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Thermoacoustic Cooler Means Green-Friendly Icecream
MuddyRiverDoc writes "National Public Radio aired a story describing ice cream
manufacturer Ben & Jerry's sponsored
development of a thermoacoustic refrigeration technology, which uses helium gas
subjected to ultra-loud 173 db sound to chill an ice cream cooler. The NPR interview and
pictures of the Penn State researchers who did the development is
available. There is also a brief description of the technique at the Penn State Live site and at the BBC, and an
over-cute Ben & Jerry's broadband presentation, Sounds Cool!, that
does however provide a useful diagram. Thermoacoustic refrigeration has been a focus of research
for more than a decade at Purdue
and elsewhere,
and has reportedly flown on the Space Shuttle, but this prototype is reportedly
the first that demonstrates the size, efficiency, and quiet operation that
promises successful commercial introduction. Cool Sound Industries,
Inc. is reportedly exclusively licensed for this thermoacoustic technology."
So does this mean that noisy, drunken parties will be cooler than quiet, staid cocktail parties?
Great minds think alike; fools seldom differ.
Ever see people driving down the street with their radio so loud their car buzzes. They're pretty cool right?
Need a Catering Connection
The sound that would send the necessary amount of "green-friendly" chills down the spine of any helium-cooled refrigeration unit is Howard Dean's famous scream.
Now I can buy that new kick-ass sound system without worrying about that new fridge my wife has been hounding me about and not feel guilty!
It's hard enough to remember my opinions, never mind the reasons for them..
Alright! So if I climb in this thing and shut the door.....
All the sweaty b*stards who are packed around you.
I'm too lazy to RTFA and the writeup was full of links but short on information.
Can someone tell me what this is all about? Is there a chance I can get indignant and rant about something I have neither the time nor patience to understand?
and quiet operation
If 173 dB is quiet for you, I'd hate to be around when you throw a rock concert! Liquified bones are not my idea of a good time!
And did anyone read that as
the Penn State researchers who died in the development
? I must need a couple more hours sleep...
8-PP
"Yo B, turn that sh*t down..."
"Naw man, it's cool...just makin' ice cream"
"Word"
Wise men say, "Forgiveness is divine, but never pay full price for late pizza."
So they've taken "We all scream for ice cream!" literally?
Shit, I knew this technology worked from a long time ago: Each time my wife screams at me, I freeze...
Well, I'll leave it at that and not go into icecream-producing issues using the same "technology"..
Runs on AC/DC.
Barry White.. cool
Cindy Lauper.. not cool.
- these are not the droids you are looking for -
173dB is quiet? Was your previous job in the PR department of a CPU fan manufacturer?
"'I pass the test,' she said. 'I will diminish, and go into the West, and remain Galadriel.'"
- JRR Tolkien.
This may be the first technology where yelling at a piece of broken equipment really loud makes it work?
toresbe
- How eco-friendly is the helium extraction process? Off the top of my head I believe it's fine, but are there any hidden eco-hostile effects in its production? Probably still far better than the method it replaces.
- Have they experimented with different sound sources for the 173dB? Playing Barry White could produce seriousness smoothness...
- Will they equip the Refrigerator Gnome that controls the internal light with OSHA-approved protective headphones, or will a generation of the little critters be doomed to deafness? (Don't laugh, I saw one of them in my 'fridge once after a Dead concert.)
The news is expected to have a chilling effect on listeners, particularly when the volume is turned up.
Astro
No, outside it's all quiet,
but I'm worried about the dwarf who lives inside and is supposed to shut the lights off...
Just so long as my supply of nitrous oxide doesn't deplete, the impending helium shortage is copacetic.
I think all you have to do is to take your ordinary microwave and reverse the polarity of the power source. Always worked on Star Trek.
Shop as usual. And avoid panic buying.
Apparently thermoacoustic refrigeration works better in orbit because in space, no-one can hear ice cream.