100 years of the Division of Thermodynamics and Refrigeration

In February 1925, an image appeared in the Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet. Two students at KTH had invented a refrigerator without moving parts. Electrolux Group bought the patent from the students Baltzar von Platen and Carl Munters and paid for a position at KTH to support refrigeration technology. This was the start of the Division of Applied Thermodynamics and Refrigeration.

100 years later, the division is globally famous for its environment for advanced energy system research. They have persistently continued to develop technology for thermodynamics and refrigeration.

In February 2025, at the same division, the Granryd Laboratory was inaugurated and named in honor of Professor Emeritus Eric G. Granryd, a distinguished scientist and former professor in the division. Granryd Lab represents a hub of research and innovation within the field of energy systems in Buildings and Cities.

The lab offers an impressive research infrastructure, featuring advanced experimental platforms as well as modeling and simulation tools. Currently, the lab hosts several companies and manages over 20 research projects in partnership with tens of companies worldwide.

But today the Division works on far more complex issues than 100 years ago, like hybrid energy storage, energy systems integration and digital solutions. Still going strong!

PS. Welcome to the museum at Brinellvägen 68 in Stockholm, where you can find several old prototypes and more of the centenary-old history.