4 ms·

Water is the original coolant. Abundant, decent performance, cheap, non-toxic.

dogma1138 2y ago
Not only decent performance but the highest head capacity of all liquids, and it’s boiling point can be easily adjusted by lowering pressure if required.
- bumby 2y ago
  Ammonia tends to outperform water, but it's toxic. I believe it was used in some of the first refrigeration applications (and I think Einstein had a patent related to one).
  - anfractuosity 2y ago
    I came across potassium nitrate + water being used for making things cold - https://cordis.europa.eu/article/id/36036-making-things-cold-a-history-of-science-technology-and-culture https://cordis.europa.eu/article/id/36036-making-things-cold... . Wonder if that could be used too?
  - jaclaz 2y ago
    Absorption refrigerator: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absorption_refrigerator https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absorption_refrigerator Einstein refrigerator: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Einstein_refrigerator https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Einstein_refrigerator The principle is still used in some refrigerating devices (typically hotel mini fridges and similar small units for RV's) as there is no need of a compressor (i.e. the device is completely silent) and also in some HVAC machines.
  - dogma1138 2y ago
    We aren’t talking about regurgitation but rather about heat transfer. Ammonia has lower heat capacity than water, and it’s nasty.
    - bumby 2y ago
      >Ammonia has lower heat capacity You’re probably confusing gaseous ammonia, but the GGP said “of all liquids.” Liquid ammonia has a higher heat capacity than liquid water. Refrigeration is just an engineering application of the heat capacity of a working fluid (and I’ll let you guys why some of the earliest heat pumps used ammonia) >it’s nasty I clearly stated toxicity as an obvious downside.
lesuorac 2y ago
But also corrosive.
- taskforcegemini 2y ago
  unless distilled
  - elcritch 2y ago
    Ah distilled water is terrible for metal pipes. It’ll leach out metal ions from the pipes.

Not only decent performance but the highest head capacity of all liquids, and it’s boiling point can be easily adjusted by lowering pressure if required.

bumby 2y ago
Ammonia tends to outperform water, but it's toxic. I believe it was used in some of the first refrigeration applications (and I think Einstein had a patent related to one).
- anfractuosity 2y ago
  I came across potassium nitrate + water being used for making things cold - https://cordis.europa.eu/article/id/36036-making-things-cold-a-history-of-science-technology-and-culture https://cordis.europa.eu/article/id/36036-making-things-cold... . Wonder if that could be used too?
- jaclaz 2y ago
  Absorption refrigerator: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absorption_refrigerator https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absorption_refrigerator Einstein refrigerator: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Einstein_refrigerator https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Einstein_refrigerator The principle is still used in some refrigerating devices (typically hotel mini fridges and similar small units for RV's) as there is no need of a compressor (i.e. the device is completely silent) and also in some HVAC machines.
- dogma1138 2y ago
  We aren’t talking about regurgitation but rather about heat transfer. Ammonia has lower heat capacity than water, and it’s nasty.
  - bumby 2y ago
    >Ammonia has lower heat capacity You’re probably confusing gaseous ammonia, but the GGP said “of all liquids.” Liquid ammonia has a higher heat capacity than liquid water. Refrigeration is just an engineering application of the heat capacity of a working fluid (and I’ll let you guys why some of the earliest heat pumps used ammonia) >it’s nasty I clearly stated toxicity as an obvious downside.

lesuorac 2y ago

But also corrosive.

taskforcegemini 2y ago
unless distilled
- elcritch 2y ago
  Ah distilled water is terrible for metal pipes. It’ll leach out metal ions from the pipes.