Sun valve
Encyclopedia
A sun valve is a form of flow control valve
, notable because it earned its inventor Gustaf Dalén
the Nobel prize in physics
.
The valve formed part of the Dalén light
which was used in lighthouses from the 1900s through to the 1960s by which time electric lighting came to dominate.
Many prominent contemporary engineers, including Thomas Edison
, initially doubted that the device could work. The patent office demanded a special demonstration before approving the patent application.
Flow control valve
A flow control valve regulates the flow or pressure of a fluid. Control valves normally respond to signals generated by independent devices such as flow meters or temperature gauges.Control valves are normally fitted with actuators and positioners...
, notable because it earned its inventor Gustaf Dalén
Gustaf Dalén
Nils Gustaf Dalén was a Swedish Nobel Laureate and industrialist, the founder of the AGA company and inventor of the AGA cooker and the Dalén light...
the Nobel prize in physics
Nobel Prize in Physics
The Nobel Prize in Physics is awarded once a year by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Alfred Nobel in 1895 and awarded since 1901; the others are the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Nobel Prize in Literature, Nobel Peace Prize, and...
.
The valve formed part of the Dalén light
Dalén light
The Dalén light was the predominant form of light source in lighthouses from the 1900s through the 1960s, when electric lighting had become dominant. The system was invented by Gustaf Dalén and marketed by his company AGA. Dalén later invented the AGA cooker in 1922. The Dalén light is notable...
which was used in lighthouses from the 1900s through to the 1960s by which time electric lighting came to dominate.
Many prominent contemporary engineers, including Thomas Edison
Thomas Edison
Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb. In addition, he created the world’s first industrial...
, initially doubted that the device could work. The patent office demanded a special demonstration before approving the patent application.
Design
The valve is controlled by four metal rods enclosed in a glass tube. The central rod that is blackened is surrounded by the three polished rods. As morning sunlight light fell onto all of the rods, the absorbed heat of the sun allowed the unequally expanding dark rod to cut the gas supply. After sunset, the central rod cooled down, becoming the same length as polished rods and opening the gas supply. The gas was lit by the small aways burning pilot light.External links
- Terry Pepper, Seeing the Light -- Lighthouses of the Western Great Lakes, Illumination