For millennia, we have known how to heat food, and in the last century, we already had household appliances for this purpose. But what do we do to cool them faster? Beyond the freezer (and the old wet napkin trick), a group of experts has just created the first “reverse microwave” that changes everything. You can have it at home, it uses no electricity, and it’s for something you’ll probably enjoy on weekends. Can you imagine how it works? You won’t believe it.
Could this be the first-ever “reverse microwave”: Luxembourg has just achieved a milestone
The List from the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is known to have made a research discovery in the arena of refrigeration lately. Their new cooling mechanism, which they term the reverse microwave, is expected to transform the action of the currently common environmentally destructive refrigeration techniques.
This breakthrough plan utilizes the Electrocaloric effect to invent a refrigeration system that has no need for coolants that harm the environment and is energy efficient. The invention of the reverse microwave was done by Emmanuel Defay alongside his researchers at the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology.
Thus, the original concept of the project appeared after admitting the fact that conventional refrigeration, which involves the use of cycles where heat is transferred by compression and expansion of fluids, is disadvantageous and pernicious to the environment. These systems consume large amounts of energy and are made up of certain environmentally reckless refrigerants.
It’s not about magic, but about something more boring: This is the science behind this “reverse microwave”
The recently incorporated cooling mechanism of the LIST depends on the electrocaloric effect. This effect takes place when an electric field is imposed on a material, and the temperature of the material in question rises, only to return to normal once the imposition of the electric field is removed. In the event that the electric field is removed, the material cools down.
This process can be repeated to get a continuous cooling cycle. The reverse microwave is formed with the help of a stack of electrocaloric materials, more specifically lead scandium tantalize (LST), which is acknowledged to possess high electrocaloric attributes.
The LST strips are piled on top of each other and submerged in a heat-transferring medium, for instance, silicone oil. In the presence of an electric field, strips of LST get heated, causing the fluid in the tubes to shift to the right. As the electric field is removed, the LST strips cool down and due to the gradient created, the fluid moves to the left.
What can you do with this invention at home? That’s why you will love to use it
All things considered, the reverse microwave has proven to have a theoretical efficiency that stands at 67%, which is rather higher compared to conventional refrigeration technologies. However, the current design for it is scientifically about 12% efficient. This is because there is a need to get better heat conductors other than the LST material used.
The team has assessed that there is a possibility of boosting the heat conductivity to solve the problem effectively. The reverse microwave can be regarded as the foundation of new refrigeration systems in the future. Hence, it can be used to cool or warm rooms or objects depending on the need, and thus it can be used in several ways.
The novelty is that the device does not use moving parts or environmentally unsafe refrigerants, as most of the traditional refrigeration equipment does. The reverse microwave is another microwave that has a significant edge since it does not have any functioning parts that move. This helps minimize mechanical failure and/or frequent maintenance.
This first reverse microwave was first a theorized invention and then an innovative creation, but now it has become an appliance you can have in your kitchen. Can you imagine cooling a bottle of wine in less than a minute? It’s something that seems as surprising as it is futuristic, but we already have it in our hands. Innovation knows fewer and fewer limits, and we are very close to breaking down the few that remain (some of them you have been able to review with us).
