Augustin Mouchot
| Augustin Mouchot | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
7 April 1825 Semur-en-Auxois, France |
| Died | 4 October 1911 (aged 86) Paris, France |
| Nationality | French |
| Fields |
Mathematics Physics |
| Institutions | Morvan 1845-49, Alençon 1853-62, Rennes and Tours 1864-71 |
| Known for | pioneering solar energy research |
| Influences | Horace-Bénédict de Saussure, Claude Pouillet |
| Notable awards | Gold Medal, Class 54, Paris World Exhibition (1878), Lauréat de l'Institut de Paris (1891, 1892) |
Augustin Mouchot (7 April 1825 – 4 October 1911) was a 19th-century French inventor of the earliest solar-powered engine, converting solar energy into mechanical steam power.
Mouchot was born in Semur-en-Auxois, France on 7 April 1825. He first taught at the primary schools of Morvan (1845–1849) and later Dijon, before attaining a degree in Mathematics in 1852 and a Bachelor of Physical Sciences in 1853. Subsequently, he taught mathematics in the secondary schools of Alençon (1853–1862), Rennes and Lycée de Tours (1864–1871). It was during this period that he undertook research into solar energy, which led eventually to his obtaining government funding for full-time research.
Mouchot was drawn to the idea of finding new alternative energy sources, believing that the coal which fueled the Industrial Revolution would eventually run out. In 1860 he began exploring solar cooking, drawing on the work of Horace-Bénédict de Saussure and Claude Pouillet. Further experiments involved a water-filled cauldron enclosed in glass, which would be exposed to the heat of the sun until the water boiled; the steam thus produced would provide motive power for a small steam engine. By August 1866, Mouchot had developed the first parabolic trough solar collector, which was presented to the emperor Napoleon III in Paris. Mouchot continued development and increased the scale of his solar experiments. The publication of his book on solar energy, La Chaleur solaire et ses Applications industrielles ("Solar Heat and its Industrial Applications") (1869), coincided with the unveiling of the largest solar steam engine he had yet built. This engine was displayed in Paris until the city fell under siege during the Franco-Prussian War in 1871, and was not found after the siege ended.
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