- EXPLORE FURTHER: Unusual gadget claims James Dyson accolade, yet can you figure out its function?
No matter if you're at a picnic, a festival, or enjoying the beach, nothing can be more disappointing than finding out your favorite cold beverage has warmed up.
Regardless of how long it stays in the refrigerator, canned liquid rapidly heats up once removed—this is particularly true during summertime when we enjoy drinking outside.
Currently, a resourceful Welsh engineer believes he has discovered the answer by developing the globe's first commercially feasible self-chilling can.
James Vyse, once a mixologist and now an entrepreneur hailing from Swansea, created an aluminum gadget in his bedroom and now aims to bring it worldwide.
With just a press of a button, the walls of this entirely recyclable can become cooled – without needing any electricity, batteries, or charging ports.
Currently, major players in the beverages industry such as Carlsberg and Coca-Cola are showing interest in the device, set for trial in London this coming summer.
Mr. Vyse showcased the can—at which only ten polished prototypes exist—at a secret event. London location for MailOnline.
"He mentioned that consumers are increasingly carrying canned beverages around. However, when they do this, the contents tend to cool down," he explained.
My creation allows the user to choose when to chill the can, whether they're at the beach, attending festivals, having picnic outings with buddies, going for hikes, fishing, or even during a marathon run.
'I find it concerning how many drinks are still being enjoyedwarm from their cans—I would have thought that contemporary packagingwould have advanced further by now!'
Mr. Vyse has established a firm named Delta H Innovations to promote his completely patented invention, which relies on rather basic scientific principles.
Even though it appears to be a 500ml can, it really contains 350ml of beverage because of an internal, constricted space that runs along the sides and bottom.
The bottom part – where a plastic button is situated – holds water.
Once the button is pushed, the water gets thrust upward into the walls containing salt crystals (causing it to shake similar to a maraca).
Upon contacting the water and salts, an 'endothermic' cooling reaction occurs, swiftly reducing the temperature of the walls.
Once the button was pressed, MailOnline discovered that the container could change from lukewarm to chilly within just a few seconds.
Unfortunately, there's no drinkable liquid inside for me to taste – it is a prototype after all.
However, upon being promoted, this innovation might prove to be the key factor in ensuring a drink remains cold right up until the very last sip.
At a music festival during summertime when temperatures soar, the cooling impact would typically persist for approximately 20 to 30 minutes. However, in more temperate conditions, this effect could extend up to 45 minutes.
Nevertheless, this is a single-use response, indicating that once completed, the can would go into the recycling bin similar to other containers.
The creator suggests that customers might have to pay an additional 10 to 20 pence for the self-cooling feature, as opposed to a regular can of comparable liquid content.
Beverage cans typically use aluminum as their material of choice; however, this metal tends to efficiently transfer heat from our hands when we grip them.
As an extra benefit, the self-cooling can’s hollow walls offer a built-in insulating layer that shields the contents from external warmth.
Approximately two decades ago, according to Mr. Vyse, Coca-Cola poured millions into developing a self-chilling can but eventually lost interest as no viable solution emerged from their efforts.
Meanwhile, the doomed 500ml Chillcan — created by the Joseph Company in California — was never released for sale.
Chillcan introduced compressed CO2 into the solution, whereas Mr. Vyse sought a variant that would avoid emitting ecologically detrimental aerosols.
His response, recognized as the initial economically feasible self-chilling can, is drawing interest from major global can producers.
He mentioned significant interest from companies such as Coca-Cola, Carlsberg, Marks & Spencer, and Suntory America, which is renowned for its whiskey offerings and ready-to-drink cocktail mixes.
Following the tests in London this summer, he anticipates that it will be available for purchase by 2026, designed to transport cold beers, ciders, white wines, cocktails, or perhaps simply soft drinks.
"I wish for this to be promoted as a British innovation set to transform the globe," he stated to MailOnline.
The first canned beer originated from Wales, making it come full circle.
Read more
0 Comments