the einstein–szilard or einstein refrigerator is an absorption refrigerator which has no moving parts, operates at constant pressure, and requires only a heat source to operate. it was jointly invented in 1926 by albert einstein and his former student leó szilárd, who patented it in the u.s. on november 11, 1930 (). the three working fluids in this design are water, ammonia and butane. the einstein refrigerator is a development of the original three-fluid patent by the swedish inventors baltzar von platen and carl munters.