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Encyclopedia > Icebox
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The inside of a fridge
The inside of a fridge

A refrigerator (sometimes shortened to fridge) is an electrical appliance that uses refrigeration to help preserve food. A domestic refrigerator is present in 99.5% of American homes. It works using phase change heat pumps operating in a refrigeration cycle. An industrial refrigerator or industrial freezer is simply a refrigerator used in an industrial setting, usually in a restaurant or supermarket. Image File history File links Derived from public domain images featured at: http://commons. ... Download high resolution version (1632x1232, 364 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: User:Saopaulo1 Domestic refrigerator Categories: GFDL images ... Download high resolution version (1632x1232, 364 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: User:Saopaulo1 Domestic refrigerator Categories: GFDL images ... A major appliance is a large machine which accomplishes some routine housekeeping task, which includes purposes such as cooking, food preservation, or cleaning, whether in a household, institutional, commercial or industrial setting. ... Refrigeration (from the Latin frigus, frost) is generally the cooling of a body by the transfer of a portion of its heat away from it. ... A phase change heat pump employs a liquid with a low boiling point to transfer heat from cooler space to a warmer space; generally in a refrigeration application. ... A refrigeration cycle describes the changes that take place to a refrigerant in absorbing heat and subsequently radiating it as it is circulated around a refrigerator. ... Toms Diner, a restaurant in New York made familiar by Suzanne Vega and the television sitcom Seinfeld A restaurant is an establishment that serves prepared food and beverages to be consumed on the premises. ... Exterior appearance of typical supermarket (Safeway Inc. ...


They may consist of either a cooling compartment only (a larger refrigerator) or a freezing compartment only (a freezer) or contain both. The dual compartment was introduced commercially by General Electric in 1939. Some refrigerators are now divided into four zones for the storage of different types of food: The General Electric Company, or GE, NYSE: GE is a multinational technology and services company. ...

  • -18 °C (0 °F) (freezer)
  • 0 °C (32 °F) (meats)
  • 4 °C (40 °F) (refrigerator)
  • 10 °C (50 °F) (vegetables), for the storage of different food types.

The capacity of the refrigerator (freezer and/or fridge) is measured in litres (or cubic feet). Typically the freezer volume is 100 litres (this will vary) and the fridge 140 litres. Jump to: navigation, search Meat is animal tissue (mainly muscle) used as food. ... The litre (spelled liter in American English) is a unit of volume. ...

Contents


Types

  • Freestanding
  • Counter/cabinet depth: a refrigerator can be approximately 30 inches deep as opposed to approximately 35 inches deep like a normal refrigerator. This allows the unit to be more flush with surrounding cabinets. A counter depth refrigerator tends to come at a steep price premium despite providing less capacity.
  • Built under: fridges and freezers which can be installed under the counter top.
  • Integrated.
  • In-Column fridges or freezers: these are built into a tall cabinet in your kitchen furniture. The appliance is built in to your kitchen so that it looks like a normal cupboard. Getting the right size fridge is very important when choosing integrated.

A Cabinet is a body of high-ranking members of government, typically representing the executive branch. ... A kitchen is a room used for food preparation. ... Furniture is the collective term for the movable objects which support the human body (seating furniture and beds), provide storage, and hold objects on horizontal surfaces above the ground. ... A cupboard is a type of cabinet, often made of wood, used indoors to store household objects such as food and crockery. ...

Door situation

  • Eye level freezer refrigerator (or top mount).
  • Bottom freezer refrigerator (or bottom mount). The freezer is generally bigger and the refrigerator has two independent motor-compressors.
  • French door (or trio). Similar to bottom freezer, but the refrigerator (top) section has two doors that swing outward like a kitchen pantry.
  • Side-by-side. The unit is divided into two tall compartments, with the freezer on the left and the refrigerator on the right.
  • Wide-by-side. Similar to side-by-side, but the refrigerator compartment is wider at eye level and becomes narrow at the bottom. Allows the convenience of a side-by-side, but able to fit wider items in the refrigerator. Made popular by Maytag.
  • Single door. Originally, most units featured only one door, with the freezer compartment located within the larger refrigerator compartment. Beginning in the early 1960s manufactuers began offering units with separate freezer compartments, which gradually took over the market. One-door models, though still manufactured, are now rare.

Compressor has several meanings: A gas compressor is a mechanical device that takes in a gas and increases its pressure by squeezing a volume of it into a smaller volume. ... Maytag Corporation (NYSE: MYG) is a corporation that makes household appliances, notably kitchen stoves, refrigerators, freezers, clothes washers, clothes dryers, and many other products. ... The 1960s, or The Sexy Sixties, in its most obvious sense refers to the decade between 1960 and 1969, but the expression has taken on a wider meaning over the past twenty years. ...

Features

Some newer refrigerators may feature:

  • An LCD suggesting what types of food should be stored at what temperatures and the expiration date of the food stored.
  • Filter Status Indicator tells you when it's time for a change.
  • An in-door ice caddie, which relocates the icemaker storage to the freezer door and saves approximately 2 cubic feet (60 L) of usable freezer space. It is also removable, and helps to prevent icemaker clogging. In-door ice caddies are exclusive to side-by-side refrigerators.
  • A cooling zone in the refigerator door shelves. Air from the freezer section is diverted to the refrigerator door, helping to keep milk or juice in the door shelf colder.
  • A power failure warning, alerting the user to the failure, usually by flashing the temperature display. The maximum temperature reached during the power failure may be displayed, along with information on whether the frozen food has defrosted or may contain harmful bacteria.
  • Frost-free operation. Over time atmospheric water vapour condenses onto the cooling coils as ice, which can eventually build up into a layer several centimetres thick. This can be removed by emptying the refrigerator and turning it off so that the ice melts. In a refrigerator equipped for frost-free operation, a heater and a thermostat are fitted around the cooling coils. Every six hours (varies between 6 to 24 hours depending on model) the cooling is switched off and the heater turned on until the temperature around the coils slightly exceeds the freezing point of water when normal cooling is restored. This melts any ice which has collected around the coils and prevents it from building up.

An increasingly important environmental concern is the disposal of old refrigerators - initially because of the freon coolant damaging the ozone layer, but as the older generation of refrigerators disappears it is the destruction of CFC-bearing insulation which causes concern. Modern refrigerators usually use a refrigerant called HFC-134a (1,2,2,2-tetrafluoroethane) instead of freon, which has no ozone layer depleting properties. Reflective twisted nematic liquid crystal display. ... Temperature is the physical property of a system which underlies the common notions of hot and cold; the material with the higher temperature is said to be hotter. ... Phyla/Divisions Actinobacteria Aquificae Bacteroidetes/Chlorobi Chlamydiae/Verrucomicrobia Chloroflexi Chrysiogenetes Cyanobacteria Deferribacteres Deinococcus-Thermus Dictyoglomi Fibrobacteres/Acidobacteria Firmicutes Fusobacteria Gemmatimonadetes Nitrospirae Omnibacteria Planctomycetes Proteobacteria Spirochaetes Thermodesulfobacteria Thermomicrobia Thermotogae Bacteria (singular, bacterium) are a major group of living organisms. ... Water vapor condensing over a cup of hot tea Water vapor or water vapour, also aqueous vapour, is the gas phase of water. ... A natural, 4 tonne, block of ice on a beach in Iceland Icicles Ice is the solid form of water. ... HVAC may also stand for High-voltage alternating current HVAC is an initialism that stands for heating, ventilation and air-conditioning. This is sometimes referred to as climate control. ... Bi-metallic thermostat for buildings A thermostat is a device for maintaining the temperature of a system within a range by controlling the flow of heat energy into or out of the system. ... In physics and chemistry, freezing is the process of cooling a liquid to the temperature (called freezing point) where it turns solid. ... Freon is a trade name for a group of chlorofluorocarbons used primarily as a refrigerant. ... The ozone layer, or ozonosphere, is that part of the Earths stratosphere which contains relatively high concentrations of ozone (O3). ... This page refers to thermal insulation. ... Refrigeration (from the Latin frigus, frost) is generally the cooling of a body by the transfer of a portion of its heat away from it. ... 1,1,1,2-Tetrafluoroethane, also called simply tetrafluoroethane or R-134a, is a refrigerant that has zero ozone depletion potential and thermodynamic properties similar to R-12. ...


Disposal of discarded refrigerators is very often strictly regulated by municipalities, by mandating the removal of doors, as many children playing hide-and-seek had been asphixyated while hiding inside a discarded refrigerator.


Microwave-refrigerator combo

A microwave/refrigerator combo is a freezer, fridge and microwave oven combined into a single, compact, energy-efficient unit. The foods can be translated from one compartiment to the other one following a timer to defrost, warm and cook them (with a week program, if necessary). Microwave oven A microwave oven is a kitchen appliance employing microwave radiation primarily to cook or heat food. ...


History

Although ice houses have been used for thousands of years to provide a source of ice in summer, the first common domestic refrigeration was in the form of ice boxes in the latter years of the 19th Century. As the ice melted it was replaced with ice bought from commercial manufacturers. A mobile structure used in ice fishing may also be known as an icehouse Categories: Buildings and structures stubs ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ...


In 1856, using the principle of vapour compression, Australian James Harrison produced the world's first practical refrigerator. He was commissioned by a brewery to build a machine that cooled beer. James Harrison (1816 - September 3, 1893) was an Australian pioneer in the field of mechanical refrigeration. ...


In 1857, the first refrigerated railway car was introduced by the Chicago meatpacking industry, to prevent spoilage during shipping. In 1866, the first refrigerated railway car to carry fruit was built by Parker Earle of Illinois. The car was used to ship strawberries on the Illinois Central Railroad. Chicago (officially named the City of Chicago) is the third largest city in the United States (after New York City and Los Angeles), with an official population of 2,896,016, as of the 2000 census. ... The Illinois Central (AAR reporting mark IC) was a railroad carrier in the central United States, with its primary routes from Chicago to New Orleans and Sioux Falls. ...


The first domestic refrigerator was apparently manufactured in 1913 by Fred W. Wolf Jnr. in Chicago, and called the DOMELRE (DOMestic ELectric REfrigerator). It was not commercially successful, that distinction apparently going to the Kelvinator Company. This company was formed in May 1916 as the Electro-Automatic Refrigerating Company by Edmund J. Copeland and an industrialist, Arnold H. Gross. The company was renamed within two months to the Kelvinator Company and produced their first model shortly afterwards. Like most of their modern descendents, this refrigerator cooled using a phase change heat pump. Chicago (officially named the City of Chicago) is the third largest city in the United States (after New York City and Los Angeles), with an official population of 2,896,016, as of the 2000 census. ... Kelvinator Appliance ad from 1951 Kelvinator is an appliance company since 1994 owned by Electrolux of Sweden. ... A phase change heat pump employs a liquid with a low boiling point to transfer heat from cooler space to a warmer space; generally in a refrigeration application. ...


The first refrigerators were of the "remote" type, essentially an upgrade of an existing ice box with the installation of a cooling unit in it, but the motor, compressor and condenser installed either beside it or in the basement. The first self-contained refrigerators were not manufactured until 1925. A motor is a device that converts energy into mechanical power, and is often synonymous with engine. ... Compressor has several meanings: A gas compressor is a mechanical device that takes in a gas and increases its pressure by squeezing a volume of it into a smaller volume. ... The term condenser has the following meanings: In electronics, it is another (old-fashioned) word for capacitor. ...


The earliest units used toxic refrigerants, typically ammonia (R-717), sulfur dioxide (R-764), or methyl chloride (R-40) as their refrigerant. For a list of biologically injurious substances, including toxins and other materials, as well as their effects, see poison. ... Ammonia is a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen with the formula NH3. ... Sulfur dioxide (or Sulphur dioxide) has the chemical formula SO2. ... Chloromethane or Methyl chloride is a chemical compound once widely used as a refrigerant. ...


The first refrigerator to see widespread use was the General Electric "Monitor-Top" refrigerator introduced in 1927. The compressor assembly, which produced substantial heat, was placed above the cabinet, and surrounded with a decorative ring. Over 1,000,000 units were produced. This refrigerator used sulfur dioxide refrigerant. Many units are still functional today. The General Electric Company, or GE, NYSE: GE is a multinational technology and services company. ... 1927 was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ...


In the early 1920s the industry grew considerably, with some other manufacturers using absorption of ammonia in water instead of liquifying a gas through compression to achieve the phase change. However, these were not very successful, largely because of public prejudice against ammonia as a refrigerant. Today they are used in homes that are not connected to the electric grid, and in recreational vehicles because they can be efficiently powered using a heat source rather than an electric motor. Ammonia is a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen with the formula NH3. ... The term grid has several meanings in various fields: in mathematics and geometry, a grid is a system of two sets of lines that intersect each other at a fixed angle, usually a right angle (i. ...


It was not until 1931 that Dupont produced commercial quantities of R-12, the first refrigerant which was neither toxic nor flammable. This article is about the DuPont company. ... Dichlorodifluoromethane, or R-12, is a halomethane used as a refrigerant and propellant in aerosol sprays until its manufacture was discontinued due to concerns about damage to the ozone layer. ... Jump to: navigation, search Flammable or Flammability refers to the ease at which a substance will ignite, causing fire or combustion. ...

1953 Philco refrigerator ad. Note freezer comparment located within larger refrigerator unit.
1953 Philco refrigerator ad. Note freezer comparment located within larger refrigerator unit.

Refrigerator Temperature Settings Temperature settings for refrigerator and freezer compartments are given arbitrary numbers for example (1 through 9, warmest to coldest) by manufacturers, but generally 37 degrees F is ideal for the refrigerator compartment and 0 degrees F for the freezer. If you suspect a problem, test the temperatures with a refrigerator or outdoor thermometer. Jump to: navigation, search Image File history File links 53Philco. ... Jump to: navigation, search Image File history File links 53Philco. ...


How it works

See Heat pump and Phase change heat pump A heat pump is a machine which moves heat from a low temperature reservoir to a higher temperature reservoir under supply of work. ... A phase change heat pump employs a liquid with a low boiling point to transfer heat from cooler space to a warmer space; generally in a refrigeration application. ...


Media

(video)
Theater commercial, electric refrigerator, 1926 ( info)
Largely graphic commercial for electric refrigerators in general and a refrigerator show, presumably in Pittsburgh, in particular. (7.61 MB, ogg/Theora format).
Problems seeing the videos? Media help.


Image File history File links Image:FilmRoll-small. ... Theater commercial, electric refrigerator, 1926. ... This article is about a unit of data measurement. ... Ogg is a patent-free, fully open multimedia bitstream container format designed for efficient streaming and file compression (storage). ... Theora is a video codec being developed by the Xiph. ...


See also

The absorption refrigerator is a refrigerator that utilizes a heat source rather than being dependent on electricity to drive a compressor. ... Microwave Slang for small waves, like at a beach, often used by surfers. ... Sonic or thermoacoustic refrigeration is a technology that uses high-intensity sound waves in a pressurised gas to pump heat from one place to another. ... A dispenser is an automated machine that can provide something already stored in it, when spurred by human operator. ... Ice Cube (born OShea Jackson on June 15, 1969) is an African American actor and rapper, originally a member of the controversial group N.W.A (Niggaz With Attitude) until launching a successful solo career in music and cinema. ... A tray is a shallow container designed for carrying things. ... A Larder is a cool area for storing food prior to use. ... This article is about the weather phenomenon. ... A frost free refrigerator or freezer incorporates technology to keep the unit from icing up. ... A Chiller is an air conditioning unit used primarily in commercial and industrial facilities to provide high capacity HVAC control. ... A reversible process (or reversible cycle if the process is cyclic) , in thermodynamics, is a process that can be reversed by means of infinitesimal changes in some property of the system (Sears and Salinger, 1986). ... Compressor has several meanings: A gas compressor is a mechanical device that takes in a gas and increases its pressure by squeezing a volume of it into a smaller volume. ... Sub-Zero Refrigerators In 1945, the Sub-Zero Freezer Company was founded by Wesyte F. Bakke in Madison, Wisconsin. ... Bi-metallic thermostat for buildings A thermostat is a device for maintaining the temperature of a system within a range by controlling the flow of heat energy into or out of the system. ... Shelf is a detail of furniture for storing items. ... Look up Rack on Wiktionary, the free dictionary Rack may mean: Rack (torture), a torture device. ... Many star ratings exist and are defined on a use case basis. ... In general usage, noise can be considered data without meaning; that is, data that is not being used to transmit a signal, but is simply produced as an unwanted by-product of other activities. ... The A-weighting curve dB(A) or dBA stands for decibels adjusted. ... Jump to: navigation, search This article is about the Boolean logic extension. ... The pinnacle of New Yorks Chrysler Building is clad with stainless steel In metallurgy, stainless steel (inox) is defined as a ferrous alloy with a minimum of 10. ... Bisque can refer to: A fired piece of unglazed clay; see Bisque (pottery). ... A timer is a specialized type of clock. ... Various light-emitting diodes (5 mm reds, 3 mm greens and yellows) A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor device that emits incoherent monochromatic light when electrically biased in the forward direction. ...

External links

  • History of the Refrigerator - Gizmohighway Technology Guide
  • How Refrigerators Work Article by RepairClinic
  • Question & Answer Forums Forums by Applianceblog.com
  • How Refrigerators Work Article by HowStuffWorks
  • The History of the Refrigerator and Freezers
  • The History of Sub-Zero Article by Sub-Zero on the History of the Refrigerator
  • How does a gas-powered fridge actually work (without compressor - using heater to power the heat transfer cycle)

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Pearson Triton #381 Glissando | Constructing a New Icebox (1990 words)
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While it has many of the features of today's personal computers (Net access, DVD and CD read-only, etc.), iCEBOX is not an open system that allows you to install or remove user selected software programs and the owner can't upgrade the hardware or print documents -- unless he or she is a master electronics tinkerer.
Six months after 3Com Corp. gave birth to the $500 touch-screen "Audrey," an early attempt at an Internet appliance, the Santa Clara, CA firm euthanized the product because it was too expensive for a technology-saturated market that wasn't ready to pay the price for the limited number of features.
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