(Un)Conventional Cooling

My friend The Bellman recently posted information on a couple of cooling methods, both for foods but both with possibility for greater application.



Firstly, the pot-in-pot cooling system was developed by Nigeria's Mohammed Bah Abba, who referenced basic thermodynamics to devise a relatively simple container to cool fruits and vegetables in his native country. Placing damp sand in the cavity between two clay pots, Abba has extended the life of eggplants from three days to 27, while spinach lasts almost two weeks instead of one day. The invention is a recipient of a Rolex Prize for Enterprise.



And secondly, NPR's Fresh Air broadcast a piece on a freezer that uses sound waves instead of chemicals. A 190-decibel note fluctuates rapidly to produce pockets of hot and cold air, the cool air funneled into a case refrigerating, yes, Ben & Jerry's ice cream.