website and Rostec about what people came up with to keep food longer
At the origins
Low temperatures help preserve food better. This simple truth mankind comprehended quite early. After all, low temperatures are not necessarily a refrigerator. This huge mains-operated box with ice, compressor and condenser appeared much later. But in cellars and dark, cool places, people began to store food quite early. We see something similar in Babylon, and in Ancient Egypt, and in Ancient Greece.
As storage, the cellar is not ideal and it is not a replacement for the refrigerator.
True, it is not known whether people even then understood the connection between coolness and an increase in the duration of food preservation. However, let's face it, the cellar is not ideal as a storage and it is not a replacement for a refrigerator. Otherwise, the latter would hardly have flooded houses and apartments around the world. Roger Bacon is considered one of the first Europeans who tried to improve the food storage system.
Roger Bacon
This English philosopher and naturalist, who lived in the 13th century, noticed that a piece of meat, lying in the snow, did not deteriorate and retained its taste. Legend has it that after this, Bacon began to experiment with different products, snow and ice, which, in the end, ended sadly. The scientist caught a cold, caught pneumonia and died. How reliable this legend is, we may never know. But, we can say with confidence that in China, at the time of Bacon, such technology was already in full use. True, in those days, few Europeans climbed so far to the East. At the turn of the 13th-14th centuries, Marco Polo visited China.
Marco Polo
An Italian merchant wrote a whole book on how ice and snow can be used. In China, a small container the size of a vase was used to store food. They put ice, snow and food there. The convenience was that such a mini-refrigerator could be served directly to the table. One way or another, but it was the book of Marco Polo that discovered the advantages of the refrigerator in Europe.
Even Einstein was involved in the creation of the refrigerator
First steps
A new twist took place in 1686, when the Italian Francesco Procopio dei Coltelli opened one of the first cafes in this city and indeed in Europe in Paris. It was named after the founder - "Prokop", and one of his main dishes were frozen sweets, such as, for example, sherbet. The cafe was a huge success. Its visitors, in different years, were Balzac, Voltaire, Robespierre and even Benjamin Franklin. The success of Prokop led to the emergence of other similar establishments that also served frozen food.
Cafe Prokop and its famous guests
Procopio used the same box that Marco Polo described, only the temperatures in it were lower. A large amount of ice was placed in the box, so the invention of the Italian can be considered the first freezer in history. In 1803, the world was introduced to the first refrigerator, similar to what we know now. It was created by the British Thomas Moore, who was engaged in the supply of butter to the major cities of the country. Moore faced an unpleasant problem for him.
In 1803, the world was introduced to the first refrigerator, similar to what we know now.
During long journeys, his goods fell into disrepair. Then he designed a steel box with several compartments, where he put the oil. The structure was complex. The box had to be wrapped in skins and placed in a bucket of ice. Ice, for fidelity, was also placed inside the container.
Refrigerator Makers
Thomas Moore's invention was a huge success. Refrigerators began to appear in many homes in the UK. The first city to experience the refrigeration boom was London. Later, this boom spread to the continent and overseas. In the 50s of the 19th century, discoveries and inventions were made in different parts of the globe, without which it is difficult to imagine a modern refrigerator. American doctor John Gorey came up with a way to get artificial ice. In fact, it was the invention of the compressor. Gori's device was introduced to the masses by Australian entrepreneur James Harrison.
Compressor drawing by John Gorey
He installed refrigerators at his brewery that used compressors. In 1858, the Frenchman Ferdinand Kore developed an artificial method for obtaining cold. By the beginning of the 20th century, refrigerators were already widely used in enterprises related to the production of products.
Refrigerator Ferdinand Kore
First of all, in the slaughterhouses. The first refrigerator for domestic use was introduced to the world in 1913. But he did not have commercial success. The device was considered dangerous. Due to its inaccurate use, unpleasant incidents often occurred. Particularly sulfur dioxide poisoning. These problems were taken into account by the Danish physicist and engineer Christian Steenstrup. In 1926, he created a silent, harmless and durable refrigerator specifically for the home. It had the advantage of being relatively small, since the gigantic industrial freezers couldn't possibly fit in anyone's kitchen. Even the biggest one. Curiously, even Albert Einstein took part in the creation of the refrigerator.
The first refrigerator for domestic use was not a commercial success. The device was considered dangerous
Einstein refrigerator device
He developed a safe refrigerator that ran on alcohol fuel. Einstein even received a patent for his invention, but the project was not commercially successful. Freon refrigerators quickly replaced the brainchild of the great scientist. From the refrigerator, which bears the name of Einstein, in the end, there were only a loud name and a few photographs.
Refrigerator in Russia
In Russia, since the 13th century, glaciers were widely used - a spacious wooden frame, covered with ice and snow, where food was stored. True, it was, for obvious reasons, impossible to store food in this way in the summer. Nevertheless, glaciers were used very widely, and in the 16th century, ice vases began to appear in boyar houses, according to the principle described by Marco Polo. But it was Russia that was the first country in the world to use the principle of Ferdinand Kare.
Thomas Midgley - the "father" of freon, who proposed to use it for the operation of refrigerators
At the beginning of the 20th century, companies that created artificial ice were opened in Moscow and St. Petersburg. They also offered their customers an apparatus called "Eskimo". It was a huge unit that worked on coal, wood, kerosene and alcohol. For several hours of work, he produced up to 12 kilograms of artificial ice. In the USSR, the production of household refrigerators began only in 1937. Tractor and automobile plants were engaged in production. In 1951, ZIS (now ZIL) joined this business, producing the first batch of the famous Moskva refrigerators. In the USSR, however, a refrigerator was considered a luxury for a long time. Not everyone could afford to buy it.
A modern refrigerator is a “smart” device that does not need to be defrosted, can operate in various temperature conditions, is able to kill microbes inside the chambers, and is controlled remotely using a smartphone. In addition, it can become a decoration of the kitchen due to the variety of design ideas. The first refrigerator could only cool food, but for this the housewives highly appreciated the useful invention. In the history of the development of this indispensable kitchen helper, several stages can be distinguished: the use of ice of natural origin, the use of firewood or kerosene and ammonia, an electrical appliance with freon. The information presented in the article is about this.
The most ancient refrigerators were separate rooms filled with ice or dense snow. The invention cannot be attributed to any particular people, because this method was used in many countries in various ways.
- In Russia, special cellars were built to store perishable products in the summer, which at the end of winter and the beginning of spring were filled with snow or blocks of ice from the river. The negative temperature remained there until autumn due to the insulating properties of the earth layer.
- In Korea, for these purposes, stone vaults were built - seogbinggo. A large room was used not by one family, but by the whole community.
- Ice and snow were brought to Persia and Ancient Rome from the tops of the mountains and placed in special buildings with thick walls that did not allow heat to pass through.
Thomas Moore refrigerator
American Thomas Moore in 1803 figured out how to deliver chilled butter to customers in any weather. He put it in a steel vessel and wrapped it in rabbit skins. I put the container with oil in a wooden barrel, and covered the free space with ice. Such a refrigeration unit, which the inventor called a refrigerator, guaranteed the freshness of the oil during the journey. However, before the creation of a full-fledged refrigerator was still far away.
First artificial cold
People have long noticed that the evaporation of a liquid can cool. But it wasn't until 1858 that the French scientist Ferdinand Carré created the first artificial ice using John Gorey's method by absorbing ammonia. The unit made it possible to obtain 200 kg of ice per hour, which was then used in meat processing and dairy industries.
In 1879, the German scientist Carl von Linde invented the refrigeration machine with a compressor. In Moscow, at the beginning of the 20th century, such devices were known under the name "Eskimo". These units worked on wood or kerosene and produced 12 kg of ice in one cycle.
Ice was sold to the public: it was used in special tightly closed cabinets to cool food. They were also called wardrobe-refrigerators. The first domestic refrigerators ran on ice produced by large industrial plants.
In 1926, Albert Einstein and his student Leo Szilard came up with a safe device that runs on alcohol. However, the invention of a brilliant scientist did not find application.
IMPORTANT! The official year of the refrigerator's appearance is 1899: Albert Marshall from Minnesota patented his invention.
Electric refrigerators
The first use of electricity for the operation of domestic refrigeration began in 1913. But ammonia was circulating in the tubes of the device, which posed a danger to consumers. Refrigerators of that time were still bulky structures, in which the food chamber accounted for about 20% of the total volume of the structure.
In 1926, the Danish inventor Christian Steenstrup created a more convenient home-operated unit powered by electricity. The electric motor and compressor of this device were closed in a sealed case, and outwardly this design differed little from modern technology. When General Electric bought the patent for this invention and put it into production, Monitor-Top brand household refrigerators became very popular, despite the high price.
In 1930, various toxic substances (ammonia, sulfurous anhydride, chloromethyl) were replaced by a safer refrigerant - freon. This substance is used in various versions in modern technology.
In 1934, General Electric began producing an inexpensive household model, the "Lifttop", in which the condenser tubes were attached to the inner walls of the chamber.
In the 1940s refrigerators began not only to cool, but also to freeze. Freezers appeared first as a compartment, and then as a separate chamber.
In the Soviet Union, engineers worked on the creation of two types of refrigerators: absorption and compression. Several models were tested, but one compression unit was released into mass production.
At the Kharkov Tractor Plant, work on the creation of a household refrigerator began in 1937. Mass production of units of the KhTZ-120 brand was launched in 1939. Before the war, several thousand refrigerators with a volume of 120 liters were produced. Sulfur dioxide was used as a refrigerant, which made it possible to cool the air in the chamber to -3°C.
After the war, refrigerators began to be produced at the ZIS automobile plant. The equipment of the Moskva brand, produced since 1951, was distinguished by high build quality and a long service life. This device worked on freon R12.
All these engineers, scientists and industrialists have contributed to the development of this household appliance, without which it is difficult to imagine a modern kitchen.
Briefly, the history of the invention of the refrigerator can be represented as follows:
- 1803 - Thomas Moore's refrigerator;
- 1858 Ferdinand Carré's absorption apparatus;
- 1879 - Carl von Linde created a device with a compressor;
- 1899 - the first patent for a refrigerator was registered by Albert Marshall;
- 1913 - the first electric refrigerator;
- 1926 - the design of the unit, invented by Christian Steenstrup, practically does not differ from the modern one;
- 1930 - the use of freon.
Definitely answer the question "Who invented the refrigerator?" impossible.
The history of the refrigerator is longer and more interesting than you might think. As far back as the 10th century, the inhabitants of ancient China knew how to keep ice, and 500 years later, the inhabitants of ancient Egypt and America learned to put clay vessels filled with water into the open air on cold nights to create ice. Other ancient civilizations of Greece and Rome collected snow in small pits and covered them with various materials to prevent melting.
In many European countries in the 17th century, a saltpeter solution was used to produce ice and cool rooms. In the 18th century, it was common to collect ice blocks and wrap them in flannel for storage underground, where the ice could hold for several months in this form.
The collection and use of ice was common in the middle of the 18th century, both in commercial and domestic needs. Sometimes ice blocks were sent over long distances. In warm seasons, cold cellars were used to store food. There were also special cooling boxes - wooden boxes covered with tin or zinc, cork, sawdust or algae for insulation.
The first steam coolers
The concept of mechanical cooling appeared in 1720 when the Scottish physician William Cullen noticed that conjugation could have a cooling effect. The first prototype device based on this idea was presented in 1748 by evaporating ethyl ether in a vacuum.
In 1805, American inventor Oliver Evans designed (but did not build) a refrigeration machine that used liquids instead of volatiles. In 1820, another approach to the topic was expressed by the English scientist Michael Faraday with the help of liquefied ammonia.
However, the title of "father of refrigerators" was given to Evans' partner, Jacob Perkins, who received a patent in 1835 for a vapor compression cycle using liquid ammonia. In 1842, the American physician John Gorry used an ice machine he had developed to cool yellow fever patients. It was he who received a patent on the use of the cooling method for medical purposes.
However, the rapid development of new devices was associated with the mass production of beer by European and American breweries at the end of the 19th century. The first refrigerator in New York was installed in 1870. 30 years later, at the turn of the century, all breweries were equipped with refrigerators. The brewers were followed by meat processors - the first refrigeration unit appeared in Chicago in 1900.
Refrigerators for people
The first household refrigerators began to be produced in America, in 1911. In the 1920s and 1930s, refrigerators producing ice cubes appeared on the market. At that time, sulfur dioxide was replaced by freon. However, mass production of devices began only after 1945. Refrigerators have become incredibly popular, have become an indispensable element of the interior.
The evolution of refrigerators did not stop there. In the next decade, much attention was paid to protecting the environment. Technologies for energy-saving devices were developed, and attempts were made to create refrigeration units without the use of chlorofluorocarbons.
Modern refrigerators work in the same way as they did a hundred years ago - by evaporating the liquid. The refrigerant (liquefied gas, most often freon or ammonia) located inside the refrigerator boils at a low temperature. When this happens, the substance intensively extracts heat, which is discharged as a gas into the condenser outside the refrigerator (therefore, the refrigerator is heated from the outside).
Refrigerator safety
In the early days, flammable, toxic and highly reactive gases and liquids were used in refrigerators. It wasn't until 1926 that compounds containing fluoride began to be used, making refrigerators much safer. The use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) has been popular for over fifty years when their harmful effects on the ozone layer were discovered.
Most modern refrigerators use hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which are much safer than CFCs, but still not perfect. Refrigerators are a convenient and safe way to store food. When it is too warm, harmful bacteria develop in the food, which can cause food spoilage and poisoning. The refrigerator must be set to at least 4.4 degrees Celsius.
Refrigerators of the future
New semiconductor and magnetic technologies are the future of refrigerator cooling systems. Traditional refrigerators are based on compressors that generate a lot of heat and release it into the room. Semiconductors use the entire surface of the device to slowly dissipate heat, which does not cause the room temperature to rise, and the surface of the refrigerator is cold to the touch. These devices do not contain harmful materials and operate completely silently.
Today, for every family, a refrigerator is an essential item. It is hard to imagine how our ancestors managed without it, especially in the warm season. Previously, a cellar or glacier was used to cool food.
The history of the creation of a modern refrigerator begins with the invention of the French engineer Fernand Carré. In 1862, he presented an ice-making device at the World's Fair in London. The invention was a stove in which liquid ammonia was heated. As a result of evaporation, ammonia was supplied through the tubes to the walls of the boiler, which made it possible to freeze the water inside.
Having learned how to make ice in this way, people began to equip kitchens with home glaciers. They were kitchen cabinets insulated with sawdust and cork, in which purchased ice was placed. However, this did not allow maintaining a sufficiently low temperature.
The next step in the history of refrigerators was the refrigerator, created in 1874 by the German K. Linde. His invention was equipped with a compressor and was used in industry, as well as for the transport of products. After some time, Elijah Thompson from America improved the refrigeration unit in such a way that now it could run on electricity. The refrigerator acquired its modern look thanks to the Danish engineer Steenstrup, who placed the entire installation in a sealed box.
An important event was the invention of freon, which, compared with ammonia, had a lower boiling point and was much safer.
The first refrigerators in the USSR began to be manufactured even before the war at the Kharkov Tractor Plant. They were called KhTZ-120. The volume of the refrigerating chamber corresponded to the number in the title - 120 liters. However, due to the war, it was not possible to establish mass production of refrigerators.
In the fifties of the last century, ZIS refrigerators appeared, known for their reliability. It is worth noting that refrigerators in the USSR were at first a luxury. In 1962, 98.3% of families in the USA had a refrigerator, while in the USSR it was only 5.3%.
It is hard to imagine that less than a century ago, housewives were not yet familiar with such an indispensable and functional device as fridge. If today a refrigerator is a necessary attribute of any cozy home, then our great-grandmothers had to look for other ways to keep food fresh.
The appearance of modern format refrigerators was preceded by centuries and even millennia of research, inventions and discoveries. Mankind in its history has gone from glaciers and barrels of snow to high-tech devices that can cool the product in minutes.
The oldest refrigerators
It is still not known for certain where and when the oldest prototypes of refrigerators were born. Historians claim that the secret of ice preservation was known to the ancient Persians. For four centuries BC, they brought snow and ice from the nearby mountains to their native desert, which were then placed in special storage facilities.
These vaults, or warehouses as the researchers call them, were marvels of engineering at the time. The multi-layered walls of buildings, consisting of clay, goat's wool, sand and lime, made it possible to keep the ice in a frozen state. Interestingly, such a wall could be up to two meters thick.
Similar structures were used by the servants of the Roman emperor Nero, known for his love of foreign delicacies. Especially for the emperor, special storages filled with ice were organized. This ice was mined in winter from frozen reservoirs and helped to preserve gourmet dishes for a long time.
Refrigeration of food in the Middle Ages
In medieval Korea, the issue of food preservation was extremely thorough. Whole bastions were made from massive stone blocks, which had excellent thermal insulation properties. Such vaults were called "seogbinggo" and to this day remain the subject of admiration for archaeologists.
In Russia, with its cold and long winters, the issue of freezing food was solved by itself. Glaciers were especially popular. They were created from log cabins of trees dug deep into the ground. The cavities of the log cabins were filled with snow and ice. In such ice "baths" the necessary products were immersed. A flooring with a thick layer of earth and turf was laid out on top of the log house, covering the ancient refrigerator from heat.
In medieval Europe, the first cooling rooms appeared only after the famous traveler and explorer Marco Polo wrote a book about his expedition to China. Modern scientists call this book the most important stage in the history of the creation of the refrigerator.
A real sensation was made by the cafe Prokop, which opened in 1686 in Paris. Its owner, the Italian Francesco Procopio, made a fortune selling ice cream and various fruit sorbets.
And already in the 18th century, buckets for wine and champagne with pieces of ice became widespread. True, in those days, instead of the stainless steel buckets familiar to us, deep bowls made of faience and porcelain were used. Intoxicating drinks were served to the table in these containers.
Prototypes of modern refrigerators
Thomas Moore device
Industry and the economy developed, and now cooling cabinets have become necessary not only in imperial courts and popular cafes, but also in the daily life of ordinary people. The progenitor of the modern kitchen refrigerator was a device invented in 1803 by the enterprising American Thomas Moore.
Thomas was engaged in the production and delivery of butter, but could not afford to rent a special transport. Customers wanted to receive fresh goods and adequately paid for the service. Unfortunately, during transportation, especially on hot days, freshly whipped butter instantly lost its presentation. The desire to keep customers and pushed the entrepreneur to create a refrigerator.
The first prototype of the refrigerator was a container made of durable steel leaves. On top of this container was wrapped with rabbit skins, and then placed in a cedar tub. The device was filled with ice, which ensured the safety of the oil.
This invention has spawned many experiments to create cold stores. Engineers made compressor refrigerators, which at the same time acted not only as a freezer, but also as an air conditioner. An interesting discovery was an ammonia-based absorption refrigerator that produces artificial ice. It was the absorption equipment that made it possible to create real freezing warehouses of large sizes.
The first refrigerators for home use
The discovery of electricity was an important step towards the modernization of the human home and life. Already in 1913, it was developed, which, like industrial models, ran on electricity. The only drawback of the first household refrigerators was toxic coolants.
The problem of toxicity was solved already in 1926. Then a Danish researcher by the name of Steenstrup demonstrated to the public that he was harmless, silent and durable. The well-known company General Electric was inspired by the engineer's idea and bought a patent for his discovery.
After a little refinement, General Electric released the first among the most famous refrigerator models. The Monitor-Top refrigerator went on sale in 1927, and in a short time became a real bestseller.
Despite the fact that this device costs twice as much as a Ford car, the company managed to sell more than a million copies of the device. Monitor-Top was named "home cold factory".
Refrigeration industry in the USSR
Refrigerator "Moscow"
The first refrigerator in the USSR worked not on electricity, but on wood or kerosene. He was the Eskimo unit created at the beginning of the 20th century. The brainchild of Ferdinando Carré, this refrigerator was aimed at making ice. For one cycle of operation of the device, it was possible to obtain about 12 kg of artificial ice.
Only in 1937 did the technology for creating an electric household refrigerator reach the USSR. Two years later, the Kharkov Tractor Plant began to produce units called KhTZ-120. These refrigerators were very popular before the Great Patriotic War.
In the post-war period, the ZIS automobile plant took up the production of refrigerators. In 1951, the famous Moskva refrigerators left its assembly line. Surprisingly, many of the refrigerators created in those years continue to work to this day. Excellent quality and reliability were the result of hard work and huge consumption of metal.
Oldest refrigeration companies
The twentieth century was a key period in the development of the refrigeration industry. Many enterprising businessmen sought to master a new economic sphere by inventing new models of refrigeration equipment. But only those who approached their business with love and attention could become real giants in the production of household refrigerators.
Refrigerators Liebherr
Among the speaking names of the 20th century, one cannot fail to mention Hans Liebherr who gave the world reliable and durable. The young German inherited his father's company at the age of 23. Then, back in 1938, the company was engaged in 
ь production of various construction equipment, which was a very popular industry for post-war Germany. Hans seized the opportunity and was able to build a giant corporation that is famous today for its tower cranes.
But the most famous product of the company was and remains refrigerators, the first model of which was offered to customers as early as 1954. Since then, practical and convenient refrigerators have occupied their niche in the market of large household appliances.
Refrigerators Samsung
One of the most popular brands of household appliances in Russia is. However, few people know that the history of Samsung began with the sale of rice and fish in 1938. The entry of the Korean company into the electronics market took place only in 1969, and the manufacture of refrigerators began even later.
The Korean giant is known for its love of high quality and modern technology. Ideally sterile factories of the company allow the production of truly durable and durable household appliances that serve their owners for many years.
Refrigerators Ariston
The founder of the company was the Italian engineer Aristide Merloni, who opened a shop for the production of scales in 1930. After the war, in devastated Italy, water heaters and electric stoves were needed, and an experienced entrepreneur retrained the plant.
Interestingly, the name of the brand comes from the Greek word for “best”. The name given to the brand justified - and to this day, popular and high-quality refrigerators and freezers are produced under the Ariston trademark.
Before gaining a modern look, refrigerators have undergone many transformations. AT the history of the invention of the refrigerator There were many turning points. A thousand years of experience of our ancestors and a lot of complex research fit in one compact refrigerated cabinet, which has become an indispensable companion in our lives today.
