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Ancient refrigerators

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Rich D

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Jan 7, 2021, 11:43:04 PM1/7/21
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How did they make ice, in the days before electricity?

And did they figure it out empirically, prior to the
development of thermodynamic theory?

—
Rich

RosemontCrest

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Jan 8, 2021, 7:10:39 AM1/8/21
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https://duckduckgo.com/?q=invention+of+ice+maker&t=opera&ia=web

https://www.theclassroom.com/the-history-of-ice-makers-12212570.html

That was easy.

Rich D

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Jan 10, 2021, 6:00:11 PM1/10/21
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On January 8, 2021, RosemontCrest wrote:
> > How did they make ice, in the days before electricity?
> > And did they figure it out empirically, prior to the
> > development of thermodynamic theory?
>
> https://duckduckgo.com/?q=invention+of+ice+maker&t=opera&ia=web

???
THAT page is your idea of a helpful answer?
Retorting “unbelievable!” is a wild understatement.

> https://www.theclassroom.com/the-history-of-ice-makers-12212570.html

Offers nothing regarding the innards of the ice makers.
Nor addresses the question of whether the inventors were
educated in thermodynamic theory.

> That was easy.

Indeed, brainlessly typing keywords into Google, then copying
URL of pages you didn’t read, is never difficult.

—
Rich

RosemontCrest

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Jan 18, 2021, 6:25:29 PM1/18/21
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You're welcome. What did your research reveal?

Jon Elson

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Feb 18, 2021, 9:44:25 PM2/18/21
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Rich D wrote:

> How did they make ice, in the days before electricity?
>
In the early days, they cut it out of frozen lakes and rivers and stored it
in ice houses insulated with thick layers of hay.

> And did they figure it out empirically, prior to the
> development of thermodynamic theory?
Mechanical refrigeration was developed about 1850, but took a while to
become widely commercially available. I think the physics was pretty well
understood by that time.

Jon

Jim Jackson

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Feb 19, 2021, 12:57:21 PM2/19/21
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On 2021-02-19, Jon Elson <el...@pico-systems.com> wrote:
> Rich D wrote:
>
>> How did they make ice, in the days before electricity?

Electricity? I once lived in a house with no electricity supply. We used
a Kerosene fridge. I believe there are also propane fridges.

>>
> In the early days, they cut it out of frozen lakes and rivers and stored it
> in ice houses insulated with thick layers of hay.

Usually a deep hole in the ground, often an impressive stone/brick
superstructure over over the top, and a trap corridor with doors each
end to keep any heat out.

There was also a trade in ice from areas where it was cold.

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_trade

>
>> And did they figure it out empirically, prior to the
>> development of thermodynamic theory?
> Mechanical refrigeration was developed about 1850, but took a while to
> become widely commercially available. I think the physics was pretty well
> understood by that time.

making ice on a commercial scale came well before home fridges - mostly
the ice was for the fish and meat trade, but you could buy in blocks of
ice for domestic use.

There is a pretty good history here ...

https://www.reddyice.com/blogs/detail/ID/12/the-chilling-history-of-ice
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