Carrier’s career concerns conditioning

On July 17, 1902, Willis Haviland Carrier completed the schematic diagrams of what is now considered the world’s first modern air conditioning system. This design not only gave direction to the rest of Carrier’s career, but also changed the way we live.

Looks like every house in this apartment is fitted with an air conditioner. Photo: N. Sridharan

Close your eyes for a moment and try to imagine this: staying outdoors on a hot summer afternoon playing your favourite game and then enjoying the comforts of an air conditioned surrounding, playing indoors with all your friends.

If this is how you spent most of your vacation, then you certainly had a blast! For while the first part corresponds to making the most with your friends in the playground, the second part indicates spending more time with them while you recovered your strength in a comfortable environment. If you particularly enjoyed stepping back into the cool surroundings after playing outside, then you must thank Willis Haviland Carrier.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Learning with fractions Born in 1876, Carrier picked up a lifelong lesson at a rather young age. On an occasion, his mom had him cut apples - into halves, quarters and eighths - that he had to later add or subtract. While fractions were never the same again for Carrier, there was a more important takeaway for him: he was drawn towards intelligent problem-solving and gained the belief that no problem would be hard for him.

After graduating with a degree in mechanical engineering, he took up a job with Buffalo Forge heating company in New York. Pretty soon, he was running plenty of tests and experiments to improve heater designs, also enhancing his reputation in the firm.

Strange question, stranger answer… So when a printing company posed a challenging problem in 1902, it came to Carrier for a solution. Heat and humidity led to the expansion and contraction of paper within the plant, resulting in misalignment of ink with regard to four-colour printing.

On July 17, 1902, Carrier came up with the schematics that served as a solution. They devised a system that created a stable atmospheric environment inside the plant, thereby providing accurate ink alignment that is necessary for four-colour printing. They had, in effect, created a system that still serves as the basis for air conditioning.

A piston-driven compressor was fitted with a filter through which air was passed. This was then pumped over coils filled with coolant. While the cooled, dehumidified air was vented into the work or living space to stabilise temperature and humidity, the hot air generated was expelled outside.

It didn’t take long to realise the effect it had on humans and word spread rather quickly, leading to plenty of demand for Carrier’s system. While manufacturing plants and commercial spaces were the early adopters, households began employing Carrier’s invention next.

As for Carrier, he kept tinkering with his invention, picking up plenty of patents along the way. He set up his own company, and was at the forefront of the industry till his death in 1950. Carrier, the company that bears his name, continues to be a major innovator in the business, shaping or cooling the world.