Will STILL hate them.

propasaurus: I remember a few years ago, some canned coffee drink that came in a self-heating can.

http://www.hot-can.com

The science behind how the cans actually work seems like it's a closely guarded secret

Unless the can is electrically powered, there are literally only 2 ways it could function. Endothermic reaction or release of a pressurized gas. Just because people are scientifically ignorant doesn't make this a "closely guarded secret."

Honest Bender: The science behind how the cans actually work seems like it's a closely guarded secret

Unless the can is electrically powered, there are literally only 2 ways it could function. Endothermic reaction or release of a pressurized gas. Just because people are scientifically ignorant doesn't make this a "closely guarded secret."

Well if the can were somehow dumping the heat of its contents into an alternate universe, that'd be a pretty good secret to keep closely guarded.

namatad: "The science behind how the cans actually work seems like it's a closely guarded secret, "
CO2 based?
LOL
I predict that it uses pressurized co2.
when you release the pressurized gas, the gas expands and cools. this is how AC works.
try this at home with your canned air

pv/t = pv/t
it's the law

Came here to say this. Seriously? The closely guarded secret of the ideal gas law?

Although, knowing the way patent law works these days they'll probably be able to sue textbook manufacturers for publishing proprietary information. Then some Christian fundamentalists will step in with their corporate friendly "teach the controversy" textbooks as a replacement.

vossiewulf: Thank goodness they didn't use something with greenhouse gases, CO2 certainly is no danger in that regard.

I hope that the author meant the former refrigerant (CFC probably) damaged the ozone and need to be replaced, but just had a brain fart because global warming is the prominent problem today. That's what I hope. He's probably just a moran.

Cthulhu_is_my_homeboy: Honest Bender: The science behind how the cans actually work seems like it's a closely guarded secret

Unless the can is electrically powered, there are literally only 2 ways it could function. Endothermic reaction or release of a pressurized gas. Just because people are scientifically ignorant doesn't make this a "closely guarded secret."

Well if the can were somehow dumping the heat of its contents into an alternate universe, that'd be a pretty good secret to keep closely guarded.

I kinda like the idea of scientists on some alternate Earth trying to figure out why their climate models are all farked while we're cracking our ice cold sodas.

"Okay, I'll accept that global warming is man made, but I think it's premature to say for certain that the heat originated from people in this universe."

Cthulhu_is_my_homeboy: Honest Bender: The science behind how the cans actually work seems like it's a closely guarded secret

Unless the can is electrically powered, there are literally only 2 ways it could function. Endothermic reaction or release of a pressurized gas. Just because people are scientifically ignorant doesn't make this a "closely guarded secret."

Well if the can were somehow dumping the heat of its contents into an alternate universe, that'd be a pretty good secret to keep closely guarded.

If it's able to dump that heat into another dimension without the use of electricity... ya, that would be a CLOSELY guarded secret :-)

vossiewulf: Thank goodness they didn't use something with greenhouse gases, CO2 certainly is no danger in that regard.

Since the CO2 used in these cans was probably extracted from the air within a year of you releasing it, you can consider these cans to be carbon neutral and, since the mechanism is recyclable, environmentally friendly.

The same can't be said for the beverage inside the can, unfortunately...
=Smidge=

West Coast Chill presents Blizzard.

With that name and font and promotional video that does not show the thing working, everything sounds totally legit.

environmentally-friendly carbon dioxide.


Environmentally friendly indeed.

I like to toss the empties out the window of my flying car.

Honest Bender:
If it's able to dump that heat into another dimension without the use of electricity... ya, that would be a CLOSELY guarded secret :-)

Guarded by The Laundry, in fact.

Couldn't they use nitrogen for this? Seems less unfriendly, and air is already 78%-ish nitrogen, so it might be easier to get?

\dodges dryknife's empty
\no FOD in MY turbines, thankyouverymuch

i had a Zen Koan moment when i somehow read that as "self cooling fans"

Chevello: Couldn't they use nitrogen for this? Seems less unfriendly, and air is already 78%-ish nitrogen, so it might be easier to get?

...They could just use "air." All they really need is a gas they can compress. Physics doesn't really care what gas they use.

Cool cans:


/didn't read the article

I saw the article and thought "Surely Farkers are too smart to see the words 'carbon dioxide' and go all retarded"

I was wrong. :(

Let me get this straight. I pay the same amount for one can that I would pay for a twelve pack. Leave it it out to achieve room temperature of 75 to 80 degrees. Pop the mechanism to cool it to pukey warm 45 to 50 degrees. Then pour the warm drink over ice to cool it the rest of the way.

Did I get the gist right of what they are asking of us?

propasaurus: I remember a few years ago, some canned coffee drink that came in a self-heating can.

So do I, but that's because I worked in a supermarket at the time. It never sold because it cost $4 for a can roughly the size of a can of coke/pepsi.

/Neither did coke blak, though I at least tried that.

You see what it says right here, Barry? "Cook and chill."
Well that's what I do every night, baby: I cook, and then I chill.

Baryogenesis: I hope that the author meant the former refrigerant (CFC probably) damaged the ozone and need to be replaced, but just had a brain fart because global warming is the prominent problem today. That's what I hope. He's probably just a moran.

The author is probably correct. Many refrigerants are also strong greenhouse gasses (new window), even ozone-safe ones with no chlorine. By 1998 the Montreal Protocol had been around for quite a while so it's unlikely that a company would start a new product design based on open release of an ozone-depleting substance. It took a while longer before people started to give a fark about global warming.

Chevello: Couldn't they use nitrogen for this? Seems less unfriendly, and air is already 78%-ish nitrogen, so it might be easier to get?

No, you couldn't store enough nitrogen to get a useful cooling effect (unless you wanted your soft-drink can to be made of quarter-inch-thick steel).

I prefer my drinks to be cooled faster than that. (new window)

If you invented something 18 years ago but couldn't bring it to market because of one part being harmful, does your 20-year patent expire 2 years after you solved the problem and finally brought it to market?

Honest Bender: Unless the can is electrically powered, there are literally only 2 ways it could function. Endothermic reaction or release of a pressurized gas. Just because people are scientifically ignorant doesn't make this a "closely guarded secret."

It is closely guarded from anyone who is too lazy to Google the name of the company bragging about its patented technology (new window).

Patent 5331817 shows that there are more than just 2 ways it could function (e.g. prior art based on desiccant absorption), and that the broad category of "release of a pressurized gas" can include interesting variations such as sending that gas through a vortex cooler.

doglover: My bad. Apparently air based warming pellets are IRON based, not magnesium.

Same thing with the 'hot hands' things you put in your pocket or gloves.

I think that video (new window) (actual YouTube link) is a little understated. They should have added more of an apocalyptic, shiat-your-pants feel to make people really want to spend $3 on a can that isn't in a cooler and doesn't need to be refrigerated.

I read that as Self cooling Fans. And thought, wait so the fans I have now don't cool themselves?

In fact, back in 1998 Pepsi was all set to use these same cans, but it was discovered that the refrigerant used contributed to greenhouse gases.cancer

We're not idiots. No one really cared about greenhouse gasses until around 2002

Guidette Frankentits: We're not idiots. No one really cared about greenhouse gasses until around 2002

There were a few hippies who started making noise about it in 1992 and again in 1997 but nobody took them seriously.

Ivo Shandor: vortex cooler.

I'd just like to momentarily jack this thread to point out that vortex coolers are AWESOME. I'm what you'd probably call a "computer enthusiast" so I know the ins and outs of pretty much every way to cool a processor. I'd never use a vortex cooler because, really, who wants to run a large, noisy air compressor all the time? But the mechanics of it are really neat in my book.

hogans: I prefer my drinks to be cooled faster than that. (new window)

heh!! That is totally frickin awesome!!

namatad: "The science behind how the cans actually work seems like it's a closely guarded secret, "
CO2 based?
LOL
I predict that it uses pressurized co2.
when you release the pressurized gas, the gas expands and cools. this is how AC works.
try this at home with your canned air

pv/t = pv/t
it's the law

That's it. I remember reading about this in my highschool chemistry textbook, way back in the mid 90s. IIRC, the description I saw was that the can would have some sort of chamber with pressurized CO₂, which would be punctured to expand the gas and chill the contents of the can.

There have been patents on different self cooling methods dating back a couple decades, at least. I'm guessing companies just haven't been able to create a successful product using them. Miller Brewing Company apparently had a plan to use self cooling cans 5 years ago, but nothing became of it.

My guess: these things could be marketed for events such as tailgate parties, picnics, camping trips, and other outdoor events, but otherwise I don't see that there would be much demand. Almost everyone's got a refrigerator at home, right? Electricity's cheap, compared to the added retail price of the cans.

We know what the problem is, we just haven't found a chemical that
1. isn't dangerously explosive when it vaporizes
and
2. is environmentally friendly
and
3. doesn't cause cancer
and
4. can be kept 'indefinitely' under pressure in an aluminum can
and
5. effectively cools within a few minutes
and
6. can't be used as an IED
and
7. can't be abused as a drug
and
8. has a heat of vaporization around the temperature of a cold drink
and
9. Doesn't cost an arm and a leg

The closest anything remotely comes are a Nitrous or CO2 charger.

Guidette Frankentits: In fact, back in 1998 Pepsi was all set to use these same cans, but it was discovered that the refrigerant used contributed to greenhouse gases.cancer

We're not idiots. No one really cared about greenhouse gasses until around 2002

My guess is it used chlorofluorocarbons, which destroy the ozone layer. It used to be a very common refrigerant; there was a big push to get rid of them in the '90s.

All I can say is their font sucks.
I read that as "Puke Energy"

morbo: My guess is it used chlorofluorocarbons, which destroy the ozone layer. It used to be a very common refrigerant; there was a big push to get rid of them in the '90s.


In 1998 the technology was all ready to be launched with the Pepsi Cola Company which was illustrated by the new blue can you see today. Blue representing cold, red representing hot. In 1998 the Chill Can System had an environmental issue because the technology was using the harmful HFC134A the replacement of CFC Freon. (new window)

but, according to wikipedia:

Recently, 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane has been subject to use restrictions due to its contribution to climate change.


Contact of 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane with flames or hot surfaces in excess of 250 °C (482 °F) may cause vapor decomposition and the emission of toxic gases including hydrogen fluoride and carbonyl halides.[18] 1,1,1,2-Tetrafluoroethane itself has an LD50 (lethal concentration for 50% of subjects) in rats of 1,500 g/m³, making it relatively non-toxic, apart from the dangers inherent to inhalant abuse. (new window)

So it contributes to climate change, not Ozone depletion but I'm skeptical because climate change wasn't a big deal back then.

Maybe they dropped it because it had the potential to become dangerous when ignited.

Guidette Frankentits: We know what the problem is, we just haven't found a chemical that
1. isn't dangerously explosive when it vaporizes
and
2. is environmentally friendly
and
3. doesn't cause cancer
and
4. can be kept 'indefinitely' under pressure in an aluminum can
and
5. effectively cools within a few minutes
and
6. can't be used as an IED
and
7. can't be abused as a drug
and
8. has a heat of vaporization around the temperature of a cold drink
and
9. Doesn't cost an arm and a leg

The closest anything remotely comes are a Nitrous or CO2 charger.

CO2 would probably fit your description best. Nitrous would probably fail #7, although I don't know how much it takes to get loopy. Others like butane, propane, and ammonia are not feasible for safety reasons but commonly used in refrigeration systems (propane just getting started).

/ geek