Innovative Product/Technology - The Refrigerator

Refrigerator

In the culinary industry, I think that one of the most important inventions is the refrigerator.

HISTORY OF THE REFRIGERATOR

The Greeks, Romans and Hebrews used the earliest forms of refrigeration which was called an ice house.  These were rooms which blocks of ice were stored in to keep items cold.  In 1802, Thomas Moore created an icebox to keep dairy products cold during transportation.  He patented his invention the "refrigerator" in 1803.

In 1834, Jacob Perkins built the first working vapor-compressed refrigeration system.  His prototype worked but did not succeed commercially.

In 1876, Carl von Linde patented the process of liquefying gas that became part of the basic technology for a refrigerator.

In 1913, the first electric refrigerator for households was invented by Fred W. Wolf.  It was called the Domelre or the DOMestic ELectric REfrigerator.  Wolf's model did not sell well and was a flop.

In 1927, General Electric made the "Monitor-Top" which was the first refrigerator.  A million units were produced.  These refrigerators used either sulphur dioxide or methyl formate as a refrigerant.  In the 1920s, electric fridges were mainly owned by the wealthy and costing around $1,000 US.  By 1935 the cost of refrigerators had dropped and sales grew up to 6 million.

Energy Guide for Fridges

Today's Refrigerators

Mass production of modern refrigerators began after World War II.  By 1950 more than 90% of American households had a refrigerator.  The focus then was on design and pastel colours, turquoise and pink.  In the 1970s, the focus on refrigerators turned to energy-efficient units.  Recently we have seen new technology added to refrigerators, like Wi-Fi, ice makers, water dispensers, and cameras.

I think that the refrigerator falls under the categories of innovative technology and product.  The refrigerator is a product that has evolved over the years and improved its technology.  The refrigerator began with Thomas Moore's idea and others have improved on it creating what we have today.  The refrigerator we have today was accomplished by the efforts of multiple inventors trying to improve on someone's idea.

The refrigerator is important because it is the product that keeps our food from spoiling faster.  We are able to store raw food and cooked food in it for consumption a few days later.  Refrigeration has improved how food is transported from one area to another.  With refrigerated trucks farmers can ship their products long distances with little to no fear of spoilage.  Consumers are able to get fresh produce and buy in bulk because of the refrigerator.

How has the refrigerator affected my life?  Well to be honest, the refrigerator has always been in my life and it would be hard to live without it.  My family is able to buy fruits and vegetables and store it in the fridge for one or more weeks.  When we buy frozen food, the refrigerator's freezer will keep the food frozen for months so that we can use it at a later date.  If we cook meals ahead or have left overs we are able to store the food in the fridge and have it to eat later in the week.  When I was younger our fridge did break down and everything that was in it spoiled.  That week without a fridge was hard but harder on my parents.  During that week that we waited for our fridge to be fixed, there were no cold beverages in the house, any meals had to be eaten that night or thrown away (it wouldn't keep overnight) and there was a lot of  buying take out happening.  There are people in the world that do not have refrigerators but to go from having one to not having one would be extremely hard.

References

www.pixels.com

www.materials.sandvik/en/campaigns/fridge-of-the-future/the-history-of-the-refrigerator