Félix Trombe

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Félix Trombe (born March 19, 1906 in Nogent-sur-Marne , † March 26, 1985 in Ganties ) was a French chemist , engineer and recognized cave explorer . He was one of the pioneers in the use of solar energy .

resume

Trombe grew up in the Pyrenean village of Ganties. To study chemistry , he went to Paris to the École Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Paris (ENSCP), where he received his diploma in 1928. He then received his doctorate in the field of lanthanides . In 1935 he succeeded in producing metallic gadolinium for the first time by electrolytic reduction . A short time later he discovered the ferromagnetism of the element together with Georges Urbain and Pierre-Ernest Weiss . From 1965 to 1969 he headed the Georges Urbain Laboratory at the CNRS .

His work

The 50 kW prototype in Mont-Louis
Odeillo's solar furnace

In 1949, under the direction of Trombe, a prototype of a 50  kW solar furnace was built in the French Pyrenees town of Mont-Louis . Later, a 1 MW plant was built in neighboring Odeillo according to Trombes' plans.

Together with the architect Jacques Michel, he developed a special storage wall for passive use of solar energy, the so-called Trombe wall , which can be integrated into residential buildings in 1956 .

In addition to his commitment to the research and use of solar energy, Trombe was also a recognized speleologist . At the age of 17 he was a student and employee of Henri Breuil and Henri Bégouen (1863–1956). Together with Pierre Chevalier (1905-2001) he discovered numerous caves and underground rivers in the Haute-Garonne department . For six years he was president of the Spéléo-Club de Paris . In 1948 he wrote the book Le Mystère de la Henne Morte about the Pyrenees grotto Henne Morte (Dead Hen).

Félix Trombe has written over 300 publications.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Jean-Jacques Amigo, “Trombe (Félix)”, in Nouveau Dictionnaire de biographies roussillonnaises, vol. 3 Sciences de la Vie et de la Terre, Perpignan, Publications de l'olivier, 2017, 915 p. ( ISBN 9782908866506 )
  2. ↑ Félix Trombe: L'isolement de gadolinium. In: Comptes Rendus. 1935, 200, pp. 459-461 ( digitized on Gallica ).
  3. ↑ Georges Urbain, Pierre-Ernest Weiss Félix Trombe: Un nouveau métal ferromagnetique, le gadolinium. In: Comptes Rendus. 1935, 200, 2132-2134 ( digitized on Gallica ).
  4. ↑ Félix TROMBE (Nogent sur Marne, 19 mars 1906 / Gauties, Haute-Garonne, 1985). ( Memento of January 13, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) accessed on October 24, 2008.

literature

  • F. Trombe: Le mystère de la Henne Morte. Collection Voyages et Aventures, Paris, 1948, ISBN 2-7348-0743-2
  • F. Trombe: Traité de Spéléologie. Payot, Paris, 1948

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Trombe, Felix
BRIEF DESCRIPTION French solar and cave explorer
DATE OF BIRTH March 19, 1906
PLACE OF BIRTH Nogent-sur-Marne
DATE OF DEATH March 26, 1985
Place of death Ganties