this post was submitted on 11 May 2026
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235
While refrigerators and air conditioners still rely on gases that can leak, a Cambridge startup raises $10 million to create refrigeration with plastic crystals that cool when squeezed. (en.clickpetroleoegas.com.br)
submitted 5 days ago by sanitation@lemmy.radio to c/technology@lemmy.world
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[–] spongebue@lemmy.world 9 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Squeezing (pressurizing) certain gases are basically how air conditioners work. Under pressure, the gases can absorb more heat (think pressure cooker - those get hotter because they raise the boiling point of water with the higher pressure). Shuffle that pressurized gas somewhere else with lower pressure, and it can no longer hold all that heat and needs to release it. Tada: heat has been moved from one location to another.

[–] Cliff@lemmy.world 3 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (1 children)

It kind of works exactly the other way around. The high pressure section is where the heat gets released and the low pressure section where it absorbs the heat (cools down the surroundings).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vapor-compression_refrigeration#Description

Similar to a Refrigerator:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Refrigerator#Compressor_refrigerators

[–] spongebue@lemmy.world 5 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Alec Watson (Technology Connections) would be disappointed in me

[–] Cliff@lemmy.world 2 points 4 days ago (1 children)

I don't know him. But learning something is never a bad thing. I guess he also thinks that way.

[–] spongebue@lemmy.world 4 points 4 days ago

You're missing out! He basically picks out random technologies and stuff that interests him and explains how they work in an easy to digest way. Even if you're familiar with the subject he still manages to make it interesting. And he looooves heat pumps and anything remotely related to it.

https://youtu.be/7J52mDjZzto