Summer will soon be here and with it
high temperatures. When it comes to body temperature, anything up
to 102°F is mild and can be treated by drinking plenty of fluids.
To quickly bring down a temperature above that, put an ice pack
under your arm or near your groin. Icing either spot will cool
your body's core. Another remedy is to take a cool, but not cold
bath.
For children, take a pair of cotton socks that are long enough to
cover the child's ankles. Thoroughly wet the socks in cold tap
water. Wring out excess water. Put the socks on the child's feet
and repeat process when the socks dry out.
Showing posts with label Cooling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cooling. Show all posts
Jun 13, 2014
May 18, 2012
The Cool Botijo
The botijo generally has a wide, spherical
belly with two openings on top -- a wide opening to pour water in
the jug and a smaller drinking spout -- as well as one or two
handles to carry it. Traditionally, people drink the water directly
from the botijo by holding it up and tilting it so that the water
pours from the drinking spout.
Botijo-etiquette demands that the lips do not touch the drinking spout, as the water container is usually shared among several people. The large opening is covered with a cork or a cloth after filling the jug, in order to keep insects out. Botijos come in different sizes, but on average it contains about 3 liters of water, with larger ones holding up to 7 liters, enough to supply a small group of people with drinking water for a full day.
After the botijo is filled with water, it is preferably placed outside in the shade, although it also works when placed in the sun or indoors. The technology is based on evaporative cooling, the same process that keeps the human body cool by sweating. Because the ceramic jug is not completely water-tight, a small amount of the stored water filters through the pores of the clay and evaporates once it comes in contact with the outside, dry environment. Evaporation (the transition from liquid to gas) requires thermal energy, which is partly extracted from the water inside the jug, cooling it down. One 1995 study showed that, under optimal conditions, a cooling of up to 15 degrees Celsius can be obtained.
Glazed botijos often sold as tourist souvenirs do not cool water as it cannot evaporate through the glaze.
The botijo is a mobile refrigeration device, for which there exists no modern counterpart. Plastic, glass or metal bottles, which have no pores are unable to 'sweat'.
Botijo-etiquette demands that the lips do not touch the drinking spout, as the water container is usually shared among several people. The large opening is covered with a cork or a cloth after filling the jug, in order to keep insects out. Botijos come in different sizes, but on average it contains about 3 liters of water, with larger ones holding up to 7 liters, enough to supply a small group of people with drinking water for a full day.
After the botijo is filled with water, it is preferably placed outside in the shade, although it also works when placed in the sun or indoors. The technology is based on evaporative cooling, the same process that keeps the human body cool by sweating. Because the ceramic jug is not completely water-tight, a small amount of the stored water filters through the pores of the clay and evaporates once it comes in contact with the outside, dry environment. Evaporation (the transition from liquid to gas) requires thermal energy, which is partly extracted from the water inside the jug, cooling it down. One 1995 study showed that, under optimal conditions, a cooling of up to 15 degrees Celsius can be obtained.
Glazed botijos often sold as tourist souvenirs do not cool water as it cannot evaporate through the glaze.
The botijo is a mobile refrigeration device, for which there exists no modern counterpart. Plastic, glass or metal bottles, which have no pores are unable to 'sweat'.
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