
‘Thermal inductor’ could convert boiling water to ice with no energy input - amelius
https://physicsworld.com/a/thermal-inductor-could-convert-boiling-water-to-ice-with-no-energy-input/
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amelius
Paper here:
[https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/5/4/eaat9953](https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/5/4/eaat9953)

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simonblack
To convert boiling water to ice involves a net _removal_ of energy. Inputting
energy would keep heating the water.

Note the article describes a way of moving the heat from one container to
another - basically a heat pump just like any airconditioner produces 'cool'.
(on one side of the system only, the side of course gets hotter.)

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amelius
> To convert boiling water to ice involves a net removal of energy. Inputting
> energy would keep heating the water.

A refrigerator also requires energy.

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simonblack
> A refrigerator also requires energy.

Yes. To move the refrigerant around and compress it. The real work of a
refrigerator is done by the Latent Heat of Evaporation and its corollary the
latent Heat of Condensation.

In the change of state between liquid and gas, the latent heat is the same,
but in one direction (gas to liquid) energy is released, and in the other
direction (liquid to gas) energy is required.

Note that since the heating-cooling both produces heat and 'cold', a heat pump
is the most economical way of drying clothes. The energy in the hot air
evaporates the water in the clothing into water vapor which then passes over
the cold plates and condenses that water vapor into water which is drained
away. The heat energy produced by the condensation of the water vapor
evaporates the refrigerant which is then compressed, releasing energy to
reheat the circulating air so it can evaporate more water. Neat, hey?

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWqNmOLHwt0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWqNmOLHwt0)

