In 1902, only one year after Willis Haviland Carrier graduated from Cornell University with a Masters in Engineering, the first air conditioning unit was in operation, making one Brooklyn printing plant owner very happy. Fluctuations in heat and humidity in his plant had caused the dimensions of the printing paper to keep altering slightly, enough to ensure a misalignment of the colored inks. The new air conditioning machine created a stable environment and aligned four-color printing became possible. All thanks to the new employee at the Buffalo Forge Company, who started on a salary of only $10.00 per week.
The ‘Apparatus for Treating Air’ (U.S. Pat# 808897) granted in 1906, was the first of several patents awarded to Carrier. While Carrier is the “father of air conditioning,” the term ‘air conditioning’ actually originated with textile engineer Stuart H. Cramer. Cramer used the phrase “air conditioning” in a 1906 patent claim filed for a device that added water vapor to the air in textile plants — to condition the yarn.
In 1911, Carrier disclosed his basic “Rational Psychrometric Formulae” to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Th
e formula still stands today as the basis in all fundamental calculations for the air conditioning industry. Carrier said he received his “flash of genius” while waiting for a train. It was a foggy night and he was going over in his mind the problem of temperature and humidity control. By the time the train arrived, Carrier had an understanding of the relationship between temperature, humidity and dew point.
Industries flourished with the new ability to control the temperature and humidity levels during and after production. Film, tobacco, processed meats, medical capsules, textiles and other products acquired significant improvements in quality with air conditioning. Carrier and six other engineers formed the Carrier Engineering Corporation in 1915 with a starting capital of $35,000. The company was dedicated to improving air conditioning technology.
In 1921, Carrier patented the centrifugal refrigeration machine. The “centrifugal chiller” was the first practical method of air conditioning large spaces. Previous refrigeration machines used reciprocating-compressors (piston-driven) to pump refrigerant (often toxic and flammable ammonia) throughout the system. Carrier designed a centrifugal-compressor similar to the centrifugal turning-blades of a water pump. The result was a safer and more efficient chiller.
Cooling for human comfort, rather than industrial need, began in 1924 when three Carrier centrifugal chillers were installed in the J.L. Hudson Department Store in Detroit, Michigan. Shoppers flocked to the air conditioned store. The boom in cooling spread from department stores to the movie theaters, most notably the Rivoli Theater in New York, whose summer film business skyrocketed when it heavily advertised the cool comfort.
Demand increased for smaller units and the Carrier Company addressed the challenge. In 1928, Carrier developed the first residential ‘Weathermaker’, an air conditioner for home use. The Great Depression and then WWII slowed the non-industrial use of air conditioning, but after the war, consumer sales started to grow again. The rest is history.
FROM HOME TO CAR
The first air conditioning for cars began in 1933, when a company in New York City offered installation of air conditioning for cars. Most of their customers were limousine and high end cars for the wealthy.
The Packard Motor Car Company was the first automobile manufacturer to build air conditioners into its cars, beginning in 1939. These air conditioners were optional, and could be installed for an extra $274 (about $4,050 today). The system took up half of the trunk space, was not very efficient, and had no thermostat or independent shut-off mechanism. The option was discontinued after 1941.
In 1954, the Nash Ambassador was the first American automobile to have a front-end, fully integrated heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning system. The Nash-Kelvinator Corporation used its experience in refrigeration to introduce the automobile industry’s first compact and affordable, single-unit heating and air conditioning system. This was the first system with controls on the dash and an electric clutch. Marketed under the name of “All-Weather Eye,” the Nash system was described as “a good and remarkably inexpensive” system. Entirely incorporated within the engine bay, the combined heating and cooling system had cold air enter through dash-mounted vents. Its $345 price beat all other systems.
Editor Phil Robertson is an award-wining journalist and graphic designer. With a degree from the University of Florida’s School of Journalism, his career in journalism and publishing spans over 30 years, and includes positions as editor and publisher for several newspapers and magazines. During his career he has received a first-place award for investigative journalism from the Society of Newspaper Editors, and five ADDY awards for advertising design.
