A Genuine 1870 Solar-Powered Steam Engine

By The Mother Earth News Editors
Published on November 1, 1975
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PHOTO: MOTHER EARTH NEWS STAFF
Plans and descriptions of the mechanism by which the suns radiant heat is concentrated, and of the steam generator which receives the concentrated heat, I shall be compelled, for some time, to withhold from publication.

Everybody talks about the solar energy experiments conducted 100 or more years ago, but nobody seems to know a great deal about what the solar pioneers of a century back really thought.

Well, here it is. The straight-and-uncut article about a solar-powered steam engine direct from the pages of the December 1, 1870 issue of The Technologist. See? And you thought research into heating houses and driving engines with the sun’s power was something new!

We have only one regret as we reprint this 105-year-old gem: Somehow, during the chaos and confusion that accompanied the final lockup of this issue, we misplaced the name of the kind MOTHER reader who recently found — and sent to us — the article below. So, please, “kind MOTHER reader” … step forward and identify yourself again so we can give you proper credit. And thanks for sharing this bit of solar energy memorabilia with the 1,000,000-plus other MOTHER readers!

The 1870 Solar-Powered Steam Engine

The recent attempts of Captain Ericsson to utilize the solar rays as a source of heat for producing motive power have attracted so much attention that we offer no apology for reproducing, from Engineering (London), the cut and description contributed to that journal by the distinguished inventor.

“On grounds which will appear hereafter, it is not my intention at present to enter on a minute description of the solar engine. I feel called upon, however, in order to remove prevailing erroneous impressions on the subject, to state briefly the general features of my scheme. At the same time, let it be understood that the solar-powered steam engine is not intended as a competitor with the steam engine, where coal can be obtained; nor is it proposed, in the first instance, to erect this motor where there is not continuous sunshine.

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