In this heat, hallucinations are just around the corner, and my dreams often take the shape of a science fiction air conditioner. A small thing: I would like it to be wireless, without emissions and without even needing electricity to function.
What if someone tells us that something like this is already around? At least that's what the Israeli startup says Green Kinoko. The company has patented and developed Kensho, an air conditioner with these characteristics. Currently being tested in six locations in Tel Aviv, Kensho will be on the general market in summer 2023.
His secret? Liquid nitrogen.
“We create energy from the pressure that is created between the liquid nitrogen and the gaseous nitrogen,” he says Tal Leizer, CEO of Green Kinoko.
“We use liquid nitrogen at minus 196 degrees. When it turns into a gas, nitrogen creates a very strong pressure that we use to activate a mechanical engine.”
Leizer explained that his team was working with cryogenic liquids (liquids at extremely low temperatures) in an unrelated project when they realized the potential value of nitrogen in making an air conditioner.
A sui generis air conditioner
“We are calculating the carbon footprint: the liquid nitrogen we use is a by-product of medical oxygen produced for hospitals. And what comes out of the device is an inert gas that we breathe,” explains Leizer.
It's no small thing. Compared to any other air conditioner, this one has no polluting gases. It does not consume electricity, nor does it add heat to the atmosphere. Working without water, it has no noise or humidity. Again: it does not damage the ozone layer of the atmosphere. Do we need to add anything else?
The only detail: the nitrogen charge must be replaced every 7-10 days, depending on the use of the unit. A circumstance that will not affect costs in the slightest: the price of such an air conditioner will be comparable to that of conventional AC units, and electricity consumption will be zero.
A good result for homeowners and businesses struggling with their bills, but also and above all for Mother Earth.
