Died December 2, 1995 (94) Name Maria Telkes Known for Thermoelectricity | ||
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Institutions Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Westinghouse, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, New York University, University of Delaware Notable awards Similar Stephanie Kwolek, Leonard L Northrup Jr, Edith Clarke, Lise Meitner | ||
A Brief History: Maria Telkes
Mária Telkes (December 12, 1900 – December 2, 1995) was a Hungarian-American scientist and inventor who worked on solar energy technologies.
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Maria Telkes
Early life and education
Born in Budapest, Hungary, Telkes moved from Hungary to the United States after completing her Ph.D. in physical chemistry.
Career
Telkes worked as a biophysicist in the United States; and, from 1939 to 1953, she was involved in solar energy research at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Telkes is known for creating the first thermoelectric power generator in 1947, designing the first solar heating system for the Dover Sun House in Dover, Massachusetts, and the first thermoelectric refrigerator in 1953 using the principles of semiconductor thermoelectricity.
She was a prolific inventor of practical thermal devices, including a miniature desalination unit for use on lifeboats, which used solar power and condensation to collect potable solar still. The still saved the lives of airman and sailors who would have been without water when abandoned at sea.
One of her specialties were phase-change materials, including molten salts to store thermal energy. She lectured widely in a rather pronounced Hungarian accent that sounded like one of the Gabor sisters. Fortunately, she had a ready sense of humor. One of her materials of choice was sodium sulfate Glauber's salt. After a lecture in Texas, a student came up to her, intrigued and asked, "Where can I get some of your 'global' salts ?"
Telkes is considered one of the founders of solar thermal storage systems, earning her the nickname, "sun queen". She moved to Texas in the 1970s and consulted with a variety of start-up solar companies, including Northrup Solar, which subsequently became ARCO Solar, and eventually BP Solar.
Prizes
