The gas freezer is a device which is very similar to an electric freezer. It operates with the use of propane gas which is a natural gas. It does not require an electrically powered compressor to function. A gas freezer virtually silent and has no moving parts. Its operating principle was first discovered in the year 1824. However such a fridge was not really commercialized until the onset of the early nineteen twenties. If you want to know how the gas freezer functions, you will have to keep some important facts in mind.
Important Facts about the Gas Freezer
Cold is created From Heat and Cooling Cycle Starts
The gas freezer makes use of a combination water, hydrogen and ammonia inside a pressurized system that is sealed, for the creation of cold temperatures. Such a refrigeration system comprises of one boiler, one condenser, one evaporator, one absorber and one separator. This freezer is pressurized to the level when the ammonia remains in liquid form if stored at room temperature. Entire refrigeration system relies very heavily on the principles of heat transfer, gravity and pressure differentials for its operation. The cooling cycle of the gas freezer begins at the boiler. This is when the heat from gas flames is applied to the water and ammonia mixture inside the boiler. Ammonia boils away at a temperature which is much lower than the temperature of the water and begins bubbling. After that the boiler feeds into one percolator pump directly and the ammonia bubbles start rising. These bubbles contain a combination of liquid ammonia, ammonia gas, steam and water. After the bubbles start making their way towards the top part of the percolator pump, they burst. When they burst, they release ammonia vapor which is almost pure along with a bit of steam. Then the liquid ammonia and the water flow back down the boiler while hot ammonia vapors rise through the separator which in turn extracts water traces from the vapor.
Hot Vapor Condenses into Liquid and then Again to Vapor
The next important function which the gas freezer performs is that it condenses the hot ammonia vapor into liquid form inside the condenser. The ammonia vapor then loses all the heat that it had possessed to the air outside. After that it flows in a downward manner with force of gravity towards the evaporating chamber of the gas freezer. This chamber contains hydrogen gas that reacts chemically to the ammonia in order to vaporize it. This chemical reaction requires plenty of heat which is subtracted from the interiors of the freezer box or the refrigerator. The final function which the gas freezer performs is recombining the water with ammonia in the absorption chamber and releases hydrogen gas which rises back up to evaporator coil. This water and ammonia solution then makes its way to the boiler after which is it heated once again for continuing the entire refrigeration cycle.
Thus, the process by which the gas freezer performs its tasks is quite a complex one.