Mária Telkes

Biography

Mária Telkes was a Hungarian-American biophysicist and inventor known as the "Sun Queen" for her pioneering work in solar energy technology. She co-designed the Dover Sun House in 1948, the first residential building heated entirely by solar energy, using a sodium sulfate thermal storage system she developed. During World War II, she invented a solar-powered water desalination system included in life rafts to provide drinking water for downed pilots. She held over 20 patents in solar energy and devoted her career to making solar power practical for everyday use.

玛丽亚·特尔克斯是一位匈裔美国生物物理学家和发明家，因在太阳能技术方面的开创性工作而被称为'太阳女王'。她于1948年共同设计了多佛太阳房——第一座完全由太阳能供暖的住宅建筑，使用了她开发的硫酸钠蓄热系统。二战期间，她发明了太阳能海水淡化系统，安装在救生筏上为坠海飞行员提供饮用水。她拥有20多项太阳能专利，毕生致力于使太阳能在日常生活中实用化。

Key Achievements

• Co-designed the first solar-heated house (Dover Sun House, 1948)

  共同设计了第一座太阳能供暖住宅（多佛太阳房，1948年）

• Invented solar-powered water desalination for WWII lifeboats

  发明了二战救生筏用的太阳能海水淡化系统

• Held over 20 patents in solar energy technology

  拥有20多项太阳能技术专利

References & Citations

1. Wikipedia: Mária Telkes — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%A1ria_Telkes
2. Swaby, Rachel. Headstrong: 52 Women Who Changed Science. Crown/Broadway, 2015.