Post by cablehack on Aug 8, 2021 6:41:11 GMT
The air cooled OC-2 was introduced in 1925, when GE decided to seriously enter the domestic refrigeration market. This was a result of Alexander Stevenson’s report in 1923. Some of the reasons for so doing were to create a base load for GE’s power stations, and to produce a complete line of kitchen appliances.
From 1911, GE had been making the French designed Audiffren machine under licence.
Initial designs of the OC-2 began in 1917, as a cheaper alternative to the Audiffren. This first attempt was not hermetic and leaked. From here, GE returned to the hermetic design (as per the Audiffren), despite the higher cost. GE could foresee that a hermetic unit was the essential key to reliability. Clark Orr was the senior engineer at GE behind its development.
These first versions of the OC-2 were water cooled, but with their disadvantages, design for an air cooled version began in 1923. This was successful, and manufacture commenced in 1925, with 2000 units being produced. This air cooled model was the beginning of Monitor Top development as we know it.
Initial plans were for 10,000 units, but this was not achieved, since the DR created by Christian Steenstrup had been developed in 1926, and released the following year.
Like the units which followed it, the OC-2 is a self contained drop in cooling unit, with an air cooled condenser surrounding the compressor. The refrigerant is SO2, with a high side float valve metering device. The compressor dome operates under high side pressure. Unlike later models, the OC-2 evaporator is immersed in a brine tank. Cabinets were supplied by Seeger.
From 1911, GE had been making the French designed Audiffren machine under licence.
Initial designs of the OC-2 began in 1917, as a cheaper alternative to the Audiffren. This first attempt was not hermetic and leaked. From here, GE returned to the hermetic design (as per the Audiffren), despite the higher cost. GE could foresee that a hermetic unit was the essential key to reliability. Clark Orr was the senior engineer at GE behind its development.
These first versions of the OC-2 were water cooled, but with their disadvantages, design for an air cooled version began in 1923. This was successful, and manufacture commenced in 1925, with 2000 units being produced. This air cooled model was the beginning of Monitor Top development as we know it.
Initial plans were for 10,000 units, but this was not achieved, since the DR created by Christian Steenstrup had been developed in 1926, and released the following year.
Like the units which followed it, the OC-2 is a self contained drop in cooling unit, with an air cooled condenser surrounding the compressor. The refrigerant is SO2, with a high side float valve metering device. The compressor dome operates under high side pressure. Unlike later models, the OC-2 evaporator is immersed in a brine tank. Cabinets were supplied by Seeger.
The chances of finding an OC-2 today are very remote, although with 2000 produced, not entirely impossible. No surviving examples have yet been found, or are known about, but several units were known to be operating as late as 1952.
