Thermoacoustic Cooler Means Green-Friendly Icecream 318
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."
Parties (Score:5, Funny)
This stuff works (Score:3, Funny)
What is the ultra-loud 173 dB sound? (Score:2, Funny)
Great (Score:5, Funny)
Helium (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Hmm.. (Score:2, Funny)
Summary please! (Score:3, Funny)
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?
Re:This stuff works (Score:5, Funny)
It also explains why I yell at those morons to "Chill out!", they just turn the volume up even louder.
Apparent Contraditions (Score:2, Funny)
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
What if Master P really was the Ice Cream Man? (Score:5, Funny)
"Naw man, it's cool...just makin' ice cream"
"Word"
Oh no (Score:5, Funny)
I knew this !!! (Score:0, Funny)
Well, I'll leave it at that and not go into icecream-producing issues using the same "technology"..
Rocky Road _is_ Noise Pollution (Score:1, Funny)
and that explains.. (Score:3, Funny)
Cindy Lauper.. not cool.
"Quiet operation"? (Score:5, Funny)
Whohooo...! (Score:3, Funny)
Three Observations (Score:5, Funny)
- 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.)
So you're saying.... (Score:2, Funny)
Re:noisy (Score:1, Funny)
but I'm worried about the dwarf who lives inside and is supposed to shut the lights off...
Re:Same Energy as Freon Systems (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Microwave Fridge (Score:2, Funny)
Space shuttle (Score:4, Funny)
Apparently thermoacoustic refrigeration works better in orbit because in space, no-one can hear ice cream.