Comments on: Student Invents Solar-Powered Fridge for Developing Countries

By: Jeremy

Jeremy — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 09:07:21 +0000

Really nice idea, and will no doubt be very useful. However, the traditional model uses locally available natural materials such as clay and sand. It can be hand-made, and requires no industrial processing or shipping to Africa. Although this one looks a lot slicker and more efficient, the original is ultimately more accessible and more sustainable.

By: jaxjt9

jaxjt9 — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 07:40:32 +0000

Many of you sound like mean and bitter people. So what if the idea is not original. She took a year off to actually go to Africa to help people. Did any of you go? What did you to try and improve the lives of these people. Do you think you are better because you are better educated sitting at your computer making criticism of our next generation. Be thankful this girl is not some crack head degenerate that we already have enough of! Be thankful that she can see beyond her own need! This is our next generation. If there were more young people like her, this world would be better a place to live in.

My advice to you old sour grapes is to stop throwing rocks from your glass house. Maybe if you spent more time encouraging our youth rather than criticizing them, you might actually have something to be proud of that you personally have done in your life.

By: tonymikes

tonymikes — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 21:58:20 +0000

I have seen a similar principal used to cool water. In the middle east / north africa they have used porous ceramic jugs to cool water for centuries. The water in the jug slowly moves through the porous ceramic and coats the outside of the jug. If left in a shaded area the water that evaporates cools the water inside significantly…
New technology is rarely new! More often than not it is remade into something similar.

By: gabrieltullis

gabrieltullis — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 00:12:11 +0000

True, this was not invented by her.

By: mazHur

mazHur — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 15:23:15 +0000

it looks like an experiment to prove that evaporation has a cooling effect.
this principle is already in use with ‘desert coolers’ to cool air.

It would lose its efficiency if the ambient conditions are too humid.

By: EMJAY

EMJAY — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 14:02:32 +0000

give her some credit at least its like a more refined version of the local, traditional type. shes only tryin to be innovative. even big corporations are doin the same thing. besides, what have ya’ll done lately!!

By: Dr. Bill

Dr. Bill — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 23:34:24 +0000

My recommendation for the girl….go back to college so you can learn about all the stuff that’s already been invented by other people.

By: Dr. Bill

Dr. Bill — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 23:30:41 +0000

As heartwarming as this story seems, this girl didn’t really “invent” anything. People in developing countries, in areas without electricity have been doing this for years under some version of the name “pot in a pot.” The principle is identical, however.

Put one small pot inside one larger pot. Fill the space between the two pots with sand. Fill with water. Let the sun evaporate the water, thus making the internal temperature drop. But I can guarantee you that temperature will not drop to 43 degrees. Unless the external temperature is 60 degree. Evaporation can only drop the ambient temperature by (at most, 20 degrees).

By: peterpan

peterpan — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 18:13:43 +0000

Its not an “invention” as others have pointed out. As a young child, we had a “water powered” fridge. It was like a conventional one, but you poured water into top! I’m not an OAP incidently:-).

By: elsowell

elsowell — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 22:38:55 +0000

Yes this is an old idea proven by the previous comments but I guess none of you were smart enough to try and use it to help people like Emily has done. Nice job Emily!!

By: chayd

chayd — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 19:03:58 +0000

Don’t like to be cynical, but are we going to be seeing ‘Student Invents Wheel’ soon? Evaporative cooling containers have been around for millenia, previous examples used earthenware pots standing in a dish of water, the inside of which was glazed to prevent water ingress. This is a nice (if unnecessarily expensive) modern example of an age-old design.

By: dirkdirk

dirkdirk — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 10:47:32 +0000

She didn’t design that device. I read an article a few months back about people in third world countries using that technique with clay pots. No need for them to buy this device with what little money that they have if they already have clay pots around. Good idea, not hers

By: crackgerbal

crackgerbal — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 18:23:20 +0000

Its a great idea, however, its not new. People of Africa have been using this design for a lot longer than you think. The only difference in the design is that the African’s used to use two clay jars with a gap in between them rather than metal.

Congrats to her for coming up with good marketing strategies, but this method of cooling has been around for centuries and is not new technology. Not to say that it shouldn’t be more widely used to reduce energy consumption, but she did not invent this kind of cooling device.

http://www.urbansurvivalists.com

By: carlos

carlos — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 16:12:56 +0000

What a joke. This is called a “swamp cooler”. This method has been used to cool homes in the American southwest, for years. The higher the humidity, the less efficient it works. Changing the shape and size of the mechanism, does not an invention make.

By: percyob1

percyob1 — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 12:22:41 +0000

Although a very good and honourable idea, it is not new. In fact it is ancient and examples of it have been found in archaeology. I am not suggesting that Emily is ware of this and I do not wish to detract from her very good and very useful idea. Well done Emily ;-)