Demonstration instrument for illustrating the principle of adsorption cooling. Consists of an evacuable cartridge filled with zeolite and a high quality hand-operated vacuum pump interconnected via rubber tubing, plus a plastic beaker.
By means of the Ice-Quick it is possible to freeze a small quantity of water in a very short time. This is done by placing the cartridge on the plastic beaker containing some water then pumping the air out of the system. After a few strokes of the pump the water begins to boil at the ambient temperature. The zeolite adsorbs the water vapour by binding it into its crystal structure, and is thereby heated. Thus, heat is extracted from the boiling water; after a short time it is cooled sufficiently to freeze, with ice formation beginning at the surface.
The process can be repeated several times, allowing pauses in between for the zeolite to cool, until the zeolite becomes saturated with water. The contents of the cartridge can be regenerated by heating at about 250°C for a short time in an oven. After cooling, the sequence can be repeated until the zeolite again becomes saturated.
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