Cool Beer in 45 Seconds - Reverse Microwave

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the concept of a "reverse microwave" that claims to rapidly cool beverages, specifically examining the underlying physics and engineering principles. Participants explore the similarities to existing technologies like vortex tubes and refrigerators, while questioning the novelty and effectiveness of the product.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express skepticism about the reverse microwave, suggesting it operates similarly to a refrigerator by enhancing thermal conduction through water circulation.
  • One participant compares the reverse microwave to an industrial vortex cooler, indicating a potential connection to established cooling technologies.
  • There is a reference to vortex tubes, with a participant noting that the physics behind them is not well-understood, particularly in the context of fluid mechanics.
  • Concerns are raised about the implications of using incompressible fluids like water in vortex tubes, suggesting that this may affect their operation compared to gases.
  • Another participant highlights the complexity of fluid mechanics, mentioning that small changes in conditions can lead to unpredictable behavior, which complicates modeling efforts.
  • A participant provides a brief explanation of how vortex tubes function as heat pumps, emphasizing the specific fluid movement patterns that enhance performance.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the novelty or effectiveness of the reverse microwave concept. While some acknowledge the underlying principles, others question its uniqueness and practical application.

Contextual Notes

The discussion touches on the complexities of fluid mechanics and the challenges in modeling vortex behavior, indicating that assumptions about fluid properties and conditions may influence the effectiveness of the technologies discussed.

Who May Find This Useful

Readers interested in fluid mechanics, thermal dynamics, and the engineering principles behind cooling technologies may find this discussion relevant.

dipole
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"Reverse Microwave"

There's some buzz going around about this product,

http://www.businessinsider.com/this-reverse-microwave-chills-beer-in-45-seconds-2013-10

which claims to be able to cool drinks rapidly.

Honestly, I'm a bit unimpressed. It looks like it's just a refrigerator that uses water and swirls it around to increase thermal conduction - but it's essentially still just a refrigerator. Is there any interesting physics here that I'm missing?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
The V-Tex sounds like a domestic version of an industrial vortex-cooler.
 
Pretty much - yeah.
Even looks like some of the industrial models.

It's the "reverse microwave" term that looks funny - then you realize that, for many people, the word "microwave" is a machine that heats things up quickly rather than a band of EM radiation.
 
That's interesting that the vortex-tube concept still works for water. I would think being an incompressible fluid would have some affect on the mechanism (compared to air) but I know very little about fluid mechanics...

So, it's nothing new in terms of engineering concepts but it seems like there is some interesting physics at works, and according to that wiki article, the physics of vortex tubes is not well-understood (as seems to be the case for a lot of interesting phenomena in fluid mechanics).
 
Fluid mechanics has a lot of stuff, like vortexes, that are sensitive to small changes in conditions - you get lots of recursion and fractal stuff. It makes it hard to model.

It's also why you get a lot of pseudoscience around the word "vortex".
 
how does the vortex tube work?
 
@Superposed_Cat: you can answer that for yourself by looking it up.
Do you know how a regular fridge works for a start?

tldr:
A regular fridge just moves a fluid around to transport heat from one place to another - the vortex design does the same thing, but it moves the fluid around in a particular pattern to improve it's performance as a heat pump.
 

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