -3/+9Don't I know it! His damn towers are a real bitch when you're trying to get an engineer into the construction center.
- xptweakerntn, on 09/21/2008, -0/+6The signed Indy version will.
- bluekangaroo, on 09/21/2008, -0/+6Ammonia gas is very toxic
http://msds.chem.ox.ac.uk/AM/ammonia_anhydrous.htm ...
The Einstein refrigerator was designed after a family in Berlin was killed by fumes from a leaking seal in a refrigerator. The Einstein design had the advantage of no moving parts and no seals to wear out and leak. - Brododium, on 09/21/2008, -0/+5We're I'm from we call them 'Fearons'.
- jblen, on 09/21/2008, -0/+5Awesome movie! Ordering the book now to relive this adventure.
- ZutroyZuuts, on 09/21/2008, -0/+5Be honest. Did you think of this because of the fridge, or because Harrison Ford is getting his chest waxed for the rain forest at the bottom of the page?
- nosecohn, on 09/21/2008, -0/+5I think this guy's design is closer to production:
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/adam_grosser_an ... - fakekevinrose, on 09/21/2008, -1/+6a lot
you would not say "alittle" - kelmaster1, on 09/21/2008, -0/+5Yes, instead of mechanically compressing a refrigerant for cooling lets use a chemical refrigerator, they'll need recharging .
You know DuPont created Freon because ammonia was unsafe as a refrigerant. Both Freon and R-134a are not toxic to humans but ammonia is. Butane is a carcinogen and just as bad.
Judging from the schematics, it looks gravity head controls the pressure (since no energy input, has to come from somewhere), so car usage looks very impractical. - DickyT83, on 09/21/2008, -7/+11Ouch.
- bobbynoxious, on 09/21/2008, -2/+6Can someone explain to me how this is different from a kerosene fridge? No moving parts, no electricity, and I can go buy one today. Is kerosene really less green then butane?
- Dumbledorito, on 09/21/2008, -2/+6You're thinking of chlorine gas, which you get if you mix ammonia and bleach.
If ammonia was as toxic as you think, everyone who ever tried to empty a litter box would be worm food. - Crazy888, on 09/21/2008, -0/+4this idea would also be good for after disasters, remote areas and third world countries in places that have no access to infrastructure.
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