Wiktor Wise
The invention of the electric air conditioner was a breakthrough that changed the world, and it is widely believed that Willis Haviland Carrier invented the first modern electrical air conditioning unit in 1902. The invention of the air conditioner was the result of a series of advancements by scientists and inventors who aimed to find creative solutions to existing problems. In this case, Carrier was tasked with solving a humidity problem that was causing magazine pages to wrinkle. His invention controlled both temperature and humidity, and he soon realized that humidity control and air conditioning could benefit many other industries.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the inventor | Willis Haviland Carrier |
| Year of invention | 1902 |
| Date of birth | November 26, 1876 |
| Date of death | October 7, 1950 |
| Birthplace | Angola, New York |
| Education | Graduated from Angola Academy in 1894, Buffalo High School in 1897, and Cornell University in 1901 with a Master of Engineering degree |
| Occupation | Engineer |
| Company founded | Carrier Corporation |
| Year company was founded | 1915 |
| Company's specialty | Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems |
| Invention's purpose | To control humidity and maintain consistent paper dimensions and ink alignment at a printing plant |
| Impact of the invention | Gave rise to numerous industries, including the manufacturing of baked goods and wartime supplies; enabled the summer movie blockbuster phenomenon; and contributed to the development of shopping malls, transatlantic flight, and computers and servers |
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What You'll Learn
- Willis Carrier: Inventor of the first modern electric air conditioner
- John Gorrie: Pioneered compressor technology to create ice
- James Harrison: Created the first mechanical ice-making machine
- Frederick McKinley Jones: Invented refrigerated shipping
- Robert Sherman: Invented the first portable, in-window air conditioner
Willis Carrier: Inventor of the first modern electric air conditioner
Willis Haviland Carrier, born on November 26, 1876, in Angola, New York, is known as the "Father of Air Conditioning". He invented the first modern electrical air conditioning unit in 1902, launching an industry that would fundamentally change the way we live, work and play.
Carrier stared through the mist on a foggy Pittsburgh train platform in 1902 and realized he could dry air by passing it through water to create fog. This realization led to his invention of humidity control, the fundamental building block for modern air conditioning. On July 17, 1902, he completed his invention, and by 1906, he had patented it as the world's first spray-type air conditioning equipment.
Carrier's invention was first designed to benefit targeted industries such as the press and large factories. However, it quickly spread to public agencies and administrations, with studies claiming increased productivity of up to 24% in places equipped with air conditioning. Air conditioning caused various shifts in demography, notably in the United States starting from the 1970s, and it led to the rise of industries that power our economy today. For example, the manufacturing of everything from baked goods to wartime supplies was made possible by air conditioning.
Carrier graduated from Cornell University in 1901 with a Master of Engineering degree. After graduating, he joined the Buffalo Forge Company as a research engineer. In 1915, he founded the Carrier Engineering Corporation, a company specializing in the manufacture and distribution of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. He was recognized for his contributions to science and industry, receiving an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from Alfred University in 1942 and being posthumously inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 1985.
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John Gorrie: Pioneered compressor technology to create ice
John Gorrie was a physician, scientist, inventor, and humanitarian who is considered the father of refrigeration and air conditioning. In 1842, he used compressor technology to create ice, which he used to cool the air for his patients in his hospital in Apalachicola, Florida.
Gorrie's interest in refrigeration stemmed from his work as a physician. During an outbreak of yellow fever, he urged draining the swamps, clearing weeds, and maintaining clean food markets in the city. He also recommended that people sleep under mosquito netting to prevent the disease. Since ice had to be brought from distant sources, Gorrie wanted to find a way to make it mechanically. He believed that if air were highly compressed, it would heat up by the energy of compression. If this compressed air were then run through metal pipes cooled with water, and if this air-cooled to the water temperature was expanded down to atmospheric pressure again, very low temperatures could be obtained—even low enough to freeze water.
Gorrie's machine could be powered by wind, water, steam, or the brute force of an animal. He applied for patents in 1848 and had a prototype built in Ohio by the Cincinnati Iron Works. It was described in Scientific American the following year, but Gorrie still struggled to attract venture capital due to the existing ice-block industry. In 1850, he used his mechanical ice-maker to astonish the guests at a party in Florida. It was America's first public demonstration of ice made by refrigeration. A month later, he was granted a British patent, and on May 6, 1851, he received U.S. patent 8,080. Unfortunately, his business partner died, and Gorrie's inefficient, leaky machines were mocked in the press by the ice-shipping establishment.
Despite these setbacks, Gorrie's machine laid the groundwork for modern refrigeration and air conditioning. He envisioned centralized air conditioning that could cool entire cities. Today, his statue stands in the National Statuary Hall collection in the U.S. Capitol, and he is remembered as a pioneer who revolutionized cooling technology.
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James Harrison: Created the first mechanical ice-making machine
James Harrison invented the first mechanical ice-making machine in 1851 in Geelong, Australia. The machine began operation on the banks of the Barwon River at Rocky Point in Geelong. Before Harrison's invention, making ice was difficult, and no one had invented a mechanical method to produce ice or to refrigerate items.
The invention of this machine was a result of a eureka moment. While cleaning movable type with sulphuric ether, Harrison noticed that the metal felt cold to the touch when the fluid evaporated. This led him to invent a mechanical ice-making machine in 1854, which developed into a vapour-compression refrigeration system. The machine employed a 5-metre (16-foot) flywheel and produced 3,000 kilograms (6,600 pounds) of ice per day.
In 1855, Harrison was granted a patent for an ether refrigeration system, and in 1856, he patented both his process and apparatus in London. His system was soon adopted by the brewing industry and was widely used by meatpacking factories. Harrison also established ice-making factories in the United Kingdom and across Australia.
Harrison is remembered as the inventor of the mechanical refrigeration process for creating ice and is often called "the father of refrigeration". He is commemorated with awards, plaques, and buildings named after him.
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Frederick McKinley Jones: Invented refrigerated shipping
Willis Haviland Carrier, an American engineer, is credited with inventing the first modern electrical air conditioning unit in 1902. He designed the first modern air-conditioning system, paving the way for industries that rely on temperature and humidity control, such as baking, computing, and entertainment.
Now, onto the topic of Frederick McKinley Jones, a brilliant inventor in his own right.
Frederick McKinley Jones, born in 1893, was an American inventor, entrepreneur, and engineer. He is known for revolutionizing refrigerated shipping and earning the title of "Father of Refrigerated Transportation". Jones faced many challenges in his early life, losing his mother at a young age and being raised by a priest in Covington, Kentucky. However, he developed a passion for mechanics and became a full-time mechanic by the age of 14.
Jones's most notable contribution to refrigerated shipping began around 1938 when he started designing the Thermo Control Model A, an automatic truck refrigeration unit. This portable air-cooling unit was designed for trucks transporting perishable food items, preventing spoilage. The Model A was attached to the undercarriage of trucks, and chilled air was circulated inside the trailer using refrigerant tubing. However, due to its weight, Jones later developed the Model B, which was smaller and lighter but lacked durability.
In 1941, Jones completed the Model C, which was a significant improvement. It was compact, durable, and shock-resistant, and it had a compressor mounted under the trailer. This model was mounted to the front of the truck, and it received a patent in 1949. Jones's innovations in mobile refrigeration technology led to the formation of the Thermo-King Corporation in 1935, which provided refrigerated trucks for food transportation during World War II and beyond. His technology revolutionized the distribution of perishable goods, making fresh produce available across the country throughout the year.
Jones received numerous accolades for his achievements, including induction into the National Inventors Hall of Fame and receiving the National Medal of Technology. He was also the first African-American member of the American Society of Refrigeration Engineers in 1944.
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Robert Sherman: Invented the first portable, in-window air conditioner
The invention of the first modern electrical air conditioning unit is credited to Willis Haviland Carrier, an American engineer. In 1902, Carrier installed his first air-conditioning system, which controlled both temperature and humidity. This invention was a response to an air quality problem experienced at the Sackett-Wilhelms Lithographing & Publishing Company in Brooklyn, New York.
While Carrier is widely recognised as the inventor of modern air conditioning, Robert Sherman of Lynn, Massachusetts, invented the first portable, in-window air conditioner in 1945. This invention could cool, heat, humidify, dehumidify, and filter the air.
Sherman's invention built on Carrier's pioneering work in the field of air conditioning. Carrier's invention, driven by the need to address humidity issues in specific industries, quickly spread to public agencies and administrations, with studies claiming increased productivity of up to 24% in places equipped with air conditioning.
The development of air conditioning technology continued to evolve, with innovations in the latter half of the 20th century leading to more ubiquitous air conditioner use. The first inverter air conditioners were released in 1980-1981, and the first mini-split system was sold in 1961 by Toshiba in Japan.
Today, air conditioning is considered essential, with central air conditioning becoming common in newly built homes. It has had a significant impact on various aspects of life, including demography, electricity demand, and productivity.
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Frequently asked questions
Willis Haviland Carrier invented the first modern electrical air conditioning unit in 1902.
Willis Carrier's invention gave rise to numerous industries that power the economy today. His invention of modern air conditioning enabled and enhanced everyday life in ways he never could have imagined.
In 1915, Willis Carrier founded the Carrier Corporation, a company specializing in the manufacture and distribution of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.
