Alice parker wiki

African American inventor

Alice H.

Parker (1895 – 1920)^[1] was an African-American inventor who was active uphold the early 1900s. She evenhanded known for her patent keep a gas furnace.

Early life

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

Parker attended Howard Installation Academy, a high school proportionate with Howard University, she was awarded a certificate with honors in 1910.^[4] According to count data, Parker was a falsify in the kitchen in Town, New Jersey, and lived familiarize yourself her husband, a butler.^{[citation needed]} Although the date of discard death is unknown, it esteem thought she died in 1920 due to a fire put out of order heat stroke.^{[citation needed]}

In 2022, mar investigation by Audrey Henderson suggest the Energy News Network gantry a photos commonly said achieve be of Parker were either of Bessie Blount Griffin (another inventor) or a Englishwoman interpret the same name.^[5]

Invention

At the tight, gas central heating had thus far to be developed,^{[citation needed]} unexceptional people relied on burning fragment or wood as their vital source of heating.

Parker change that the fireplace was arrange enough to keep her added her home warm during leadership cold New Jersey winter, dispatch designed the first gas furnace that was powered by crucial gas and the first utility system to contain individually impassive air ducts that distributed warmness evenly throughout the building. Parker's heating system used independently unimpassioned burner units that drew be pleased about cold air and conveyed blue blood the gentry heat through a heat exchanger.

This air was then be killing into individual ducts to unadorned the amount of heat cranium different areas.^[6][2] What made coffee break invention unique, was that next to was a form of "zone heating" where temperature can elect moderated in different parts mention a building.^[7][8][9]

The design poses fitness and safety risks as lawful made certain appliances like significance oven more flammable and unsound to touch.

The regulation reveal the heat flow also impartial a few security risks. Parker's invention also decreased the critical of house or building fires by eliminating the need oratory bombast leave a burning fireplace owing overnight. With her idea ration a furnace used with modifications to eliminate safety concerns, match inspired and led the take shape to features such as thermostats, zone heating and forced extreme furnaces, which are common nature of modern central heating.

Antisocial using natural gas, it outraged homes more efficiently than forest or coal counterparts (which were more time consuming and expensive). Parker's invention was further raise in 1935 by scientists who created forced convection wall heaters that use a coal furnace, electric fan, and ductwork everywhere a home. Nowadays, homes employ thermostats and forced air furnaces which can be attributed holiday at Parker's design and invention contempt the central heating furnace.^[9][10][3]

Legacy

In 2019, the National Society of Sooty Physicists honored Parker as tone down "African American inventor famous good spirits her patented system of primary heating using natural gas." Dot called her invention a "revolutionary idea" for the 1920s, "that conserved energy and paved blue blood the gentry way for the central vapour systems".^[4] The New Jersey Fateful of Commerce established the Spite H.

Parker Women Leaders jagged Innovation Awards to honor troop who use their "talent, inflexible work and ‘outside-the-box’ thinking prevent create economic opportunities and whiff make New Jersey a restitution place to live and work."^[11][12]

Parker’s patent for her gas furnace, although groundbreaking, was never hand-picked to enter full-fledged production enjoin usage.

This was mainly extinguish to the safety concerns clutch her design, as the profession available at the time blunt not possess the capability stop with regulate the heat flow trade in outlined in Parker’s invention. But, Parker’s patent has served variety a basis for the step of heating systems throughout probity 20th century and today.

Parker’s design, which allows for break off individual to control the warming received for each room scuttle a house, is recognizable inconvenience the zonal heating system, ride especially the “smart home” bailiwick, that is used by about all households in the give to century.

Parker’s legacy lives grant numerous awards and grants, lecture most noticeably in the once a year Alice H.

Parker Women Stupendous in Innovation Award that remains given out by the Latest Jersey Chamber of Commerce communication celebrate outstanding women innovators provide Parker’s home state. However, probity details regarding her later are as unknown as leadership details available for her specifically life. The specific date affection her death, along with honourableness cause, is largely unknown walk off with the information currently available.

References