Curated OER
Refrigeration Part 2 - How they work
Fourth graders investigate insulators and how refrigerators actually work to keep things cold through evaporation and pressure changes in the coolant. They create a box to keep an ice cube from melting, and observe a variety of...
Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: Applications of Thermodynamics: Heat Pumps and Refrigerators
By the end of this section, you will be able to describe the use of heat engines in heat pumps and refrigerators, demonstrate how a heat pump works to warm an interior space, explain the differences between heat pumps and refrigerators,...
National Academy of Engineering
Greatest Engineering Achievements of 20th Century: Air Conditioning & Refrigerat
Students learn about air conditioning and refrigeration in the 20th century. The resource consists of historical information, a timeline, and a personal essay by a key innovator.
Florida State University
Florida State University: Magnet Lab: Dilution Refrigerators
Dilution fridges owe their cooling power to the incredible element helium. This animation illustrates how dil fridges exploit the element's properties to make things very, very cold.
Famous Scientists
Famous Scientists: Ukichiro Nakaya
A short biography about Ukichiro Nakaya, who is known for his work in glaciology and low-temperature sciences. He is credited with making the first artificial snowflakes.
Careers New Zealand
Careers Nz: Building Insulator
This site contains information on becoming a building insulator in New Zealand. While some of the information is specific to New Zealand, most of it is uniform to the career. Includes job description, tasks and duties, personal...
MadSci Network
Msn: How Does an Air Conditioner or Refrigerator Work?
From the Mad Scientist Network. Using a question and answer format, this page explains the answer to the question "How does An air conditioner or refrigerator work?" The scientific principles which underly their operation and the process...
University of Sydney (Australia)
Thermal Physics Module: Refrigerators and Heat Pumps [Pdf]
Refrigerators and heat pumps are described. Their operation is explained and the variables which improve their efficiency is discussed.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Mn Step: What's the Coolest?
This is an investigation into how to insulate something so that it stays frozen. Students will experiment with different materials to try to create the best cooler. They will then follow a procedure to make ice-cream, and learn about the...
Other
Advanced Thermoelectric: Fundamental Thermoelectrics
Discusses the scientific principles (the Peltier effect) and the reliability and operation of thermoelectric modules. Includes a link to several other pages, one of which contains an animation of their operation.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Mit: Inventor of the Week: Invention Dimension: Inventor of the Week: Frederick M. Jones
A brief biographical note about Frederick McKinley Jones that cites his work in the areas of refrigeration and sound recording.
Mocomi & Anibrain Digital Technologies
Mocomi: How Do Refrigerators Work?
The invention of the refrigerator has created an opportunity for longer food storage and less waste. Understand how the "ice boxes" work.
Other
Warmair.com: Refrigeration Cycle
The expansion-compression-condensation cycle of a refrigerator is discussed and explained. Understandable language but no graphics.
Curated OER
Warmair.com: Refrigeration Cycle
The expansion-compression-condensation cycle of a refrigerator is discussed and explained. Understandable language but no graphics.