[Yardstick]

I’d like to see more about the Victorian ice machines it had on board. I didn’t realize they had refrigeration back then.

[dr_lew]

I didn’t realize they had refrigeration back then.

It was based on an absorption cycle instead of the compression cycle used with modern refrigerants. Ammonia was evaporated to provide the cooling, then absorbed by water and driven back into vapor by heating, then condensed and evaporated again. It was relatively inefficient, but was usually driven by waste heat from an industrial boiler, so a ship was a natural for it.

[wally_bert]

A bit long but worth watching:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-bz7nYGxgo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xa588EDwwiE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiaQdoC92Ls

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRr2FltLwYI (Talks about early AC and refrigeration)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxkaD02iO1g