Degree(s): None
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Undergraduate Institution: None
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Photo Credit: EGIA Foundation
Ms. Alice H. Parker patented a residential natural gas furnace in 1919. Prior to this, homes were heated using coal or wood. Ms. Parker’s invention gas fired furnace brought cooler air into a heat exchanger and distributed warm air through ducts instead of the single floor register. Though never produced, Ms. Parker’s invention preceded modern HVAC systems, allowing heat to be controlled within each room.
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