Refrigeration

[Turbineguy]

I explained the principle of refrigeration to my students this weekend, ending with the thermodynamics of a Martini.

Ask me anything!

[quip]

1. Is it permissible to pronounce "turbine" tur-bin?

[Turbineguy]

2. Sure

just don't spell it "turban"

[quip]

3. Excellent. Now about the Martini-- please elaborate!

:popcorn:

[Turbineguy]

4. OK, about the Martini.

Ice has a latent heat of fusion of 144 btus per US pound at standard atmospheric pressure. It absorbs quite a lot of heat and stays at 32 degrees. But... you can continue cooling ice. When you use ice that is at or near 32 degrees Farhenheit, it melts in order to absorb the heat from the Martini fixin's. So you must use sufficiently sub-cooled ice in a sufficient quantity which absorbs sensible heat but does not reach its melting point diluting your Martini.

It's not thermally efficient, but makes a better Martini.

Six years of college education wasn't wasted on me, I hit every red light on my way home.

[quip]

5. Cool!

What about a Martini served with dry ice? :shrug:

[Turbineguy]

6. Too much of a good thing.

I would expect a violent reaction as dry ice sublimates jumping from a solid to a gaseous state.

Also you could end up with the Martini in a solid frozen lump.

Of course if you happened to be in New Orleans on Bourbon Street during Mardi Gras, you could balance the glass (assuming it didn't break) on your head and walk from one end to the other.