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By
Mary
Bellis
"I fish only for edible fish,
and hunt only for edible game even in the laboratory." - Willis Haviland
Carrier on being practical.
In 1902, only one year after Willis
Haviland Carrier graduated from Cornell University with a Masters in Engineering,
the first air (temperature and humidity) conditioning was in operation,
making one Brooklyn printing plant owner very happy. Fluctuations in heat
and humidity in his plant had caused the dimensions of the printing paper
to keep altering slightly, enough to ensure a misalignment of the colored
inks. The new air conditioning machine created a stable environment and
aligned four-color printing became possible. All thanks to the new employee
at the Buffalo Forge Company, who started on a salary of only $10.00 per
week.
The 'Apparatus for Treating Air'
(U.S. Pat# 808897) granted in 1906, was the first of several patents awarded
to Willis Haviland Carrier. The recognized 'father of air conditioning'
is Carrier, but the term 'air conditioning' actually originated with textile
engineer, Stuart H. Cramer. Cramer used the phrase 'air conditioning' in
a 1906 patent claim filed for a device that added water vapor to the air
in textile plants - to condition the yarn.
In 1911, Willis Haviland Carrier
disclosed his basic Rational Psychrometric Formulae to the
American Society of Mechanical Engineers. The formula still stands
today as the basis in all fundamental calculations for the air conditioning
industry. Carrier said he received his 'flash of genius' while waiting
for a train. It was a foggy night and he was going over in his mind the
problem of temperature and humidity control. By the time the train arrived,
Carrier had an understanding of the relationship between temperature, humidity
and dew point.
Industries flourished with the new
ability to control the temperature and humidity levels during and after
production. Film, tobacco, processed meats, medical capsules, textiles
and other products acquired significant improvements in quality with air
conditioning. Willis and six other engineers formed the Carrier Engineering
Corporation in 1915 with a starting capital of $35,000 (1995 sales topped
$5 billion). The company was dedicated to improving air conditioning technology.
In 1921, Willis Haviland Carrier
patented the centrifugal refrigeration machine. The 'centrifugal chiller'
was the first practical method of air conditioning large spaces. Previous
refrigeration machines used reciprocating-compressors (piston-driven) to
pump refrigerant (often toxic and flammable ammonia) throughout the system.
Carrier designed a centrifugal-compressor similar to the centrifugal turning-blades
of a water pump. The result was a safer and more efficient chiller.
 Photo:
Early home unit
Cooling for human comfort, rather
than industrial need, began in 1924, noted by the three Carrier centrifugal
chillers installed in the J.L. Hudson Department Store in Detroit, Michigan.
Shoppers flocked to the 'air conditioned' store. The boom in human cooling
spread from the department stores to the movie theaters, most notably the
Rivoli theater in New York, whose summer film business skyrocketed when
it heavily advertised the cool comfort. Demand increased for smaller units
and the Carrier Company obliged.
In 1928, Willis Haviland Carrier
developed the first residential 'Weathermaker', an air conditioner
for private home use. The Great Depression and then WW2 slowed the non-industrial
use of air conditioning. After the war, consumer sales started to grow
again. The rest is history, cool and comfortable history.
Willis Haviland Carrier did not invent
the very first system to cool an interior structure, however, his system
was the first truly successful and safe one that started the science of
modern air conditioning. You can read about the earlier history of air
conditioning in the recommended reading material
listed in the left sidebar.
Special thanks given to the Carrier
Corporation
Next
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History of the Refrigerator
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