Solar technology in the 19th century
Augustin Mouchot's Solar Concentrator at the Universal Exhibition in Paris, 1878.
2. Solar-powered steam engine, 1882
French inventor Abel Pifre and his solar powered printing press. Image from Scientific American, May 1882.
On August 6, 1882 Abel Pifre showed off his invention at the Gardens of the Tuilleries in Paris. Pifre’s machine brought 50 liters of water to a boil in just under an hour, driving a 2/5ths horsepower engine that was attached to his printing press. The inventor was reportedly able to print up to 500 copies an hour of his Soleil-Journal, or “Sun Journal.”
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2. Solar-powered steam engine, 1882
French inventor Abel Pifre and his solar powered printing press. Image from Scientific American, May 1882.
On August 6, 1882 Abel Pifre showed off his invention at the Gardens of the Tuilleries in Paris. Pifre’s machine brought 50 liters of water to a boil in just under an hour, driving a 2/5ths horsepower engine that was attached to his printing press. The inventor was reportedly able to print up to 500 copies an hour of his Soleil-Journal, or “Sun Journal.”
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