Alfred Benlloch Llorach facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alfred Benlloch Llorach
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| Born | 17 October 1917 Barcelona
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| Died | 8 May 2013 (aged 95) |
| Nationality | Spanish |
| Occupation | Inventor |
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Alfred Benlloch Llorach (born October 17, 1917 – died May 8, 2013) was a brilliant Spanish inventor. He registered over one hundred patents in many different fields.
Born in Barcelona, Alfred was a pioneer in creating the world's first blood transfusion service. This important service was set up during the Spanish Civil War by Frederic Durán-Jordà. Alfred also worked on many other exciting projects. These included artillery predictors, reverse osmosis, and solar energy. He passed away in Ibiza at the age of 95.
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A Young Inventor's Life
Alfred Benlloch Llorach was born in Barcelona on October 17, 1917. His father, Arturo Benlloch Ibañez, was a furniture maker. His mother, Elvira Llorach Papasseit, sadly died when Alfred was very young.
Alfred's father had modern ideas and encouraged Alfred's interest in science. He even let young Alfred set up a chemistry lab at home! By age eleven, Alfred loved looking at things under a microscope. He was also very keen on physics, chemistry, and mechanics.
Helping During the War
When the Spanish Civil War began, Alfred was only eighteen. But he already had a strong science background. He met Dr. Frederic Durán-Jordà through a friend and started working with him.
Alfred Benlloch helped design special devices for the blood service. He also worked on research about blood. He even helped create products like antigens and vaccines. These were not available to buy at the time.
Thanks to Alfred's technical skills, the service was very successful. In three years, they were able to process and send 9,000 liters of blood to the front lines. This saved many lives.
After the War
After the war, Dr. Durán-Jordà went to live in Britain. Alfred Benlloch decided to go back to university. He chose to study chemistry instead of medicine.
During the war, Alfred had invented a special device. It could predict where Antiaircraft guns should aim. This invention was called a "Speed Measurement Device" to hide its real purpose. Later, the government of Francoist Spain (the government led by Francisco Franco) asked him to travel to Madrid. There, he met the leader, Francisco Franco, and the Air Minister, Eduardo González-Gallarza.
Water Cleaning with Reverse Osmosis
In 1946, Alfred started testing Reverse osmosis. This is a way to clean water using special filters called semipermeable membranes. During this time, he also patented other inventions. These included automatic changers and new blood transfusion equipment. He even invented electrostatic toys!
Harnessing the Sun's Power
The world faced an energy crisis in 1973. This led Alfred Benlloch to begin many experiments with solar energy. He created many patents for his solar inventions.
He designed a unique solar system that was low-cost. It could provide hot water, heating, cooling, and even electricity. His systems were very efficient. They could reach high temperatures and convert a lot of solar energy into useful power. This was much better than other solar systems of his time.
Many countries patented his designs, including the UK, France, Germany, and the USA. Several companies were interested in his project. However, energy prices later became stable. This caused his solar energy projects to be put on hold.
See also
In Spanish: Alfred Benlloch Llorach para niños
