The work of William Cullen paved the way for the father of refrigeration Jacob Perkins to create the first fridges
©UniversityofGlasgow
The modern-day refrigerator resulted from the collaborative effort of scientific minds over many years, starting with Scottish inventor William Cullen. In 1748, Cullen demonstrated the basis for the first artificial method of refrigeration at the University of Glasgow. Cullen used a pump, vacuum and a volatile compound called diethyl ether, which when heated evaporated, creating a cooling effect on the apparatus. Later, in 1835, American inventor Jacob Perkins invented the first refrigerator to use a vapour compression cycle. It was informed by Cullen’s work with the design assistance of another inventor, Oliver Evans. This system used compressed vapours from liquid ammonia as the refrigerant.