College Student Invents Affordable Solar-Powered Fridge

January 8th, 2009 by Ariel Schwartz

A British college student has invented a new type of solar-powered fridge that can be built entirely from household materials. According to 21 year old Emily Cummins, the fridge works with the help of evaporation. The fridge stays at a comfortable 6° C without using any power, and can keep perishables cool for days.

Cummins’ fridge is made up of two cylinders, with one inside the other. The inner cylinder is made of metal, and the water-soaked outer cylinder can be made from wood or plastic. When placed in the sun, the sun heats the outer cylinder and water evaporates off. Heat is removed from the inner cylinder during the evaporation process, keeping the interior of the fridge cool.

Emily Cummins isn’t the first person to design a solar fridge, but the cheapness of her design makes it ideal for poor locales.

Photo Credit: Flickr user Nictalopen under a CC license









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