THE REFRIGERATOR

In 1834, Jacob Perkins, an American, invented the refrigerator in London. Edward DeBono writes, "In his British Patent Specification of 1834 he described the vapour compression cycle, in which cooling was produced by the evaporation of volatile fluids."12 Inventors.about.com describes the process of refrigeration as:
A refrigerator uses the evaporation of a liquid to absorb heat. The liquid, or refrigerant, used in a refrigerator evaporates at an extremely low temperature, creating freezing temperatures inside the refrigerator. It's all based on the following physics: - a liquid is rapidly vaporized (through compressions) - the quickly expanding vapor requires kinetic energy and draws the energy needed from the immediate area - which loses enrgy and becomes cooler. 13
These earlier refrigerators used toxic gasses such as ammonia to create a cooling effect. Because these gasses were lethal if inhaled, many comsumers died as a result of them. To remedy the problems of toxic gasses, freon was invented in the 1930s.14 Freon became the most popular form of coolant until the 1990s when legislation was passed banning the use. Trevor Willimas states that in the 1920s, the most popular refrigerators sold were the Frigidaire and the Kelvinator because they "employed an electric motor to drive the compressor."15 The mass production of refrigerators began in the 1940s after World War II.16 This created a massive market where companies such as GE and Frigidaire could supply refrigerators to the masses.

Refrigerators were first made of a wood cabinet and a water-cooled compressor. According to the History Channel, beginning in the 1920s, "steel and porcelain cabinets" emerged to replace the less effective wood cabinets. 17 Throughout the 1950s and '60s, household refrigerators were improved to better suit consumers. The History Channel states that additions to the refrigerator such as "automatic defrost and automatic ice makers" were created to make refrigerators easier to use and required less maintenance. Modern advances in technology have improved the refrigerator to become more environmentally friendly. According to the History Channel, today, refrigerators are "more energy efficient."18 Many different styles of refrigerators have emerged. They now dispense water and ice right on the refrigerator door. With future technological advances, the refrigerator will continue to be improved to make life more easier.