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Before understanding the aspects of commercial refrigeration, we need to understand what refrigeration is is all about. It is the process where work is done to remove the heat from one place to another. This transportation of work is driven by mechanical work, but it can also be driven by electricity, magnetism, laser and other means. It is applied in multiple places and is not limited to household appliances, industrial freezers, air conditioning, cryogenics, etc. The pumps would be used to remove the heat output. Designed to be reversible, these pumps act similar to the small refrigeration units. Ice harvesting Using ice to refrigerate and preserve food goes back since antiquity. To develop to the high-end commercial refrigeration like Skope Adelaide available today, there were innumerable experiments and prototypes that were conducted. The ancient cultures practiced the seasonal harvesting of snow and ice. The Chinese, Greeks, Persians and the Romans used to store ice in caves or dugouts. This was further insulated from materials like straw that would prevent the ice to melt. The Persians would use a pit called the yakchal to store ice. There was rationing of the ice in the warmer seasons to enable preservation of food. The practice prevailed through the centuries. The icehouses would remain in use until the 20th century. The 16th century saw the invention of chemical refrigeration. This was one of the first steps towards artificial means of refrigeration. The two chemicals used were sodium nitrate and potassium nitrate. Adding water would lower the water temperature and this helped in the creation of a refrigeration bath of cooling substances. This is still used to chill wine and cakes. First Refrigeration systems William Cullen conducted the first official method of artificial refrigeration. Doing this in the year 1756, he had constructed a partial vacuum over a container of diethyl ether. This was then boiled which was then absorbed heat from the surrounding air. The experiment was successful in creation of small amount of ice, but it had no practical application as such. In 1758, Benjamin Franklin and John Hadley came together to conduct an experiment that would analyse the evaporation would rapidly cool the object. They further conformed to the fact that evaporation of highly volatile liquids, like ether or alcohol, would actually drive the temperature down of the object below the freezing point of water. The year 1805 would see American inventor, Oliver Evans constructing a system that was based on the vapour compression refrigeration cycle. It did not use any chemical solution or volatile liquids. In the year, 1820 Michael Faraday liquefied ammonia for the first time by using higher pressure and low temperatures. Within a few years, in 1834 Jacob Perkins obtained the first patent to vapour compression refrigeration system. However, it failed miserably in the commercial market. In 1842, before the Skope Adelaide, John Gorrie, a first American physician designed the system that would refrigerate the water and produce ice. He would conceive the idea of using these systems to cool the inside air of homes and aid to comfort. It was also thought that cooling the air would prevent the spread of diseases. The machine was found to use steam engine to compress air before allowing the water to expand. However, Alexander Twinning is accredited to bring commercial refrigeration in USA in 1856. Today, huge refrigeration systems are available for both commercial purposes and residential usage. This depends on the need of the hour. Author Bio: Skope Adelaide is a type of commercial refrigeration available in the market today. To know more about the Skope Adelaide, click here.
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