1

Michael Faraday
Ferdinand Carr
Brief History of Solar Cooling

Michael Faraday (1791-1867) was interested in how
gases behaved when they were forced into a liquid state
and subsequently allowed to evaporate. Although, he
experimented with a variety of liquids, one of his most
relevant discoveries for our purposes was his work with
ammonia (NH
3
). In 1820, Faraday found that the he could
compress ammonia gas into a liquefied state under
significant pressure, but then when he allowed it to
evaporate it caused the air to cool. Now this does not
sound like such a profound discovery, but it would turn out to be
the basis for all of modern refrigeration technology.

Thermal cooling was invented by Ferdinand Carr (1824-1894). He used the
basic principle developed by Faraday but instead of ammonia, he used a solution of
water and sulfuric acid. The primary application that interested Faraday was the
production of ice. Not only in Europe but in the United States as well, ice was big
business. The economic importance of ice cannot be
underestimated since there was no other source of
commercial refrigeration at the time. In the 1800s in
Europe, wealthy homeowners often had icehouses, and
public icehouses were maintained by butchers. Typically,
crushed ice or blocks of ice will fill a deep shaft
interspersed with layers of straw or sawdust as insulation.
In the early 19
th
century, the first consignment of ice was
sent from Boston to Calcutta, India. Of the 180 tons that
were shipped, 80 tons were lost due to melting, but the
remaining 100 tons commanded a premium. So during
most of the 19
th
century shipment of ice was a big
business. Early on, the ice was obtained from natural sources
but it was apparent if there were a way of manufacturing ice it would be quite
lucrative. Carr built an ice-making machine in 1857, further developing his
prototype using ammonia as the coolant; he was able to build a machine that
produced 200 kg/hour (440 pounds). And so commercial ice making had its start.