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[-] TheOakTree@lemm.ee 10 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

By spinning the can in ice water, it increases the rate of transfer of heat energy from the drink in the can, to the can itself, to the ice water. It's like how stirring the ice in a cup of not-cold water will melt the ice / cool the water faster.

At a molecular level, you would see an increase in the number of collisions between ice molecules and liquid molecules. The collisions must occur for heat transfer to happen, so more collisions = more cooling. It is also the same reason why a heatsink can draw more heat from a processor when a fan blows air over it ~~(until the air is saturated with heat)~~.

[-] Pentel@lemm.ee 4 points 4 months ago

How can air get heat saturated? i followed you thus far but its not like humidity, you can always add more heat the question is if a faster flow decrease the time for each molecule to absorb the heat/motion and thats why sometimes higher flow wont yield in better cooling

[-] TheOakTree@lemm.ee 4 points 4 months ago

Sorry, saturation is not the right word to describe it. I was thinking of the ice/water analogy and I mistakenly applied it to my heatsink analogy.

The correct limit to the heatsink analogy would a function of the thermal dissipation of the heatsink (material, surface area, thermal resistance) and the qualities of the surrounding fluid (ambient temp, flow, etc). Honestly, my comparison between the ice/water example and heatsinks is not good. It is only appropriate in reference to the "molecular collisions" concept I mentioned before.

[-] Pentel@lemm.ee 2 points 4 months ago

F me I forgot the beer in the freezer

[-] SpaceCadet@feddit.nl 2 points 4 months ago

How can air get heat saturated? i followed you thus far but its not like humidity, you can always add more heat

When the temperature of the air and temperature of the object you want to cool reach an equilibrium, no heat gets transfered anymore.

[-] Pentel@lemm.ee 1 points 4 months ago

That is equilibrium not saturation.

[-] Baku@aussie.zone 3 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

Thanks for the answer! That's pretty cool honestly. Could you achieve the same result with anything that spins, like a lettuce spinner?

[-] Schmeckinger@lemmy.world 3 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

You just need a way to spin the can. Probably works better if you speed it up and slow it down or reverse direction repeatedly.

[-] Baku@aussie.zone 2 points 4 months ago

I think a lettuce spinner would probably work, since it has a basket inside a container. I might give it a go next time I buy a can of anything

[-] TheOakTree@lemm.ee 2 points 4 months ago

The main reason spinning a can works is because it induces convection inside and outside of the can, which contributes to more collisions and better distributions of collisions. If the warmest soda is in the middle of the can, the cold molecules near the can walls will reach a temperature similar to the ice bath and thud the rate at which heat is transferred becomes stunted.

For lettuce, you'd have better luck finding a way to pass cold water between the leaves, much like having fins on a heatsink (surface area).

[-] Baku@aussie.zone 3 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

No, a lettuce spinner is a little basket inside of a container with a handle that you can spin to turn the basket. You wash your lettuce and put it into the basket and turn the handle. The centrifugal force (I think) causes the water clinging to the outside of the lettuce to drain into the container.

I think if you filled the container and basket partially up with ice or crushed ice) and some water, it'd achieve the same result as the machine someone linked above

Lettuce Spinner

[-] TheOakTree@lemm.ee 3 points 4 months ago

Lol... I have never heard of this before. I think it would help halfway, but it won't induce much stirring inside of the can, which is more important than just throwing more cold molecules of water at it.

[-] TurtleJoe@lemmy.world 1 points 4 months ago

Just use your hand. If the beer is in a bottle, leave it so the neck is sticking out of the ice water and spin it that way (this also works very well for wine.) If it's a can, stick it in vertically, and spin it for 30 seconds at a time or whatever you can stand.

Even if you aren't constantly spinning it, it will still get cold much faster than any other method. I've worked in bars and restaurants for 15 years, and this is my go to, in case of emergency method for chilling beverages.

[-] cordlesslamp@lemmy.today 2 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

Neat explanation, thanks.

I've seen a video explain how it works, plus an explanation on how it doesn't make carbonated beverage cans explode when opening like if you shaken it. But I can't seem to find that video.

this post was submitted on 23 Jun 2024
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