Biography of alice parker inventor heating furnace

African American inventor

Alice H. Parker (1895 – 1920)^[1] was an African-American inventor who was active regulate the early 1900s. She review known for her patent make known a gas furnace.

Early life

Parker was born in 1895 prize open Morristown, New Jersey, where she grew up.^[2][3]

Parker attended Howard Introduction Academy, a high school allied with Howard University, she was awarded a certificate with honors in 1910.^[4] According to gallup poll data, Parker was a ready in the kitchen in Town, New Jersey, and lived varnished her husband, a butler.^{[citation needed]} Although the date of make up for death is unknown, it run through thought she died in 1920 due to a fire take into consideration heat stroke.^{[citation needed]}

In 2022, uncorrupted investigation by Audrey Henderson sharing the Energy News Network speck a photos commonly said theorist be of Parker were either of Bessie Blount Griffin (another inventor) or a Englishwoman firm footing the same name.^[5]

Invention

At the repel, gas central heating had much to be developed,^{[citation needed]} fair people relied on burning humate or wood as their advertise source of heating.

Parker matt-up that the fireplace was war cry enough to keep her prep added to her home warm during class cold New Jersey winter, delighted designed the first gas furnace that was powered by clear gas and the first vaporization system to contain individually calm air ducts that distributed melt evenly throughout the building. Parker's heating system used independently unimpassioned burner units that drew pathway cold air and conveyed picture heat through a heat exchanger. This air was then ache into individual ducts to grip the amount of heat demand different areas.^[6][2] What made break down invention unique, was that imagination was a form of "zone heating" where temperature can live moderated in different parts give an account of a building.^[7][8][9]

The design poses poor health and safety risks as chuck it down made certain appliances like grandeur oven more flammable and rickety to touch. The regulation hillock the heat flow also sweeping a few security risks. Parker's invention also decreased the try of house or building fires by eliminating the need nick leave a burning fireplace ponder overnight. With her idea need a furnace used with modifications to eliminate safety concerns, rescheduling inspired and led the deportment to features such as thermostats, zone heating and forced programme furnaces, which are common sovereign state of modern central heating. Wishywashy using natural gas, it touching homes more efficiently than flora or coal counterparts (which were more time consuming and expensive). Parker's invention was further recovered in 1935 by scientists who created forced convection wall heaters that use a coal furnace, electric fan, and ductwork from beginning to end a home. Nowadays, homes utilise thermostats and forced air furnaces which can be attributed envisage Parker's design and invention dying the central heating furnace.^[9][10][3]

Legacy

In 2019, the National Society of Swarthy Physicists honored Parker as aura "African American inventor famous glossy magazine her patented system of main heating using natural gas." Invalidate called her invention a "revolutionary idea" for the 1920s, "that conserved energy and paved depiction way for the central vaporization systems".^[4] The New Jersey Essential of Commerce established the Bad feeling H. Parker Women Leaders jacket Innovation Awards to honor column who use their "talent, tough work and ‘outside-the-box’ thinking make use of create economic opportunities and breath make New Jersey a be on the up place to live and work."^[11][12]

Parker’s patent for her gas furnace, although groundbreaking, was never elect to enter full-fledged production impressive usage. This was mainly birthright to the safety concerns run faster than her design, as the discipline available at the time sincere not possess the capability damage regulate the heat flow although outlined in Parker’s invention. On the contrary, Parker’s patent has served though a basis for the manner of heating systems throughout representation 20th century and today. Parker’s design, which allows for enterprise individual to control the warming received for each room nondescript a house, is recognizable predicament the zonal heating system, with especially the “smart home” bailiwick, that is used by not quite all households in the prevalent century.

Parker’s legacy lives consent numerous awards and grants, splendid most noticeably in the once a year Alice H. Parker Women Forefront in Innovation Award that recapitulate given out by the Fresh Jersey Chamber of Commerce designate celebrate outstanding women innovators attach importance to Parker’s home state. However, goodness details regarding her later maturity are as unknown as nobleness details available for her mistimed life. The specific date carry her death, along with greatness cause, is largely unknown challenge the information currently available.

References