Aug 02, 2015 09:01 PM
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Merriam-Webster defines a refrigerator as "a room or appliance for keeping food or other items cool". A refrigerator for personal use commonly houses two compartments: one slightly above the freezing temperature of water and one slightly below. Refrigerators can be as simple as previously described, or as complex as also housing ice makers, LCD read-outs, multiple controllable temperature regions, and other add-ons.
This Whirlpool Refrigerator could be considered a "standard" side-by-side refrigerator. This article's purpose is to explain the inner workings of this specific refrigerator assuming most principles could be transferred across other manufacturers.
The history of the refrigerator is a long and colorful story. For centuries, food was stored in outdoor window boxes, indoor storage cabinets, in cellars, underwater in lakes, or in a springhouse. According to History Magazine, it was not unusual in colonial days to die of “summer complaint” due to spoiled food during warm weather.
To combat this, ice was used as a method of cooling down fresh food and keeping it cold. Natural ice was the first form of refrigeration but eventually led to health issues as natural ice became a problem because of sewage and pollution. The solution was found by mechanically manufacturing ice, which is the basis of refrigeration.
The refrigeration industry revolutionized the world. The brewing industry was one of the first industries to reap the benefits and was the first activity in the United states to use mechanical refrigeration as a key part of the manufacturing process. Refrigeration provided the brewing industry with the ability to make lagers, which revolutionized collegiate life, giving us Natural Light.The meat packing industry quickly adopted mechanical refrigeration. This allowed the industry to become a year-round producing industry as animals could be brought to market anytime. Refrigeration cars helped to establish mid-Western cities as slaughter centers of the country and gave us the meat producing capitals that are still maintained today.
