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Sitting in an outdoor cafe is one of the joys of summer. There is nothing quite like being enveloped in the sights, sounds and culture of a city while luxuriating over a cup of coffee.
But it is not that enjoyable if the sun is beating down on you. That’s why Green Kinonko, a women-led Israeli startup, began testing their principal product: the Kensho outdoor air-conditioning system in Tel Aviv during the summer of 2022. The hot, humid city is the perfect place to trial the new technology.
Outdoor cooling systems have existed for a while, but most of them use some sort of water or misting system to cool the air around them, according to the company's website, which is inefficient and wasteful, both in terms of water-waste and in terms of electrical usage. The new air conditioner runs on an energy efficient system.
“We have invented a new generation of air conditioner[s],” Green Kinonko CEO Tal Leizer told No Camels. “The technology is unique and amazing.”
Inspired by climate change
The impetus for the creation of the Kensho was environmental, according to No Camels. With global warming heating up the summer temperatures, Leizer realized that it will soon be too hot to sit outside in cafes.
She decided to be part of the solution. After two years of development, Leizer found the perfect solution to the problem. She told No Camels, “Our technology solves many environmental challenges such as greenhouse gas emissions, electricity consumption, noise, and humidity creation, ”
The physics of liquid nitrogen
So how does it work? The process is actually quite simple. “We create the energy from the pressure that is created between liquid nitrogen and gas nitrogen,” Leizer says.
“We use liquid nitrogen at minus 196 degrees. When it turns into a gas it creates a very strong pressure and we use that pressure to activate a mechanical engine.” It is that mechanical engine that slowly releases freezing nitrogen gas to cool down the air around it.
Beyond the literal coolness of the concept, the Kensho also has other advantages. New Atlas reports, the unit doesn’t need to be plugged in, and doesn’t blow out toxic warm air as it works.
In addition, the Kensho will probably be no more expensive than any other air conditioner. According to Cool Things, the liquid nitrogen canisters will need to be replaced every seven to 10 days, depending on usage. This makes it an affordable option for all sorts of businesses. The cooling system is expected to be on the market in 2023.
So the next time you’re sitting in an outdoor cafe on a sweltering day and feeling perfectly cool, you may have Green Kinoko to thank.
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