Technological advancement or invention from 1815 to present - Essay Example

Discussion Air conditioning was first conceptualized in the tradition of refrigeration. Refrigeration came about due to the need to preserve foods (Air Conditioning Systems). It was discovered that by keeping the temperature around food at below 4 degrees Celsius, it was possible to reduce the growth of bacteria and to prevent food spoilage. From the development of refrigeration, air conditioning came about. The basic foundations of refrigeration seen in 1824 indicated that liquefied ammonia could cool the air when it is evaporated (Air Conditioning Systems).

These foundations laid the groundwork for the invention of the commercially available air conditioning units. The need for air conditioning was seen because industrialists saw the need to reduce air temperature in their industries. In 1902, Willis Haviland Carrier invented the first electrical air conditioning unit (Air Conditioning Systems). At that time, his invention was very much relevant in the manufacturing process of a printing plant where controlled temperature and humidity assisted in making the printing process more efficient because it maintained consistency in the paper size and ink alignment (Air Conditioning Systems). . Carrier’s legacy was soon improved and conceptualized for its human suitability.

However, not until 1928, with the discovery of Freon by Thomas Midgley, Jr. was the home use of air conditioning considered (Air Conditioning Systems). Freon was considered a safer and less toxic refrigerant. The invention of the Freon followed the more widespread of the air conditioner as its use was then seen in The White House in the 1930s; and in the 1940s and 1950s, its demand would continue to increase for many homes (Air Conditioning Systems). With these demands, the air conditioner also took on various physical changes, with its build being made smaller.

Moreover, improvements to the technology integrated changes which included its applicability as a heating mechanism during winter months. Carrier patented his ‘apparatus for treating air’ in 1906. The term air conditioning was actually not Carrier’s term. It was coined and introduced by Stuart Cramer in a patent he filed in 1906 for a device he invented which incorporated water vapor to the air in textile plants (Bellis). Willis Haviland Carrier shared his Rational Psychometric Formula with the American Society of Mechanical Engineers in 1911 and this formula is still being used in the air conditioning industry today (Bellis).

Due to Carrier’s invention, industries were able to operate well because they now had the ability to control temperature and humidity levels while operating their machineries and carrying out their work processes. Different industries like film, tobacco, processed meats, medical capsules, textiles, and other products were able to carry out their processes well without fear of straining their machineries and other equipment (Bellis). In 1921, Carrier patented the centrifugal