Jan 22 2008
Inventor Tom Chi is addressing the energy crisis with a green solution that he calls "impossibly simple" and that he describes as "one more Essential action we need to take to reduce energy dependence and fuel costs."
Ducted ambient air cooling is a breakthrough method for big energy savings in cooler climates. Used in walk-in coolers and also targeting home refrigeration this system uses the seasonally cold air outside of buildings and homes to bypass energy-intensive compressors used in normal refrigeration.
Each year for four+ months exterior temperatures drop below 40 degrees; the temperature required for commercial and residential refrigeration. The patent office is full of complicated schemes to harvest and store or transmute this cold air but Dr. Tom Chi, an acupuncturist, author and inventor from S. Fallsburg, New York tells us that one real solution to reduced energy costs is just plain simple and can be easily assimilated into existing and future refrigeration systems.
We heat our houses in the winter and the refrigerator doesn't know that it's winter outside; it just knows that cold air is still needed. It's the same for walk-in commercial refrigerators; they just require cold air ... all year round!
Chi has a patent pending (11/944,594) for this system that requires an intake and exhaust duct with a fan to circulate and replace warmer air with cold. Other than a filter for outside particulate and some technical planning to size and duct the system Chi says this is inexpensive, highly effective and will result in measurable and meaningful energy savings to reduce the use of electricity.
Walk-in coolers can easily be retrofit at low cost to take advantage of this system and Chi hopes to quickly attract commercial manufacturers as well as residential refrigerator manufacturers who will make simple configuration changes to their units (two small holes are required and can be plugged until use so virtually no cost). Chi says a vent pack can be offered to go with each fridge and be easily installed and working within an hour or two.
This should be a great move for manufacturers who would like the Energy Star label or to further enhance their energy saving units.
Chi says the beauty of this energy-saving cooling system is that it really IS simple AND effective. He jokingly says his inventing motto is about practicality: "be like a genius ... but stupider." And with this, he laughs out loud!
The main thing says Chi is that this is a tangible way to save energy and financial resources and it doesn't take a genius to see that!