The impact of the refrigerator on the home 


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The impact of the refrigerator on the home



Virtually all homes in the developed world have a refrigerator of one kind or another. The invention of the refrigerator has allowed the modern family to purchase, store, freeze, prepare and preserve food products in a fresh state for much longer periods of time than was previously possible. For the majority of families without a sizeable garden in which to grow vegetables and raise livestock, the advent of the refrigerator along with the modern supermarket led to a vastly more varied diet and improved health resulting from improved nutrition. Dairy products, meats, fish, poultry and vegetables can all be kept refrigerated in the same space within the kitchen (although raw meat should be kept separate from other foodstuffs for reasons of hygiene).

The refrigerator allows families to consume more salads, fresh fruits and vegetables during meals without having to own a garden or an orchard. Exotic foodstuffs from far-off countries that have been imported by means of refrigeration can be enjoyed in the home because of the availability of domestic refrigeration.

The luxury of freezing allows households to purchase more foods in bulk that can be eaten at leisure while the bulk purchase provides cost savings (see economies of scale). Ice cream, a popular commodity of the 20th century, was previously only available by traveling long distances to where the product was made fresh and had to be eaten on the spot. Now it is a practically ubiquitous food item. Ice on-demand not only adds to the enjoyment of cold drinks, but is useful in first-aid applications, not to mention cold packs that can be kept frozen for picnics or in case of emergency.

 

* * *

1. What has the refrigerator allowed us to do?

2. What food should be kept separate from other foodstuffs? Why?

3. Can exotic foodstuffs be enjoyed in the home? Why?

4. Can people purchase more foods in bulk?

5. What does the bulk purchase provide?

6. What food item is practically ubiquitous thanks to the refrigerator?

 

 

V. Read and translate the text:

 

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Refrigerator

A refrigerator (often called a "fridge" for short) is a cooling appliance comprising a thermally insulated compartment and a mechanism to transfer heat from it to the external environment, cooling the contents to a temperature below ambient. Refrigerators are extensively used to store foods which deteriorate at ambient temperatures; spoilage from bacterial growth and other processes is much slower at low temperatures. A device described as a "refrigerator" maintains a temperature a few degrees above the freezing point of water; a similar devices which maintains a temperature below the freezing point of water is called a "freezer". The refrigerator is a relatively modern invention amongst kitchen appliances. It replaced the common icebox which had been placed outside for almost a century and a half prior, and is sometimes still called by the original name "icebox".

Freezers keep their contents, usually foods, frozen. They are used both in households and for commercial use. Most freezers operate at around -18 °C (0 °F). Domestic freezers can be included as a compartment in a refrigerator, sharing the same mechanism or with a separate mechanism, or can be standalone units. Domestic freezers are generally upright units, resembling refrigerators, or chests, resembling upright units laid on their backs. Many modern freezers come with an icemaker.

Domestic refrigerators and freezers for food storage are made in a range of sizes. Amongst the smallest is a 4 L Peltier fridge advertised as being able to hold 6 cans of beer. A large domestic fridge stands as tall as a person and may be about 1 m wide with a capacity of 600 L. Some models for small households fit under kitchen work surfaces, usually about 86 cm high. Fridges may be combined with freezers, either stacked with fridge or freezer above, below, or side by side. A fridge without a true freezer may have a small compartment to make ice. Freezers may have drawers to store food in, or they may have no divisions (chest freezers).

Fridges and freezers may be free-standing, or built into a kitchen.

Compressor refrigerators are by far the most common type; they make a noticeable noise. Absorption or Peltier units are used where quiet running is required; Peltier coolers are used in the smallest refrigerators as they have no bulky mechanism.

Compressor and Peltier refrigerators are invariably powered by electricity; absorption units can in principle be designed to be powered by any heat source. Gas-only and dual power gas/electricity units are available.

Refrigeration units for commercial and for non-food use are made in a huge range of sizes and styles.

Newer refrigerators may include following features:

· Automatic defrosting: In any refrigerator, over time, water vapor in the air condenses onto the cooling coils as frost, eventually building up into a thick layer of ice. This ice acts as an insulator, reducing cooling efficiency. In the past, the ice was removed by periodically emptying the refrigerator and turning it off to let the ice melt, perhaps aided by hot water applied by the user (a process known as defrosting). In a refrigerator equipped for frost-free operation, however, a heater and a thermostat are fitted around the cooling coils. The cooling is periodically switched off (with the period varying between every 6 to 24 hours depending on the model) and the heater is turned on until the temperature around the coils slightly exceeds the freezing point of water, after which normal cooling resumes. This melts any frost which has collected around the coils. Melt water drops into a small gulley, through a small pipe which drains into a tray on the top of the compressor from which it is then evaporated into the surrounding air by residual heat generated by the operation of the compressor.

· A power failure warning, alerting the user by flashing a temperature display. The maximum temperature reached during the power failure may be displayed, along with information on whether the frozen food has defrosted or may contain harmful bacteria;

· Chilled water and ice available from an in-door station, so the door need not be opened;

· Adjustable shelves and trays that can be moved around to suit the user;

· A cooling zone in the refrigerator door shelves. Air from the freezer section is diverted to the refrigerator door, to better cool milk or juice stored in the door shelf.

Early freezer units accumulated ice crystals around the freezing units. This was a result of humidity introduced into the units when the doors to the freezer were opened. This build up of frost required periodic thawing of the units to maintain their efficiency. Advances in frost-free refrigeration eliminating the thawing task were introduced in the 1950s. Also, early units featured freezer compartments located within the larger refrigerator, and accessed by opening the refrigerator door, and then the smaller internal freezer door; units featuring entirely separate freezer compartment were introduced in the early 1960s, becoming the industry standard by the middle of that decade.

Old refrigerators have freon as coolant, which damages the ozone layer. Now modern refrigerators usually use a refrigerant called HFC-134a (1,2,2,2-tetrafluoroethane) instead of freon, which has no ozone layer depleting properties.

ACTIVE VOCABULARY

 


refrigerator (a "fridge") – рефрижератор, холодильник, холодильная установка

to deteriorate – ухудшать; портить

a compartment – отделение

standalone – автономный

freezer – морозильная камера

upright – вертикальный

icemaker – льдогенератор

to transfer – переносить, перемещать

to store – хранить, сохранять

spoilage – порча или гниение пищевых и скоропортящихся продуктов

a device – устройство, приспособление; механизм

to maintain – поддерживать, сохранять

appliance – аппарат, прибор;

a capacity – вместимость, ёмкость

to power – приводить в действие

defrosting – размораживание; оттаивание

to empty – осушать

a heater – обогреватель; нагревательный прибор

exceed – превышать; переступать пределы, границы; выходить за пределы

freezing point – точка замерзания

to resume – возобновлять, продолжать


to melt – таять

to drain – отводить воду

to chill – охлаждать, замораживать

to accumulate – накапливать; собирать

thawing – таяние, оттаивание

coolant – смазочно-охлаждающая эмульсия


 

VI. Find the Russian equivalents for the English ones:

comprising, icebox, a cooling appliance, a thermally insulated compartment, а upright unit, drawer, free-standing, Peltier cooler, dual power gas/electricity unit, frost-free operation, freezing unit.

 

VII. Find the English equivalents for the Russian ones:

внешняя среда, температура окружающей среды, отдельный механизм, автономное устройство, хранение продовольствия, приводить в действие электричеством, автоматическое размораживание, холодопроизводительность, водосток, остаточное тепло, сигнал о нарушении энергоснабжения.

 

VIII. Translate the following sentences into Russian:

 

1) A refrigerator has a mechanism to transfer heat from it to the external environment, cooling the contents to a temperature below ambient.

2) Domestic freezers are generally upright units, resembling refrigerators, or chests, resembling upright units laid on their backs.

3) A large domestic fridge stands as tall as a person and may be about 1 m wide with a capacity of 600 L.

4) Fridges and freezers may be free-standing, or built into a kitchen.

5) Peltier coolers are used in the smallest refrigerators as they have no bulky mechanism.

6) In any refrigerator, over time, water vapor in the air condenses onto the cooling coils as frost, eventually building up into a thick layer of ice.

7) By frost-free operation the cooling is periodically switched off and the heater is turned on until the temperature around the coils slightly exceeds the freezing point of water, after which normal cooling resumes.

8) A power failure warning alerts the user by flashing a temperature display.

9) Air from the freezer section is diverted to the refrigerator door, to better cool milk or juice stored in the door shelf.

10) The accumulation of ice crystals was a result of humidity introduced into the units when the doors to the freezer were opened.

 

IX. Fill in the blanks with appropriate words:

 

1) … from bacterial growth and other processes is much slower at ….

2) Freezers keep their … frozen.

3) Freezers may have … to store food in, or they may have no ….

4) … are used where quiet running is required.

5) Аbsorption units can in principle be designed to be powered by ….

6) Тhe ice was removed by … the refrigerator and … to let the ice melt.

7) Residual … is generated by the operation of the ….

8) Adjustable … and … can be moved around to suit the user.

9) Early freezer units accumulated … around the freezing units.

10) Now modern refrigerators usually use a … called HFC-134a instead of ….

X. Translate into English, using the vocabulary:

 

1. Холодильник используется для хранения продуктов, которые портятся при температуре окружающей среды.

2. Холодильник поддерживает температуру немного выше, чем точка замерзания воды.

3. Устройство, которое поддерживает температуру ниже точки замерзания воды, называют морозильной камерой.

4. Морозильные камеры используются как в быту, так и торговых целях.

5. Холодильник может быть объединен с морозильной камерой.

6. Талая вода испаряется под влиянием остаточного тепла.

7. Иней накапливается на трубах.

8. Для поддержания эффективности холодильника необходимо размораживание.

9. Многие современные морозильные камеры изготавливаются с льдогенераторами.

10. В старых холодильниках в качестве холодильного агента использовался фреон.

 

XI. Answer the questions:

 

1. What is a refrigerator?

2. What are refrigerators used to?

3. What is the difference between a refrigerator and a freezer?

4. Are freezers a compartment in a refrigerator or a separate mechanism?

5. What kind of units is the freezer?

6. What is the smallest fridge?

7. What capacity does the largest domestic fridge have?

8. Do freezers have compartments?

9. What freezer has no divisions?

10. May fridges be built into a kitchen?

11. What kind of refrigerator works quiet?

12. Where is Peltier cooler used?

13. What can refrigerators be powered by?

14. How does automatic defrosting work?

15. How is power failure warned?

16. What is the advance of frost-free refrigeration?

17. What refrigerant do modern refrigerators use?

 

XII. Tell in short about refrigerators.

 

XIII. a) Skim through the text and say in a few sentences what the message of the text is.

Defrosting is a procedure, performed periodically on refrigerators and freezers to maintain their operating efficiency. Over time water vapour in the air condenses on the cooling elements within the cabinet.

The resulting ice inhibits heat transfer out of the cabinet increasing running costs. Furthermore as the ice builds up it takes increasing space from within the cabinet - reducing the space available for food storage.

Defrosting the unit is achieved by:

· Temporarily removing all food from the cabinet.

· Turning off power to the unit.

· Leaving the doors to the unit open

· Waiting for the ice to melt and draining it appropriately.

Using a towel is advisable when completing this step.

The process may be sped up by mechanical removal of ice, or the introduction of gentle heat into the cabinet. Placing a pan of hot water in the cabinet and closing it is an effective method. Using a fan to blow in room temperature air will also greatly speed up the melting process as well as help to evaporate the damp surfaces. Any mechanical removal of ice should be done gently so that the equipment is not damaged.

It is generally recommended that defrosting should be done annually.

Many newer units are described as frost free (or no frost) and do not require manual defrosting in normal use.

 

b) Scan the text for the details. Say what is necessary to sped up the process of derosting.

 

XIV. a) Skim through the text and say in a few sentences what the message of the text is. Answer the questions which follow.

A frost free (also called Auto-defrost or no-frost) refrigerator or freezer incorporates technology to keep the unit from icing up.

The mechanism on a refrigerator involves letting the cooling element heat up for a short period, melting any ice that has formed upon it and having it drain through a collecting duct at the back of the unit.

Inside the freezer, dry air is circulated around the cabinet using fans (this is why such kind of appliances are also called "dynamic", whereas non-frost free ones are called "static"). Instead of the traditional cooling elements assembled within all the freezer liner, those of a frost-free system are compact and separated from the main cabinet space, allowing them to be heated for short periods to dispose of any ice forming.

While this technique was originally and is mostly applied to freezer compartments, it can also be used for fridge compartments. A combined fridge/freezer which applies the frost free system to the freezer compartment only is usually called " partial frost free", while one which also applies it to the fridge compartment is called " total frost free". The latter features an air connection between the two compartments, with the air passage to the fridge compartment regulated by a dumper. In such a way, a controlled minor part of the dry and fresh air coming from the dynamic cooling element located within the freezer can reach the refrigerator.

Some newer fridge/freezer models have built-in electronics that monitor how many times each door is opened and could also average the door open time which will automatically adjust defrost scheduling, therefore optimizing power dissipation.

Advantages of frost free

· No need to manually defrost the ice buildup

· Food packaging is easier to see because it's clear of frost

· Most frozen foods don't stick together

· Smells are limited, especially in total frost free appliances, since the air is constantly circulating

Disadvantages of frost free

· The system is more expensive to run due to higher power consumption

· A safety device is required to be connected with the heating element, due to the high instant-power values that can be reached

· The temperature of the freezer contents rises during the defrosting cycles

· On hot humid days condensation will sometimes form around the refrigerator doors

* * *

1. What is the frost free technology used to?

2. How is ice melt?

3. What are fans used for in the refrigerators?

4. Where are elements of a frost free system located?

5. What is built in some newer freezers?

6. What are main (dis)advantages of this system?

 

b) Scan the text for the details. Say what is the difference between " partial frost free" and " total frost free".

 

UNIT 5



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