World Refrigeration Day is celebrated annually on June 26. It was established to highlight the importance of refrigeration technologies that people use in their daily lives, as well as to increase the popularity of the refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump sector.
History of refrigeration technologies
The term “refrigeration” means the artificial cooling of a substance, system or room in order to reduce and/or maintain their temperature below the ambient temperature. The earliest forms of cooling involved collecting ice and snow to preserve food and cool drinks, as well as using evaporation to cool the air.
The first thermodynamic cooling cycle – the vapor compression cycle – was described by the American inventor and engineer Oliver Evans in 1805. However, it took several more decades to create the first practical vapor compression cooling system. The first commercial ice-making machine was patented in 1854, and refrigerators for home use were invented in 1913.
Although the word “refrigeration” is mainly associated with household, commercial and industrial refrigerators and freezers, cooling technologies are used much more widely. Refrigeration is used in many industrial processes, for air conditioning in private homes and public buildings, and so on. It is literally impossible to imagine modern life without refrigeration, as it is used almost everywhere.
In addition, it is important to remember that cooling and heating are two sides of the same coin, as cooling, air conditioning and heat pump systems are based on the same principles of operation. The only significant difference between them is their goals. So, in essence, when you use a heat pump to heat your home, you are using cooling technology. That is why World Refrigeration Day covers the refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump industry.
World Refrigeration Day
The person who came up with the idea to establish World Refrigeration Day dedicated to refrigeration technologies was Stephen Gill, a refrigeration consultant and former president of the British Institute of Refrigeration. In 2018, the idea was supported by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). The following year, the celebration was supported by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
The first celebration of World Refrigeration Day took place on June 26, 2019. The date of the day was chosen to commemorate the anniversary of the birth of William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin. A famous British mathematician, physician and engineer, Kelvin is best known for his contributions to thermodynamics, which paved the way for the development of heat pumps and cooling cycles.
On the occasion of the first World Refrigeration Day, more than 800 events were held in more than 150 countries around the world. Since then, it has been celebrated annually, each year focusing on a new aspect of the cooling sector.