Refrigeration sector monitoring

Refrigeration thanks to plastic crystals

Researchers have found that "plastic crystals" undergo particularly high temperature variations when subjected to pressure changes. These materials could be used for the development of the promising technology of barocaloric refrigeration.

• Publication date : 2019/04/30

R&D: Thermoelastic cooling

Researchers at the University of Maryland are developing a new "thermally elastic" metal alloy for use in advanced refrigeration and air-conditioning systems. This two-state alloy alternately absorbs or creates heat in much the same way as a...

• Publication date : 2011/02/07

Taiwanese fruit distributor tracks fresh produce via RFID

Je-Nong Cooperative Farm has reduced labor costs by adopting plastic crates with embedded passive UHF EPC tags to track its products.

• Publication date : 2013/11/19

Packaging innovations

Plant-based food packaging Biodegradable packaging looks set to be the way of the future. A sharp rise in demand for natural products and healthier food added to the stability of maize prices versus those of petroleum-based polymers have...

• Publication date : 2006/05/05

Brief: System to go!

Danfoss has been awarded its 4th consecutive Refrigeration Innovation Award for a completely self-contained refrigeration system. The Interchangeable Cooling Engine (I.C.E.) was designed for vending machine applications - it is already compliant...

• Publication date : 2006/05/05

Briefs: Non-PVC Food Wrap

Diamant Film, a Canadian company, is responding to banning of PVC stretch films used for foods and now has exclusive marketing and distribution rights for its non-PVC films in China, South Korea and Thailand. PVC films contain DEHA, a carcinogenic...

• Publication date : 2006/07/26

Briefs: biodegradable packaging

The use of biodegradable packaging (such as starch and polylactic acid) in Eastern Europe is taking off: in 2006, 821 tonnes of such packaging were consumed in Eastern Europe, compared with 19 350 tonnes in Western Europe and 16 047 tonnes in...

• Publication date : 2007/05/04

Briefs: cryogenic labels

In order to identify specimens for forensic investigations, medical research or blood, plasma and semen donations, reliable identification is vital. Labels used for deep-frozen material need to be durable and legible and must remain where they are...

• Publication date : 2008/10/25

New freedom for diabetics

A portable refrigerator is designed for storing insulin has been developed and won second prize in the Emhart "create the future" contest. It fits in a jacket pocket and is powered by a rechargeable battery. It uses a Peltier device (heat pump)...

• Publication date : 2004/05/25

Briefs: English pears all year round

Tesco, a UK-based retailer, has announced the availability of English pears all year round. Until now, the autumn fruit, which some consider the best in the world, was only available from September-May. Tesco's biggest pear supplier, Adrian...

• Publication date : 2011/02/11

Green light for VIP project

The EU's sustainable development project aiming to reduce energy consumption has led to the recently concluded Vacuum Insulating Panels (VIP) project, initiated in 2001. According to the designers, these panels provide 5-7 times more insulating...

• Publication date : 2005/07/19

Briefs: Morning dew: a source of drinking water

Researchers at Grenoble CEA, in France, have designed, thanks to a new material, a collector that can collect and condense dew, providing a precious additional source of water, and furthermore, of drinking water. The device is based on the...

• Publication date : 2006/07/26

Out of the ordinary: Fed up with warm beer?

Warm beer at a barbecue got young Kent Hodgson thinking about ways of cooling drinks without lugging around a chilly bin. The 22-year old New Zealand inventor has invented Huski, a device that turns a tepid beverage into a cold drink within...

• Publication date : 2008/05/13

Nanotechnology applications: Nanopackaging

Nanopackaging market worth billions Global sales of nanotechnology-related products approached 739 million € last year, and the food packaging industry could be worth as much as 22 billion €, according to a new study that provides an insight into...

• Publication date : 2007/08/05

Fridge recycling scheme in the favelas

In 2000, the Brazilian government passed a law requiring that electricity providers invest 0.5% of their turnover in projects promoting energy efficiency, especially among the disadvantaged. Among these, a refrigerator exchange project in the...

• Publication date : 2011/06/20

Micro-refrigeration

Future computer chips will probablly generate 10 times more heat than today's microprocessors and will require new types of cooling systems. Currently, computers are usually cooled thanks to fans and small finned devices called heat sinks, but the...

• Publication date : 2008/08/12

Pioneering CO2 road vehicles

Aldi Süd, Germany's biggest supermarket chain, is investing in new road transportation for frozen food and beverages with a view to promoting CO2. The next-generation vehicles will go into serial production after being exhibited at the Frankfurt...

• Publication date : 2009/08/13

3D printing for passive buildings

3D printing of buildings, which has advantages in terms of cost and speed of construction, can also facilitate the design of near zero energy buildings. 

• Publication date : 2021/03/29

Reducing the economic costs of a direct-use geothermal heating system

Italian researchers have modelled a polymer heat exchanger to reduce the cost of a direct-use geothermal heating system for a single building in the active volcano district of the...

• Publication date : 2022/02/21
• Subjects: Technology

Edible packaging: drink a beverage and eat the bottle too!

Prof. David A. Edwards has developed creations that include inhalable chocolate, inhalable caffeine, and a tuberculosis vaccine in the form of a spray.

• Publication date : 2012/07/17

Israel: new pre-cooling system for cherries

Mobile pre-cooling system can help preserve fruit quality straight after harvest

• Publication date : 2012/08/24

Chilled food cold chain in France

Results of a cold chain study in France carried out in 2013 within the European FRISBEE project were published in the International Journal of Refrigeration.

• Publication date : 2015/11/13

LEGO® block structures as a solution for cryogenic temperature insulation?

British researchers have cooled LEGO® blocks at a temperature of a few mK in an experiment which reveals a possible new application for the material which composes the popular toy.

• Publication date : 2020/02/27

Edible carrot films display food packaging potential

Barrier properties exhibited by carrot-based edible films demonstrate potential for their use as packaging for a variety of food types, according to recent research from China.

• Publication date : 2011/12/27

US: innovative technologies to reduce air conditioning costs

Two articles present innovative windows to reduce air conditioning costs.

• Publication date : 2017/02/17
• Subjects: Environment