Mária Telkes
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Mária Telkes (December 12, 1900 – December 2, 1995) was a Hungarian-American
biophysicist Biophysics is an interdisciplinary science that applies approaches and methods traditionally used in physics to study biological phenomena. Biophysics covers all scales of biological organization, from molecular to organismic and populations ...
, engineer, and inventor who worked on
solar energy Solar energy is the radiant energy from the Sun's sunlight, light and heat, which can be harnessed using a range of technologies such as solar electricity, solar thermal energy (including solar water heating) and solar architecture. It is a ...
technologies. She moved to the United States in 1925 to work as a
biophysicist Biophysics is an interdisciplinary science that applies approaches and methods traditionally used in physics to study biological phenomena. Biophysics covers all scales of biological organization, from molecular to organismic and populations ...
. She became an American citizen in 1937 and started work at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of moder ...
(MIT) to create practical uses of solar energy in 1939. During World War II, she developed a solar water distillation device, deployed at the end of the war, which saved the lives of downed airmen and torpedoed sailors. Her goal was to create a version for villagers in poor and arid regions. Telkes, often called by colleagues The Sun Queen, is considered one of the founders of solar thermal storage systems. After the war, she became an associate research professor at MIT. In the 1940s she and architect
Eleanor Raymond Eleanor Raymond (March 4, 1887 – July 24, 1989) was an American architect and historian of architecture and design. During a professional career spanning some sixty years of practice, mainly in residential housing, Raymond explored the use ...
created one of the first solar-heated houses,
Dover Sun House Dover Sun House was one of the world's first solar-heated houses. It was designed by architect Eleanor Raymond and had a heating system developed by physicist Mária Telkes. In 1948, Mária Telkes and architect Eleanor Raymond began working on the ...
, by storing energy each day. In 1953 they created a solar oven for people at various latitudes that could be used by children. In 1952, Telkes became the first recipient of the ''
Society of Women Engineers The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) is an international not-for-profit educational and service organization. Founded in 1950 and headquartered in the United States, the Society of Women Engineers is a major advocate for women in engineering and ...
Achievement Award.'' She was awarded a lifetime achievement award from the
National Academy of Sciences The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a United States nonprofit, NGO, non-governmental organization. NAS is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the ...
, subsequently receiving a Building Research Advisory Board Award in 1977. Telkes registered more than 20 patents.


Early life and education

Telkes was born in
Budapest Budapest is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns of Hungary, most populous city of Hungary. It is the List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, tenth-largest city in the European Union by popul ...
,
Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...
, in 1900 to Aladár and Mária (née Lábán) de Telkes. Her grandfather Simon Telkes was from a
Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
family. In 1881, her father magyarized the family name to Telkes. In 1883 he converted to the Unitarian faith. In 1907 he was elevated to the Hungarian nobility, with the prefix kelenföldi. From an early age, Telkes was interested in chemistry, making her own chemistry set at age 10. Her father encouraged her explorations. Raised in Budapest, she embarked on a journey in physical chemistry at the University of Budapest, earning her Bachelor of Arts in 1920. In her first year there, she read an influential book, "Energy Sources of the Future" by Kornel Zelowitch. She said that book influenced her in deciding to go to the United States, since most solar energy work was being done there at that time. Her academic pursuits continued as she pursued a Ph.D. in physical chemistry at the University of Budapest, completing her doctoral studies in 1924. Following her educational achievements, Telkes became an instructor at the
University of Geneva The University of Geneva (French: ''Université de Genève'') is a public university, public research university located in Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded in 1559 by French theologian John Calvin as a Theology, theological seminary. It rema ...
in 1924. However, her life took a turn when, after visiting a relative who served as the Hungarian consul in
Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–United States border, Canada–U.S. maritime border ...
, she decided to immigrate to the United States. She was also a lecturer in physics at the University of Budapest in 1923 and 1924.


Career

Telkes moved to the United States in 1924, and visited a relative who was the Hungarian consul in Cleveland, Ohio. There, she was hired to work at the
Cleveland Clinic Foundation Cleveland Clinic is an American nonprofit academic medical center based in Cleveland, Ohio. Owned and operated by the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, an Ohio nonprofit corporation, Cleveland Clinic was founded in 1921 by a group of faculty and alu ...
, which was founded in 1921 by biomedical researcher George W. Crile, to investigate the energy produced by living organisms. Telkes did some research while working at the foundation, and under the leadership of
George Washington Crile George Washington Crile (November 11, 1864 – January 7, 1943) was an American surgeon. Crile is now formally recognized as the first surgeon to have succeeded in a direct blood transfusion. He contributed to other procedures, such as neck d ...
, they invented a photoelectric mechanism that could record brain waves. They also worked together to write a book called ''Phenomenon of Life''. Telkes worked from 1937 to 1939 as a physicist at Westinghouse Electrical and Manufacturing Company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She developed metal
alloy An alloy is a mixture of chemical elements of which in most cases at least one is a metal, metallic element, although it is also sometimes used for mixtures of elements; herein only metallic alloys are described. Metallic alloys often have prop ...
s for thermocouples to convert
heat In thermodynamics, heat is energy in transfer between a thermodynamic system and its surroundings by such mechanisms as thermal conduction, electromagnetic radiation, and friction, which are microscopic in nature, involving sub-atomic, ato ...
into
electricity Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter possessing an electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described by Maxwel ...
. Becoming an American citizen in 1937 marked a pivotal moment in Telkes's life. That same year, she transitioned to a research engineer role at Westinghouse Electric, where she initially focused on developing instruments converting heat into electrical energy. Her venture into solar energy research began in 1939. As part of the Solar Energy Conversion Project at MIT, she investigated thermoelectric devices powered by sunlight. She was at MIT for 13 years and then for
New York University New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...
for five years. During World War II, she worked as a civilian advisor for the
Office of Scientific Research and Development The Office of Scientific Research and Development (OSRD) was an agency of the United States federal government created to coordinate scientific research for military purposes during World War II. Arrangements were made for its creation during May ...
(OSRD). Her most notable innovation was the invention of the solar distiller and the development of the first solar-powered heating system designed for residential use. In addition, Telkes also devised various devices capable of harnessing and utilizing energy stored from sunlight. Telkes aimed to address the reliance on traditional heating methods, often powered by non-renewable energy sources. Her work sought to provide sustainable and
environmentally friendly Environment friendly processes, or environmental-friendly processes (also referred to as eco-friendly, nature-friendly, and green), are sustainability and marketing terms referring to goods and services, laws, guidelines and policies that c ...
alternatives, particularly in the context of residential heating.


Desalination

During
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, the United States government, noting Telkes's expertise, recruited her to serve as a civilian advisor to the
Office of Scientific Research and Development The Office of Scientific Research and Development (OSRD) was an agency of the United States federal government created to coordinate scientific research for military purposes during World War II. Arrangements were made for its creation during May ...
(OSRD). There, she developed a solar-powered water
desalination Desalination is a process that removes mineral components from saline water. More generally, desalination is the removal of salts and minerals from a substance. One example is Soil salinity control, soil desalination. This is important for agric ...
machine, completing a prototype in 1942. It came to be one of her most notable inventions because it helped soldiers get clean water in difficult situations and also helped solve water problems in the
US Virgin Islands The United States Virgin Islands, officially the Virgin Islands of the United States, are a group of Caribbean islands and a Territories of the United States, territory of the United States. The islands are geographically part of the Virgin Isl ...
. However, its initial deployment was delayed until the end of the war because
Hoyt C. Hottel Hoyt Clarke Hottel (1903 – 18 August 1998) was a professor in the department of Chemical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He was an expert on energy, radiant heat transfer, fire, fuels and combustion. In 1984, ...
repeatedly re-negotiated the manufacturing contracts for the machine. For this work, she received a Certificate of Merit in 1945 from the OSRD and on March 15, 1952, the Society of Women Engineers awarded her their first Achievement Award "for her wartime method of distilling water from salt water by solar heat."


Heat storage

Telkes identified
thermal energy storage Thermal energy storage (TES) is the storage of thermal energy for later reuse. Employing widely different technologies, it allows surplus thermal energy to be stored for hours, days, or months. Scale both of storage and use vary from small t ...
as the most "critical problem" facing designers of a workable solar-heated house. One of her specialties was
phase-change material A phase-change material (PCM) is a substance which releases/absorbs sufficient energy at phase transition to provide useful heat or cooling. Generally the transition will be from one of the first two fundamental states of matter - solid and li ...
s that absorb or release heat when they change from solid to liquid. She hoped to use phase-change materials like molten salts for storing thermal energy in active heating systems. One of her materials of choice was
Glauber's salt Sodium sulfate (also known as sodium sulphate or sulfate of soda) is the inorganic compound with formula Na2SO4 as well as several related hydrates. All forms are white solids that are highly soluble in water. With an annual production of 6 mill ...
(sodium sulfate). Hottel, as chairman of the solar energy fund at MIT, originally supported Telkes's approach. He wrote that "Dr. Telkes' contribution may make a big difference in the outcome of our project". However, he was both less interested in and more skeptical about solar power, compared to Telkes. Telkes, like the project's funder
Godfrey Lowell Cabot Godfrey Lowell Cabot (February 26, 1861 – November 2, 1962) was an American industrialist who founded the Cabot Corporation. Early life Godfrey Lowell Cabot was born in Boston, Massachusetts and attended Boston Latin School. His father was Sa ...
, was a "fervent believer in solar energy". There were personality clashes between Hottel and Telkes. In 1946, the group tried to use Glauber's salt in the design of their second solar house. Hottel and others blamed Telkes for problems with the material. In spite of support from university president
Karl Compton Karl Taylor Compton (September 14, 1887 – June 22, 1954) was an American physicist and president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) from 1930 to 1948. Compton built much of MIT's modern research enterprise, including systems for ...
, Telkes was reassigned to the metallurgy department, where she continued her work on thermocouples. Although she was no longer involved in the MIT solar fund, Cabot would have liked her to return. He encouraged her to continue working on the problem independently.


Dover Sun House

In 1948, Telkes started working on the Dover Sun House; she teamed up with architect
Eleanor Raymond Eleanor Raymond (March 4, 1887 – July 24, 1989) was an American architect and historian of architecture and design. During a professional career spanning some sixty years of practice, mainly in residential housing, Raymond explored the use ...
, with the project financed by philanthropist and sculptor
Amelia Peabody Amelia Peabody Emerson is the protagonist of the Amelia Peabody series, a series of historical mystery novels written by author Elizabeth Peters (a pseudonym of Egyptologist Barbara Mertz, 1927–2013). Peabody is married to Egyptologist Radcli ...
. The system was designed so that Glauber's salt would melt in the sun, trap the heat, and then release it as it cooled and hardened. The system worked with the sunlight passing through glass windows, which would heat the air inside the glass. This heated air then passed through a metal sheet into another air space. From there, fans moved the air to a storage compartment filled with the salt (
sodium sulfate Sodium sulfate (also known as sodium sulphate or sulfate of soda) is the inorganic compound with formula Na2SO4 as well as several related hydrates. All forms are white solids that are highly soluble in water. With an annual production of 6 mill ...
). These compartments were in between the walls, heating the house as the salt cooled. For the first two years the house was successful, receiving tremendous publicity and drawing crowds of visitors. ''
Popular Science Popular science (also called pop-science or popsci) is an interpretation of science intended for a general audience. While science journalism focuses on recent scientific developments, popular science is more broad ranging. It may be written ...
'' hailed it as perhaps more important, scientifically, than the
atom bomb A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission (fission or atomic bomb) or a combination of fission and fusion reactions (thermonuclear weapon), producing a nuclear explo ...
. By the third winter, there were problems with the Glauber's salt: it had stratified into layers of liquid and solid, and its containers were corroded and leaking. The owners removed the solar heating system from their house, replacing it with an oil furnace. In 1950, Telkes and Raymond discussed the house at the MIT symposium of Space Heating with Solar Energy, where they explained how this experiment was also a stepping stone for future solar heated homes. In 1953
George Russell Harrison George Russell Harrison (July 14, 1898 – July 27, 1979) was an American physicist. Biography Harrison was born on July 14, 1898 in San Diego, California. His father is close friend with the Russell and Sigurd Varian, Varian brothers, who inv ...
, dean of science at MIT, called for a review of the solar fund at MIT, due to concerns about its lack of productivity. The resulting report tended to promote Hottel's views and disparaged both Cabot and Telkes. Telkes was fired by MIT in 1953 after the report came out. Another solar house was built in Princeton NJ using the solar energy and thermal storage system developed by Telkes.


Solar-powered oven

By 1953, Telkes was working at the
New York University New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...
College of Engineering where she continued to conduct solar energy research. Telkes received a grant from the
Ford Foundation The Ford Foundation is an American private foundation with the stated goal of advancing human welfare. Created in 1936 by Edsel Ford and his father Henry Ford, it was originally funded by a $25,000 (about $550,000 in 2023) gift from Edsel Ford. ...
of $45,000 to develop a solar-powered oven so people who lack the technology around the world would be able to heat things. The project criteria included: "it had to be able to cook, boil, and bake according to any local custom", "durable, portable, and simple to use and clean", cheap, and it must be able to be used in the early evening (para. 39). Though not the first solar oven invented of this type (in India one was being used in low quantities for $14), its "simplicity and cheapness"(para. 3) was its hallmark with a projected cost of $5 in 1954. Using a tightly insulated box, four mirrors, a glass window, and "a special heat-absorbing chemical"(para. 3), it reached within 30 minutes. She was appointed Solar Research Director in 1958 for Curtis-Wright Corp. and New York University, over joint and separate solar energy projects. Telkes spent several years in industry. Initially, she was the director of solar energy at the Curtiss-Wright Company. Next, she worked on materials for use in extreme conditions, such as space, at Cryo-Therm (1961–1963) as Director of Research and Development (para. 5). This work included helping to develop materials for use in the
Apollo mission The Apollo program, also known as Project Apollo, was the United States human spaceflight program led by NASA, which Moon landing, landed the first humans on the Moon in 1969. Apollo followed Project Mercury that put the first Americans in sp ...
and
Polaris missiles The UGM-27 Polaris missile was a two-stage solid-fueled nuclear-armed submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM). As the United States Navy's first SLBM, it served from 1961 to 1980. In the mid-1950s the Navy was involved in the Jupiter missile ...
, specifically to help maintain constant temperatures for optimum missile functionality. From 1963–1969, she worked as director of solar energy at
Melpar, Inc. Melpar was an American government contractor in the 20th century Cold War period. At a time when most employment in Washington, DC was directly by the US federal government, Melpar became an early private sector contracting company training a hi ...
In 1964 she spoke at the first
International Conference of Women Engineers and Scientists ICWES (International Conference of Women Engineers and Scientists) is an international conference for engineers and scientists. Established in 1964, it takes place every 3–4 years in countries around the world. Since 1999, the conference has bee ...
in New York. In 1969 Telkes joined the Institute of Energy Conversion at the
University of Delaware The University of Delaware (colloquially known as UD, UDel, or Delaware) is a Statutory college#Delaware, privately governed, state-assisted Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Newark, Delaware, United States. UD offers f ...
as an adjunct professor of Energy Conversion with a goal of substituting clean sun energy for "some of the polluting fuels". She began to study electricity-generating
photovoltaic Photovoltaics (PV) is the conversion of light into electricity using semiconducting materials that exhibit the photovoltaic effect, a phenomenon studied in physics, photochemistry, and electrochemistry. The photovoltaic effect is commercially ...
cells. In 1971 she helped to build the first house to generate both heat and electricity from the sun. In January 1977, moving to Texas, she joined the Solar Energy Department of the American Technological University. Then, in 1980, she moved from Texas to Maryland with Monegon, Ltd. In 1981 she helped the
US Department of Energy US or Us most often refers to: * Us (pronoun), ''Us'' (pronoun), the objective case of the English first-person plural pronoun ''we'' * US, an abbreviation for the United States US, U.S., Us, us, or u.s. may also refer to: Arts and entertainme ...
to develop and build the first fully solar-powered home, Carlisle House in
Carlisle, Massachusetts Carlisle is a town located northwest of Boston in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the town had a population of 5,237. History English colonists first settled the area now incorporated as the town of ...
. She continued inventing and filing patents into her 80s, and died December 2, 1995, at the age of 94, in her native Budapest, Hungary.


Awards, accolades, honors, professional groups

Telkes was recognized many times for her work. *1945 – OSRD Certificate of Merit for the Desalination Unit *1952 – Inaugural Society of Women Engineers Achievement Award *1977 – Charles Greeley Abbot Award, American Section of the
International Solar Energy Society ' The International Solar Energy Society (ISES), founded in 1954, is a UN-accredited membership organization promoting renewable energy Renewable energy (also called green energy) is energy made from renewable resource, renewable natura ...
"In recognition of (her) outstanding contributions to the utilization of solar energy for humankind" *1977 – Building Research Advisory Board for “significant contributions to building science and technology *2012 – Induction into the
National Inventors Hall of Fame The National Inventors Hall of Fame (NIHF) is an American not-for-profit organization, founded in 1973, which recognizes individual engineers and inventors who hold a US patent of significant technology. Besides the Hall of Fame, it also operate ...
The asteroid 390743 Telkesmária is named in her honor. Telkes' work was recognized in a
Google Doodle Google Doodle is a special, temporary alteration of the logo on Google's homepages intended to commemorate holidays, events, achievements, and historical figures. The first Google Doodle honored the 1998 edition of the long-running annual Bu ...
on December 12, 2022. She is the subject of the
documentary film A documentary film (often described simply as a documentary) is a nonfiction Film, motion picture intended to "document reality, primarily for instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". The American author and ...
''The Sun Queen'' which first aired on ''
American Experience ''American Experience'' is a television program airing on the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) in the United States. The program airs documentaries, many of which have won awards, about important or interesting events and people in American his ...
'' on April 4, 2023. She was a member of the Chemical Society, the Electrochemical Society, the Solar Energy Society (Board of Directors), Sigma Xi, and the Business and Professional Women’s Club, Society of Women Engineers.


Patents & Papers

*Radiant Energy Heat Transfer Device: No. 2,595,905. May 6, 1952 *Heat Storage Unit: No. 2,677,367. May 4, 1954 *Composition of Matter for the Storage of Heat: No. 2,677,664. May 4, 1954 *Method and Apparatus for the Storage of Heat: No. 2,677,243. May 4, 1954 *Method and Apparatus for Storing and Releasing Heat: No. 2,808,494. October 1, 1957. *Plus ten additional patents. Telkes's papers are in the collections of the Arizona State University Library, Design and the Arts Special Collections, in Tempe, Arizona. Telkes published over 100 papers, wrote book chapters, and ultimately some 50 patents.


Legacy

Throughout her illustrious career, Mária Telkes amassed an impressive collection of twenty patents (some sources say 50), spanning diverse methods related to heating, cooling, and heat storage technologies. Her groundbreaking contributions to the field of solar energy earned her the affectionate moniker of the "Sun Queen," a title that reflected her unparalleled dedication and leadership in harnessing solar power. Her inventive prowess and commitment to advancing sustainable solutions marked her as a trailblazer in the field. “I have been intensively interested in Chemistry and Physics during my high school days. I aimed to develop new energy sources, especially the use of Solar Energy. I have studied with this aim in mind, and nothing could have stopped me from working in this field. If I have succeeded to some extent, I feel that I enjoyed my scientific work more than any other activity.” Telkes was known to say “You see, sunshine isn’t lethal – except perhaps in the form of sunburn” (SWE Achievement Award Citation). Telkes was also involved in the World Symposium on Applied Solar Energy, held in Phoenix Arizona, in 1995, where she championed the importance of solar energy as fossil fuel resources dwindled. In addition, Telkes took steps to help protect the environment after World War II. At the United Nations Scientific Conference on the Conservation and Utilization of Resources, held between August 17 through September 6, 1949, Telkes presented a paper and spoke on the importance and future of solar energy as an alternative energy source, providing examples of solar heating in houses. Telkes said "Solar energy is our greatest untapped energy resource and future development in its utilization should  be regarded as one of the most important and fruitful projects.” Telkes's outstanding contributions were acknowledged through numerous accolades, including the prestigious Society of Women Engineers Achievement Award and the Charles Greely Abbot Award from the International Solar Energy Society. Later in her career, at the age of 77, Telkes received a lifetime achievement award from the National Academy of Sciences and the National Research Council, also an award from Building Research Advisory Board. utler, Kirstin. “The Marvelously Inventive Life of Mária Telkes.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, 17 Mar. 2023, www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/sun-queen-marvelously-inventive-life-maria-telkes/. How Mária Telkes Became ‘The Sun Queen.’” National Inventors Hall of Fame®, www.invent.org/blog/inventors/maria-telkes-the-sun-queen. Accessed 2 Dec. 2023. axon, Wolfgang. “Maria Telkes, 95, an Innovator of Varied Uses for Solar Power.” The     New York Times, The New York Times, 13 Aug. 1996, www.nytimes.com/1996/08/13/us/maria-telkes-95-an-innovator-of-varied-uses-for-solar-power.html. Mária Telkes.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., 28 Nov. 2023, www.britannica.com/biography/Maria-Telkes. “Google Remembers Maria Telkes, the ‘Sun Queen.’” Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera, 12 Dec. 2022, www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/12/12/maria-takes-why-google-honours-her-today." responsive="0" />


References


Further reading

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Telkes, Maria 1900 births 1995 deaths 20th-century American chemists 20th-century American women scientists American biophysicists American people of Hungarian-Jewish descent American physical chemists Hungarian emigrants to the United States Hungarian people of Jewish descent Hungarian physical chemists Hungarian women chemists Scientists from Budapest Scientists from Texas Women biophysicists 20th-century American women inventors 20th-century American inventors Hungarian biophysicists Members of the Society of Women Engineers