* Mitticool: A refrigerator that runs without electricity

it breaks the laws of thermodynamics... and there is no info about the product in the link

i call shenanigans

After a liitle bit of research, it keeps the temperature inside the "fridge" about 8 degrees below room temperature, it simply uses the fact that water evaporation (from a 20 liter reserve) takes heat.

It's the same principle of a French butter crock, nothing new right there, just a larger scale. And note how it's only advertised for keeping vegetables, not meat.

EDIT: excerpt from http://www.frenchbutterdish.com/FAQ.php

I don't know about this particular product, but people in poorer parts of India still used the clay pot concept for keeping stuff cooler and solar heaters for slow cooking food all without electricity. It's actually becoming the latest fad with the middle and upper middle class people there too now, to the point that my mother is planning on bringing a solar cooker back with her on her coming trip this winter.

Quote:

Originally Posted by El_Doug 

it breaks the laws of thermodynamics... and there is no info about the product in the link

 

 

i call shenanigans

In my first thermo class the professor demonstrated how he collected news stories about people claiming to have discovered great new inventions, which upon closer inspection, violate the laws of thermodynamics.  Examples flowed the whole semester.

This isn't one of those.  The Mitticool "fridge" works by evaporative cooling, which is possible because of the unique properties of water and the ceramics used in the construction of the box.  Unfortunately, as previous posters have noted, evaporative cooling only gets you a modest temperature drop, and it is dependent on the ambient conditions.  The point is that the guy is solving real 3rd-world problems with hard constraints and getting product out to people, which is awesome.  

I find the Coolgardie Safe to be a much better alternative,maybe I am biased.I am sure  you Americans had a similar thing.

http://museumvictoria.com.au/discoverycentre/infosheets/the-coolgardie-safe/

My post was written before anyone linked to a proper description of the device.  I do not think it is incorrect to assume that it is impossible to cool food down to 42F without power (assuming room temp is 70 or higher)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Omega 

 

 

In my first thermo class the professor demonstrated how he collected news stories about people claiming to have discovered great new inventions, which upon closer inspection, violate the laws of thermodynamics.  Examples flowed the whole semester.

 

This isn't one of those.  The Mitticool "fridge" works by evaporative cooling, which is possible because of the unique properties of water and the ceramics used in the construction of the box.  Unfortunately, as previous posters have noted, evaporative cooling only gets you a modest temperature drop, and it is dependent on the ambient conditions.  The point is that the guy is solving real 3rd-world problems with hard constraints and getting product out to people, which is awesome.  

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by appophylite 

I don't know about this particular product, but people in poorer parts of India still used the clay pot concept for keeping stuff cooler and solar heaters for slow cooking food all without electricity. It's actually becoming the latest fad with the middle and upper middle class people there too now, to the point that my mother is planning on bringing a solar cooker back with her on her coming trip this winter.

Seems like it would be easier for her to just to order a solar cooker from Amazon.com.

You would figure, but when she has plans, she has plans. Plus she'll probably get it cheaper if she buys in person there cause she won't have to deal with shipping.

Great link!  I didn't make the connection that an evaporative fridge would require reasonably clean/fresh water (I guess I take it for granted, since my faucet spews potable water).  Sure, dirty/contaminated water will evaporate, but that would foil the purpose of using a refrigerator to keep food from spoiling.

Water and energy...always the constraints, eh?
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by ford2 

 

 

I find the Coolgardie Safe to be a much better alternative,maybe I am biased.I am sure  you Americans had a similar thing.

 

 

http://museumvictoria.com.au/discoverycentre/infosheets/the-coolgardie-safe/