History of the invention of the first air conditioner
It is difficult to imagine life without air conditioning, but not so long ago, people lived without these systems. Until the middle of the 18th century, the general idea of air conditioning was introduced. But believe it or not, the concept of ventilation is pre-18th century. In fact, before this date, the man had realized the importance of air circulation, air quality and places, especially for his comfort. Here are some examples of the history of air conditioning:
Cavemen:
It has been found that cavemen did not live inside the cave just to be cave dwellers. Cave dwellers also deserve praise. They realized that the air under the rocks was cooler and they could choose to live there with their strategic choices.
Egyptian:
The Egyptians are famous for making the first modern comfort equipment, and air conditioning could be one of them. They knew about air circulation and learned that by hanging wet straws on windows, they could cool the air naturally. The moisture coming out of these straws cools the air and the air blows into the house like a breeze. In fact, this is the basis of cool air chillers!
Greeks and Romans:
The ancient Greeks were praised for inventing the aqueduct. Aqueducts carry water to the entire city and are the basis of cooling or heating water piping systems. The Romans later took the same invention one step further and incorporated it into architecture so that they could combine underground vents or ducts to use the system to transfer heat or cold throughout the building.
Chinese:
The Chinese introduced an invention to the world that is still used today: Fans! The Chinese discovered that air circulation on the skin creates a temporary feeling of coolness, so they developed a tool to simulate this. you guessed right; These fans later became the basis for our modern air conditioning systems.
Middle East:
Temperatures in the Middle East can sometimes be scorching. That is why the residents of this area realized how they can manage heat and temperature in their architecture. They designed towers that trapped and circulated cold air, drawing hot air upward and expelling it. The concept has changed over time, but the idea of a cooling tower still exists.
Victorians:
Victorians were aware of the use of airflow to improve the air inside their homes and increase their comfort. So, you see their houses with high ceilings, wide roofed porches and recessed or built-in windows. We still consider these criteria in home design!
The evolution of air conditioning systems from the beginning to the present day
Now that you are familiar with the general ideas and concepts with which the air conditioning system has grown, you may be wondering how it has come to be in its modern form. If so, let’s go back to the 18th century we said at the beginning:
What did Dr. John Gray do about air conditioning?
The idea of an air conditioning system came to the mind of an inventor named Dr. John Gorrie around the middle of the 18th century. He sought to cool the surrounding area for the comfort of patients, and also intended to come up with an idea for cooling cities in the warmer seasons. His first suggestion was to bring very large pieces of ice to the hospital from the north. After realizing that such equipment was a failure and illogical, he turned to a machine that produced ice with the help of horsepower. With this system, he was able to save the life of a patient, but his system did not find a way to the market, because the sponsor of finance died at the same time. He eventually designed a system that controlled the humidity with the help of cooling coils. After getting the patent for this device, automatic humidity control was considered.
Fifty years later, in 1904, the idea was formally introduced. It was at this time that a refrigeration system was used to cool the Missouri State Building. This was the first building to have such a function. After this, theatres also found heating and cooling systems.
What is the story of William Carrier and Carrier Engineering Company?
Willis Carrier, who worked as an engineer at the New York Buffalo Company, embarked on a mission to solve the great problem of humidity at Brooklyn Publications. A problem that caused problems and wrinkles in the publications. Carrier designed and patented its own air purifier. A device that used cold coils and water heating to humidify the air, or dehumidify by cooling the water. Carrier promoted the same system to be automatic. A system that measured air humidity and temperature.
With the success of the William Carrier tool, he realized that other businesses could also benefit from the tool. So he left Buffalo and set up his own company with six other engineers: Carrier Engineering. In fact, the date of the invention of the air conditioning system or AC in 1902 is named after William Carrier.
In 1922, Carrier designed the first dedicated cooling systems for Los Angeles theatres. On a memorable day in 1925, Carrier introduced a system called the centrifugal cooling system, an unexpected breakthrough in air conditioning inventions. Although it was more reliable and cheaper than its predecessors, it still had very large dimensions, and for high-volume projects and applications, the final price was very expensive.
When was the word air purifier first used?
In 1906, an engineer named Stuart Cramer coined the term. The first residential units were installed on houses in 1914. Due to their size, these units needed a separate room for themselves. Each of these home units was priced between $ 10,000 and $ 50,000. Something like $ 120,000 to $ 600,000 today.
What is the story of modern air conditioning that we are familiar with today?
Despite the excellent performance of air conditioners, they were still considered expensive for personal and private use. So, in 1932, two people named Schultz and Sherman built a unit that could fit in the window sill. By the 1960s, most homes had some form of central air conditioning.
As we move forward to today, we see air conditioners that are completely hidden from view and embedded in the structure of the building. This leads to their quieter performance and more sensible design.
Since 1947, air conditioning units have become both much smaller, shorter, and cheaper. In the same year, 43,000 systems were up and running. By 1960, most new homes in the United States were built with central air conditioning. Until then, electronic units could be purchased at a reasonable price and then reduced in price. This incident eventually made this device one of the necessary and vital tools that the middle class could also use.