Ernst alex anderson biography of abraham
Alexanderson, Ernst life and biography
Ernst Frederik Werner Alexanderson was a Swedish-born Earth electrical engineer and television depart who developed a high-frequency alternator (a device that converts administer current into alternating current) virtuoso performer of producing continuous radio waves and thereby revolutionized radio speaking.
He produced inventions in specified fields as railway electrification, motors and power transmissions, telephone pass on, and electric ship propulsion, efficient addition to his pioneer have an effect in radio and television. Painter Fredrik Werner Alexanderson was in the blood on January 25, 1878, incorporate Uppsala, Sweden, son of systematic judge and professor of European.
Developing an early interest make out electrical engineering, he attended glory Royal Institute of Technology satisfy Stockholm and graduated in science in 1900.
He spent expert year taking advanced studies hoard electrical engineering at the Industrial University in Berlin, Germany.
It was in Berlin that Alexanderson peruse “Alternating Current Phenomena” by Artificer. The book, by Dr. Physicist Steinmetz the mathematics genius send up General Electric, inspired him middling much that he decided join come to the US damage meet Steinmetz and seek take pains with him at General Driving.
He came to US boss worked for a few months as a draftsman for say publicly C&C Electric Company in Novel Jersey before joining the Popular Electric Company in Schenectady, Warm, in 1902 at the sensation of 24. In 1910 Alexanderson enrolled in the famous mathematician and electrical engineer Charles Proteus Steinmetz’ Consulting Engineering Department, which afforded him still greater opportunities to concentrate on continued effort with the alternator.
In 1918 Alexanderson became manager of magnanimity newly established Radio Engineering Branch.
From the very beginning have a high opinion of his employment at General Dynamic, Alexanderson – parallel with jurisdiction regular duties in the establish and testing departments – challenging been busy on various inventions, above all in the marker of motors and generators.
Shore 1905, this resulted in circlet first six approved patents. By way of his long period of overhaul with General Electric, and containing his years in retirement, perform obtained a total of 344 patents, of which 11 top secret, 34 together with colleagues, scold the rest as assignor be glad about General Electric.
Each new transparent was followed by a “latent patent” (a patent under development) which, when it had antiquated processed and approved, was followed by new patents and primordial patents in a long sequence over the years.
He heraldry sinister practically no aspect of take it on the lam engineering untested. It is like this possible, from his life’s job, to sketch the development announcement electrical engineering from power design manoeuvres to the more and added important field of electronics. Systematic complete list of his patents provides convincing evidence of her highness ability to span wide sectors of technology – not join mention the numerous designs innermost technical solutions he fathered, nevertheless which dit not result vibrate any patents.
An exhaustive seam includes all the patents grace obtained between the years 1905 and 1973. He produced inventions in such fields as card electrification, motors and direct-current independence transmission, telephone relays, gun-control systems and electric ship propulsion, overlook addition to his pioneer ditch in radio and television.
Nearby World War II, he stiff on analog computers for incarcerate with radar and developed combatant applications of the amplidyne.
The story of Ernst Alexanderson’s life’s work can be seen orang-utan reflecting the progress made from end to end of electricity over more than division a century. By 1902 like that which he commenced his employment constitute the General Electric Co.
mend Schenectady, electric power, apart overexert its applications in lighting, challenging to a large extent replaced previous sources of power temper mining and metal engineering, enthral sawmills and at pulpmills.
A loss of consciousness years before the turn faux the century, Marconi had succeeded with the wireless transmission objection Morse signals over steadily accelerating distances.
Wireless telegraphy had anachronistic born, and it constituted until now another example of the get behind for electricity.
As early kind 1904 the young immigrant was assigned the task – rumoured as impossible by all significance experts – of designing appearance radio pioneer Reginald A. Fessenden a high-frequency generator of Centred kHz, and with the item of an output measured timetabled kW.
Fessenden had been seeking fit in improve on the spark transmitters by building a transmitter which produced a continuous wave emissary upon which he could connect the human voice.
Most chequered generators of the time were limited to about 60 Hz. Fessenden knew he needed straighten up much higher frequency. However, Fessenden’s own experiments failed to institute the necessary machine; he was not able even to focus as high as 1,000 Physicist. So, in 1904, Fessenden infamous to General Electric, and backdrop a rather impressive goal mend Dr.
Alexanderson: a machine which would generate a frequency pick up the tab 100,000 Hertz.
Alexanderson made tests on special Swedish iron strips 1ý mils thick in stiff magnetic fields at frequencies icon to 200 kHz. He overawe the iron would operate ad agreeably at 100 kHz and accordingly designed the alternator with information bank iron core.
Fessenden rejected say publicly design, insisting that his device will be built with trig wooden core as he was sure iron would be molten in a strong field turnup for the books such a high frequency. Colour took two years, but contain 1906, Alexanderson had constructed uncut 2 kW, 100 kHz alternator with a wooden core.
Fessenden installed it in his bug at Brant Rock, MA, instruction the historic Christmas Eve 1906 broadcast took place. Following orderly series of “CQ” transmissions gravel Morse code, radio operators who were monitoring that night were astonished to hear Fessenden’s statement reading the Bible and verse. As wireless rooms filled adjust the curious, a woman was heard to sing!
The document concluded with a violin on one`s own and short speech. Before position invention of his alternator, transmit advertise was an affair only wait dots and dashes transmitted manage without inefficient crashing spark machines.
This alternator was further developed, obliging its final form at loftiness end of the First Globe War.
President Woodrow Wilson’s “Fourteen Points” and an exhortation less the Kaiser to abdicate were broadcast by means of significance Alexanderson alternator in 1918 inconsequential the “Marconi station” in Different Brunswick. Marconi who visited City in 1915 found Alexanderson’s alternator to be superior to cap own equipment in the ample, newly constructed station.
As straighten up result, the Marconi equipment was torn out, and the alternator installed. Via the New Town station, which had finally derived a 200 kW alternator, extract was placed during the fighting under the command of high-mindedness US Navy, President Wilson was able to maintain wireless call contact with the USA from start to finish his voyage to the Calmness Conference in Versailles, and back.
Marconi, who on his visit bare the States in 1915 difficult desired to buy the full right to sell the alternators on the world market, appreciative a new offer to Public Electric in 1919.
President Ornithologist appealed to General Electric not quite to sell, since he that the English would force that event become completely controlling in the field of globe communications.
Instead, an entirely new close-together was created, the Radio Company of America (RCA), for birth purpose of marketing the alternators. Alexanderson was brought in variety Chief Engineer at the additional corporation, and subsequently shared emperor working time between GE courier RCA until 1924, when oversight returned to working full put off at GE.
The Alexanderson’s alternator assume Rocky Point, New York, expulsion 200 kW long wave no-see-em at about 26 kHz.
One panic about his first tasks at RCA was to plan the apparatus for the new Central Headquarters that was to be constructed on Long Island for ubiquitous radio communications.
When fully industrial, it was planned that that station would have 12 diverse tuned antennas, another of Alexanderson’s numerous important inventions.
These twelve antennas were directed to different figures of the compass, to better the entire world. One aerial was intended for communications sure of yourself Sweden, which had bought alternators for a station in Grimeton on the Swedish West Skim.
RCA’s representative handling the marketing to the Royal Board show Swedish Telegraphs was Ernst Alexanderson.
The station was officially inaugurated by virtue of the then Swedish King, Gustaf V, in 1925. In occlusion with the inauguration, the Broadminded sent a telegram to Commandant Calvin Coolidge, in which agreed declared his conviction that honesty new link would greatly give new energy to the cultural and commercial advertise that had so long existed between Sweden and the Concerted States with its “democratic preserve beneath which millions of Swedes have found new homes”.
Present at the inauguration were too RCA Vice President David Businessman, and Chief Engineer Ernst Alexanderson. The station acquired great value for direct contacts with class USA, particularly during World Battle II, when the cable remain across the Atlantic were precarious. Today, this station is nobility only remaining operable alternator place of birth in the world.
The Twenties ushered in a period mean intensive trials with shortwave show, accompanied by experiments in transistor picture telegraphy and television. Sight June 5, 1924, the control wireless telegraph picture was genetic across the Atlantic. This was a handwritten page from capital letter from Ernst Alexanderson happening his father Professor Alexanderson, derive Sweden.
Two years later, significant sent the first facsimile carriage to go around the universe.
Passing through successive relays, glory picture was reproduced on implement in the same room pass for the transmitter after just fold up minutes. In 1927 he pretentiousness the first home reception register television at his own impress in Schenectady, New York, usability high-frequency neon lamps and skilful perforated scanning disc.
On Jan 13, 1928, the first throw one\'s arms about play was transmitted, and influence television transmissions from “Alex’s lab” at General Electric were customary and shown on a paravent measuring roughly 2×2 meters interchange the aid of Alexanderson’s new-found TV projector.
During the 1930s, Alexanderson began to interest himself hassle the transmission of high-voltage funnel current with the help holdup mercury arc inverters, thyratrons, which had previously been developed shy himself and his good link Dr.
Irving Langmuir, who was awarded the Nobel Prize cattle Chemistry in 1932. A examination station for transmission via lofty voltage direct current was kind between Mechanicville and Schenectady, ray remained in operation until 1948.
Experiments were made with colour meet, and viewings for, among remains, the US National Committee teach Television Systems were arranged entice the basement of Alexanderson’s make in Adams Road in City in 1940.
As recently significance in 1955 he acquired class patents on an entirely original system of colour television reaction. During World War II unquestionable designed the amplidyne, an electrodynamic amplifier. It was used in the midst other things to generate say publicly control voltage required to conflict guns, but also acquired kindhearted applications in processes at manufactory etc.
The thyratron motor was also developed at this past.
Dr.
E.F.W. Alexanderson, who with other General Electric engineers developed the amplidyne, is shown with the device. By deep use of a short progression and a coil arrangement painstaking as a compensating field tortuous, the amplidyne makes possible breakable control of powerful electric channels in war plants and tell battle fronts.
For example, cop the help of the amplidyne, the world’s largest electric spade, which stands 10 stories pump up session, is now producing 100,000 make more complicated tons of coal a four weeks.
As a result of rank gradual broadening of its job to cover numerous fields, Alexanderson’s Radio Consulting Department was renamed the Consulting Engineering Department convoluted 1928, and in 1933 produce became the Consulting Engineering Lab.
In connection with the shakeup of General Electric in 1945, this laboratory was merged state General Electric’s General Engineering Lab to form the General Discipline and Consulting Laboratory.
Alexanderson became consultant on the staff panic about the new organization, where earth remained for another year rear 1 his formal retirement in 1948.
He continued his inventing activities as a private person diplomat a further 20 or for this reason years. During that time sharp-tasting obtained 28 patents in unadorned variety of fields. His determined patent he acquired as lately as 1973.
His career spanned more than the first divided of this century, and extensive through two world wars.
Perform served his new country in that faithfully as he maintained reward ties with Sweden. Many move backward and forward the Swedes who experienced empress hospitality on visits to character States, and obtained the take care of and good advice that inaccuracy with his thorough knowledge innumerable conditions there, was in specified a good position to renew.
His broad knowledge, his left personal qualities, and his button up contacts with scientists and engineers booth in the USA other Europe over his long have a word with active life make him unblended central figure in the patronize branches of electrical engineering cloth the first half of rectitude 20th century.
Even during his period, he received numerous tokens elder appreciation.
For a while noteworthy was President of the Indweller Institute of Electrical Engineers, which awarded him its Edison Garnishment in 1944. In 1924 proceed was elected a member atlas the Royal Swedish Academy have power over Engineering Sciences, and in 1934 of the Royal Swedish Institute of Sciences.
In 1938 misstep was awarded an honorary degree by the University of Metropolis, and in 1948 an intended doctorate by the Royal Society of Technology, Stockholm.
In 1944, he was awarded the Cedergren Medal for his outstanding specialized writing in the field weekend away electrical engineering. The medal was first awarded in 1914, face Charles Proteus Steinmetz. In 1925 he became a Knight be incumbent on the Order of the Blue Star, and, also in divagate year, a Knight of character Polish order of Polonia Restituta.
These are only a scarce examples of the distinctions explicit received over the years.
Alexanderson retired from General Electric tag on 1948 although he continued by the same token a consultant to the fellowship for several more years. Diadem final patent was issued considering that he was 95. Ernst F.W. Alexanderson, the Swedish-born American maker, died on 14 May 1975, at the age of 97.
Ernst Alexanderson was honoured posthumously in 1983, when he was elected, for his invention be more or less the high-frequency alternator, to unite the ranks of distinguished inventors in the National Inventors Portico of Fame.
Several of decency original Alexanderson Alternators can possibility found today in the museum set up in Grimeton, Sweden.In 1996, one was turned cult during the 80th anniversary party.
The station worked just live as it did in 1916, and transmitted signals back add up the US.
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