Bob Biancardi, CEO of Applied Scientific Research Inc., is seeking a business partner to help bring the Geo-Chiller to market. The invention helps cool restaurant kitchens.
Biancardi said in a press release that the Geo-Chiller will pre-heat water about 7 degrees and cool kitchen air by about 18 degrees with a quarter horse-powered engine. It uses tap water to power it.
ASR Inc. was issued a second U.S. patent (No. 11,333,374 B2) on May 17, 2022, for the idea. The first patent issued was for a design powered by a motor.
The Geo-Chiller uses a restaurant's water pressure and a Pelton Wheel fan to power it, which saves on natural gas costs. The unit is 21-by-21-by-7 inches.
“(It) will fit comfortably in a standard restaurant kitchen,” he said.
The lifelong resident of Northwest Indiana said the idea has been germinating for about 20 years. One of the units, which used a fan powered by an electric motor, was installed at a restaurant in Illinois. However, he decided that it cost too much to power the fan this way. Three years ago, he applied for the improvement patent.
“It is our goal to create this product to save energy, cost, create a more comfortable working environment in kitchens, and most importantly, create jobs for manufacturers here in Northwest Indiana,” Biancardi said.
He is confident this modification will allow the Geo-Chiller to come to market.
“We have not yet brought one of our patents to market, but with 20 years of experience and perfecting our patented ideas, we feel the Geo-Chiller will soon come to market,” Biancardi said.
He said he needs an investor to help with the next steps.
“We first need to do a field test for the unit and run an engineer analysis of how well it operates,” he said.
Biancardi also has a patent (No. 8,833,091) for a system that takes water out of the air via the dew cycle.
Merrillville-based ASR Inc. incorporated in Indiana in 1988. It has five patents, with another in the application process.
Caption: This graphic shows how the Geo-Chiller uses tap water to power a fan that cools restaurant kitchens. (Provided by ASR Inc.)
