Invented by : Willis Haviland Carrier
Invented in year : 1902
Willis Haviland Carrier, a graduate from Cornell University with a Masters in Engineering invented the first Air Conditioner (temperature and humidity) in the year 1902. His invention came only one year after his graduation. Carrier was a new employee at the Buffalo Forge Company (Brooklyn printing plant) where he started on a salary of only $10.00 per week. Fluctuations in heat and humidity in his plant caused the dimensions of the printing paper to keep altering slightly, enough to ensure a misalignment of the colored inks. Carrier's new air conditioning machine created a stable environment and aligned four-color printing became possible.
Willis Haviland Carrier was granted The 'Apparatus for Treating Air' (U.S. Pat# 808897) patent in 1906. It was the first of several patents awarded to 'Father of Air Conditioning', a title he earned by the virtue of his invention. And 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. 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.
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.
Role of Air Conditioner in the improvement of human life
- With the new ability to control the temperature and humidity levels the industries flourished
- Products like Film, tobacco, processed meats, medical capsules, textiles and others acquired significant improvements in quality with air conditioning.
- Relief from the weather was another comfort given by AC's
