Sun valve

Sun valve

A sun valve ("Solventil", "solar 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.

The valve is controlled by four metal rods enclosed in a glass tube. One rod is blackened, while the others are highly polished. As daylight made the rocks visible, the heat of the sun allowed the expanding dark rod to cut the gas supply.

References and further reading

* http://www.aga.com/web/web2000/com/WPPcom.nsf/pages/History_SunValve


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • sun valve — noun : a device operated by the heat and light of the sun by which beacon lights or other apparatus may be automatically turned off during the daytime …   Useful english dictionary

  • Staring at the Sun (Grey's Anatomy) — Infobox Television episode | Title = Staring at the Sun Series = Grey s Anatomy Season = 3 Episode = 8 Guests = Matt Winston (Frank, the Pec Implant Guy), And Kate Burton as Ellis Grey Airdate = November 16, 2006 (ABC) Production = 308 Writer =… …   Wikipedia

  • Balance valve — Balance Bal ance (b[a^]l ans), n. [OE. balaunce, F. balance, fr. L. bilanx, bilancis, having two scales; bis twice (akin to E. two) + lanx plate, scale.] 1. An apparatus for weighing. [1913 Webster] Note: In its simplest form, a balance consists… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Gustaf Dalén — Born Nils Gustaf Dalén 30 November 1869(1869 11 30) Stenstorp …   Wikipedia

  • St. Helena Island Light — Infobox Lighthouse caption = Undated USCG photo location = St. Helena Island Michigan coordinates = coord|45|51.50|N|84|52.25|W yearlit = 1873 automated = 1922 yeardeactivated = foundation = limestone construction = brick shape = conical marking …   Wikipedia

  • Lighthouse — For other uses, see Lighthouse (disambiguation). Speculative drawing (c. 2006) of the Lighthouse of Alexandria, on the island of Pharos …   Wikipedia

  • Sweden — This article is about the country. For other uses, see Sweden (disambiguation). Kingdom of Sweden Konungariket Sverige …   Wikipedia

  • Carbide lamp — Carbide lamps, also known as acetylene gas lamps, are simple lamps that produce and burn acetylene (C2H2) which is created by the reaction of calcium carbide (CaC2) with water.These lamps were used in mines after the re invention of the medium in …   Wikipedia

  • Dalén light — AGA light nearby Djurgården in Stockholm. 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… …   Wikipedia

  • lighthouse — /luyt hows /, n., pl. lighthouses / how ziz/. 1. a tower or other structure displaying or flashing a very bright light for the guidance of ships in avoiding dangerous areas, in following certain routes, etc. 2. either of two cylindrical metal… …   Universalium

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”