|
I wrote this Commentary because I want much more for you than just mindless content about Coolers. I hope you'll find some useful information to put to good use.
The cooler, or "esky", was invented in Australia. A cooler most commonly is an insulated box, used to keep food or drink cool. Ice cubes which are very cold are placed in it to make the things inside stay cool. Ice packs are sometimes used, as they either contain the melting water inside, or have a gel sealed inside that also stays cold longer than plain water.
Coolers are often taken on picnic trips, and on vacation or holiday. Where summers are hot, they may also be used just for getting cold groceries home from the store, such as keeping ice cream from melting in a hot car. Coolers have become such an important part of our lives that we often take them for granted.
They are usually made from interior and exterior shells of plastic, with a hard foam in between. They also come in sizes from small personal ones to large family ones with wheels. Disposable ones are made only from styrene foam, as are coffee cups, about one half to one inch thick. Most have molded handles, two or three have shoulder straps.
Thermoelectric Coolers
Some modern coolers are thermoelectric, plugging in to a car's cigarette lighter. Rather than using a compressor and refrigerant like a refrigerator or other heat pump, these use the Peltier effect along with an external fan to draw away the heat. These can also heat the contents instead of cooling them. You can use them to keep your take-out order hot or keep food from freezing in severely cold winter climates.
Thermoelectric coolers typically can drop the temperature by about 41 °F, and can raise it by leastwise that much. Some better units even have digital thermostat controls. They do draw a significant amount of power however, and can drain a car's battery enough so that it cannot start. Most electric coolers have an undervoltage block off at around 10.5VDC to prevent this. Many also come with power adapters, which use an electronic transformer to convert AC current mains or line voltage down to 12VDC.
Thermoelectric coolers are, however, not limited to use in cars. They can also be bought as household appliances in the form of small fridges. While this page is too short to describe the vast subject of coolers, I hope you have gathered some useful information. For a complete list of products, please visit Amazon to see what coolers are right for you!
|
