Sound Waves will freeze ice cream !!

[hvacfella]

(I wonder if the wife screaming at the top of her lungs would accomplish this also !!??)

--From: Popular Science

For the sake of the scoop, Ben & Jerry's managed to do what no refrigerator manufacturer has: jolt into development the world's most eco-friendly ice-cream freezer. Unveiled for Earth Day 2004 at a Manhattan scoop shop, the chiller relies not on greenhouse gases but on sound waves to keep the precious stuff cold. Research on thermoacoustic refrigeration limped along for 20 years or so until the ice cream duo forked over $600,000 to a Penn State team, which made the prototype in two years. The freezer is an ordinary deli cabinet piped to a 14-inch-high canister with soundproof stainless steel walls. A loudspeaker pumps sound waves (at 190 decibels, louder than a rocket launch) into the canister, expanding and contracting helium gas inside. The pressure changes chill the icebox as efficiently as a conventional freezer. Cool? Sure. But even with investors now vying to make the technology commercially viable, the long-standing reign of cheap, functional ozone-polluting fridges won't be trumped anytime soon. "Historically, environmental friendliness doesn't sell," says Penn State acoustician Matt Poese. But don't tell that to Ben & Jerry's. The company will test and promote the rig at its Vermont tour facility this summer.

[Dad]

Will have to make room in my truck for my old rock and roll CD's.

Yes sir... You want Rolling Stones for your freezer and Hootie and the Blow fish for your deli case. I will "tune" up your A/C with a little Barbra Streisand.

Darn it, the CD heads need cleaning... guess I will break out the old R404a and give'em a good blowing out.

AWWWW... condensate pump is bad, don't have a spare today... OK I will just hack my recovery machine, it will get that water out reallll goood, don't need that anymore!

Yeah boss, it was a recall, it's my dime, sorry about the scratch on your wife's favorite Billy Joel song but it was the only one left on the warehouse shelf!

Huh? You talking to me? speak up I am making ice!


:D

[NormChris]

I can see the future now. A microwave oven/quick freeze machine combination in the kitchen. Heat or freeze at the push of a button.


I would buy one!

[i_got_ideas]

I agree, I'd buy one as well, but.....

Helium?, Isn't helium highly flamable? The Hindnenberg ring a bell?

And so would this microwave/freezer be hooked to a tank of helium?

There is a ton of potential here though. They can likely find a substitute gas to put in place of the helium that has similar properties. Now that they have prooved it works they will likely be able to get some more corperate finacial backing and the technology will evolve and be perfected rapidly. It will be interesting to see what happens.

[icemeister]

Originally posted by lusker
Yes sir... You want Rolling Stones for your freezer and Hootie and the Blow fish for your deli case. I will "tune" up your A/C with a little Barbra Streisand.

I find that although The Stones are OK for frozen food applications, you need the intensity of Led Zeppelin's Heartbreaker for ice cream cases. I'd like to try Whole Lotta Love as well. The quiet psychedelic riffs in this piece will give you an automatic defrost cycle. ;)

The loudest band I remember from the old days is Mountain. Their most popular song was Mississippi Queen, one of their more "tame" ones. I'd think they would work great for a blast freezer. :D

[sllyinphlly]

This sounds cool, never heard of it

I wonder how hard it will be to sell cust new one of these
I have trouble selling a two door reach in for two thou let alone six hundred thou

ben and jerry better save there seeds and stems, this ones gonna cost ya

[icemeister]

Originally posted by i_got_ideas
Helium?, Isn't helium highly flammable? The Hindenburg ring a bell?

Helium's not flammable. You're thinking Hydrogen.

[i_got_ideas]

Originally posted by icemeister

Originally posted by i_got_ideas
Helium?, Isn't helium highly flammable? The Hindenburg ring a bell?

Helium's not flammable. You're thinking Hydrogen.


YES, thank you :D

I suppose that makes sense, or kid's balloons would really be a lot more fun :D

[Edited by I_got_ideas on 07-17-2004 at 04:07 PM]

[R12rules]

I wouldnt mind if the gas inside that unit WAS flamable!

I live in a mobile home.
A "Manufactured Home"... as they now call osme of these.

Do you have any idea how long it takes BEFORE a fire has completely consumed one? Day or night time?
Rain or shine?

120 seconds!


I am NOT paranoid. But how do you prepare your family to evac a tinder box within a safety zone of maybe "fifteen seconds"?

Fire safety is everybody's concern. But when you already live in a tinderbox, why worry if you've got gas or electric heat?

Oh .. and do you know what they use in these homes for electrical outlets?
Those little cheapie one's that cost around thirty five cents apiece at Home Depot!
That all tied together with Romex!
Fourteen gage Romex at that! The thin cheap stuff!


At least it's copper nowadays!



So I wouldnt worry about the type of gas inside that cannister.
Nope ... not me!

Cause that AIN'T the part of the house I'd be concerned about starting a fire!

[frozensolid]

I think Jimi Hendrix let me stand next to your fire, would be a natural for defrost.

When the coils are iced, if my eyes don't deceive me there’s something going wrong around here.

[midhvac]

Back in the late 60's, I read that the CIA was experimenting with the use of high amplitude, low frequency sound waves to kill people. The sound would set up a harmonic oscillation in the internal organs, causing them to explode.

Ever since then, every time I see some kid in a car with the back seat removed and replaced with big speakers, and equipped with a huge amp, I always look over to see if there's a trickle of blood coming from their nose.

[i_got_ideas]

Originally posted by midhvac
Back in the late 60's, I read that the CIA was experimenting with the use of high amplitude, low frequency sound waves to kill people. The sound would set up a harmonic oscillation in the internal organs, causing them to explode.

Ever since then, every time I see some kid in a car with the back seat removed and replaced with big speakers, and equipped with a huge amp, I always look over to see if there's a trickle of blood coming from their nose.


:D I used to set up stereo systems for my friends in my younger days, suppose that's why I wear a hearing aid now.

The system I put in my brother's truck hit so hard you couldn't breathe right, it was like something was sucking the air right out of your mouth, wierd.

I don't totally regret it though, that's how I got damn good at wiring. Well, that and I would wire in remote starts, remote entry systems, etc.

[karsthuntr]

What was that, I couldn't here you I just plugged in my fridge.

[mtec]

Now, maybe Im wrong, but I thought 180 decibels can kill a man. So, what happens when the door switch gets stuck, and Ben and Jerry go to serve a crowd of interested people ice cream?

Can you see the headlines? "Mass crowd die listening to the sounds of Barbara Streisand!"

[Dad]

A loudspeaker pumps sound waves (at 190 decibels, louder than a rocket launch) into the canister, expanding and contracting helium gas inside. The pressure changes chill the icebox as efficiently as a conventional freezer.

I guess there better not be a leak in the canister or Barbara just might hurt you.

So, what do we use to check for a leak in the helium system? Nitrogen? Is helium an inert gas? Is helium cheaper than nitrogen? Can they mix without corrosive properties?
(I would look that up but I am a bit lazy tonight)

I am sure it has pressures low/high. May need a decibel checker too.

Safer than propane I would think.

[karsthuntr]

I hear tell that helium is almost used up.

I don't see how since it is an element.

Might be one of those internet hoax thing's.