The Science of Cooling – From a Historical Perspective

Variation in the atmospheric conditions, like Temperature and Humidity, had always affected the effectiveness of human beings. Such unwanted variations in the surrounding conditions had forced man kind to Adapt and Manipulate its surrounding environment. This paper reviews the long history of continuous struggle between man and Nature, to control and manipulate the ambient conditions. It is an effort to present different ‘methods of cooling’ discovered and learnt by man. It illustrates the growth of refrigeration technology with respect to the growth and dynamic changes seen in the society, ever since the primitive era of early humans and the developments during Egyptian & Indus valley civilization, through the great architectural work of Persian & Mughal period to the scientific discoveries of modern era. We will also throw light on the contributions of different scientists and engineers like Francis Bacon, Robert Boyle, Olivar Evans, Edward Nairne, and John Leslie et al, whose innovations brought a revolution in the field of cooling technology. We will follow the course of evolution of an ‘Art of Royal Leisure’ into a comprehensive science known as ‘Refrigeration and air conditioning Technology’.