# Sound fridge? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 5, 2002, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sound-fridge/140725 "2002-12-05T17:23:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nishroch\_Order](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Nishroch\_Order](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nishroch_Order)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sound-fridge/140725/1 "2002-12-05T17:23:42Z")
[http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa003&articleID=00000C48-2202-1DED-A838809EC588F2D7](http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa003&articleID=00000C48-2202-1DED-A838809EC588F2D7) Hmm…really i don’t know…anyone can explain this to me how it works? ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sound-fridge/140725/2 "2002-12-05T17:28:07Z")
Maybe that’s why I’m freezing my ass off. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sound-fridge/140725/3 "2002-12-05T17:46:19Z")
This is nothing new and I believe it is used in the Space Station. It works pretty much like a heat pump: 1- Compress fluid -\> fluid heats up 2- Cool fluid by excanging heat with the heat sink 3- expand fluid -\> fluid cools down 4- heat fluid by exchanging heat with the heat source A conventional compressor system does this and also condenses the fuid in the process but the condensing is not strictly necessary. The thermoaccoustuic pump does the same thing in a simpler manner as it uses just a cavity and a standing accoustic wave. You have two areas of high and low pressure each and heat is transferred from one to the other. Pretty clever. ---
**Author:** ![Mort\_Furd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mort\_Furd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mort_Furd)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sound-fridge/140725/4 "2002-12-05T20:28:37Z")
Yep, it is a really cool idea. Just be glad the sound generator can’t work outside of the cooling system. The article I read mentioned that the sound pressure level was something like 173dB. It also mentions that at 165dB your hair would catch on fire. Check here: [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/2543085.stm](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/2543085.stm) ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sound-fridge/140725/5 "2002-12-05T20:56:35Z")
Well, strictly speaking, is is a “sound” generator but we are talking large powers here so imagine an alternative piston rather than a radio loudspeaker. I saw some web site with a detailed description but I cannot find it now. this page has a basic description of the idea: [http://www.sas.org/E-Bulletin/2002-05-10/handsOnPhys/body.html](http://www.sas.org/E-Bulletin/2002-05-10/handsOnPhys/body.html) ---
**Author:** ![Bannin\_ZER0](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@Bannin\_ZER0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bannin_ZER0)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sound-fridge/140725/6 "2002-12-05T21:07:31Z")
what would be really kewl is that you coiuld use the frige as a base box ---
**Author:** ![Mort\_Furd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mort\_Furd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mort_Furd)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sound-fridge/140725/7 "2002-12-05T21:16:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bannin ZER0 \* > \*\*what would be really kewl is that you coiuld use the frige as a base box \*\* Nope. The cooling effect will only take place if the pressure wave generated is of the correct frequency. Also, the fridge wouldn’t come with speaker connections.🙂 ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sound-fridge/140725/8 "2002-12-05T21:19:49Z")
[Here](http://www.sas.org/E-Bulletin/2002-05-10/handsOnPhys/body.html) is another one.