Peter Cooper Hewitt
| Peter Cooper Hewitt | |
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 Peter Cooper Hewitt
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| Born | May 5, 1861 New York City |
| Died | August 25, 1921 |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Columbia University School of Mines |
| Known for | Arc discharge lamp, Mercury arc valve |
| Notable awards | Elliott Cresson Medal (1910) |
Peter Cooper Hewitt (May 5, 1861 – August 25, 1921) was an American electrical engineer and inventor, who invented the first mercury-vapor lamp in 1901.[1] Hewitt was issued U.S. patent #682692 on September 17, 1901.[2] In 1903, Hewitt created an improved version that possessed higher colour qualities which eventually found widespread industrial use.[1] Although Hewitt is frequently described as the first to invent the lamp, German physicist Martin Leo Arons also demonstrated a mercury-vapor lamp although no patent was ever issued to Arons.[3][4]
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[edit] Early life
Hewitt was born in New York City, the son of New York City Mayor Abram Hewitt and the grandson of industrialist Peter Cooper. He was educated at the Stevens Institute of Technology and the Columbia University School of Mines.[5][6]
[edit] Career
He fabricated a discharge lamp in a vapor of mercury heated by the current passing through the liquid phase. The lamp was started by tilting the tube to make contact between the two electrodes, with the liquid mercury located on one side at rest. The efficiency was much higher than incandescent lamps but the emitted light was of a bluish-green unpleasant color, which limited its practical use to specific professional areas, like photography where the color was not an issue at a time where films were black and white.
In 1902 Hewitt developed the first mercury arc rectifier, which was an efficient way of converting alternating current power to direct current for use in electric railways, industry, and high-voltage direct current (HVDC) power transmission. In 1907 he developed and tested an early hydrofoil.
In 1916, Hewitt joined Elmer Sperry to develop the Hewitt-Sperry Automatic Airplane, one of the first successful precursors of the UAV.
[edit] Royal connection
He was married to Lucy Bond Work who was the sister of Frances Ellen Work. Frances was the great-grandmother of the late Diana, Princess of Wales.
[edit] References
- ^ a b "Peter Cooper Hewitt". Encyclopædia Britannica. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/264522/Peter-Cooper-Hewitt?anchor=ref196631.
- ^ "Method of Manufacturing Electric Lamps". United States Patent and Trademark Office. http://www.google.com/patents?id=i7hgAAAAEBAJ&printsec=abstract#v=onepage&q&f=false.
- ^ "Obituary: Peter Cooper Hewitt, Member". Transactions – the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers XXIX (18): 383–384. November 1921. http://books.google.com/?id=9qdkAAAAMAAJ&pg=RA1-PA383. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
- ^ "Obituary: Dr. Peter Cooper Hewitt". Nature CVIII: 188. October 6 1921. http://books.google.com/?id=B_ARAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA188. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
- ^ "Leading Articles Of The Month: Peter Cooper Hewitt, Inventor". The American Monthly Review of Reviews XXVII (6): 724. June 1908. http://books.google.com/?id=nfLC6Jbq34QC&pg=PA724. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
- ^ "Commencement Day". Columbia University Quarterly V (4): 397–398. September 6 1903. http://books.google.com/?id=YDgoAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA397. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
[edit] Further reading
- Baker, Ray Stannard (June 1903). "Peter Cooper Hewitt – Inventor; Three Great Achievements In Electrical Science". McClure's Magazine XXI: 172–178. http://books.google.com/?id=ZbYbHQiLtRYC&pg=RA1-PA172. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
- Burnett, Robert N. (March 1904). "Captains Of Industry, Part XXIII: Peter Cooper Hewitt". The Cosmopolitan XXXVI (5): 556–558. http://books.google.com/?id=wJLNAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA556. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
- Buttolph, L. J. (September 1920). "The Cooper Hewitt Lamp: Part I. Theory And Operation". General Electric Review XXIII (9): 741–751. http://books.google.com/?id=BhYBAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA741. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
- Buttolph, L. J. (October 1920). "The Cooper Hewitt Lamp: Part II. Development And Application". General Electric Review XXIII (10): 858–865. http://books.google.com/?id=BhYBAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA858. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
- Buttolph, L. J. (October 1920). "The Cooper Hewitt Quartz Lamp and Ultra-violet Light". General Electric Review XXIII (11): 909–916. http://books.google.com/?id=BhYBAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA909. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
- Hewitt, Peter Cooper (January 1902). "Electric Gas Lamps And Gas Electrical Resistance Phenomena". Transactions of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers XIX: 59–65. doi:10.1109/T-AIEE.1902.4763958. http://books.google.com/?id=6S0SAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA59. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
- Pierce, George W. (February 1904). "On the Cooper Hewitt Mercury Interrupter". Daedalus: Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences XXXIX (18): 389–415. http://books.google.com/?id=fj8DAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA389. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
- Prout, Henry Goslee (1921). A Life Of George Westinghouse, Chapter XVI "Various Interests and Activities" (The Cooper Hewitt Lamp). New York: The Scribner Press. pp. 236–240. http://books.google.com/?id=K-BKAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA236.
- Squier, George Owen (1908). "The Present Status of Military Aeronautics. III. Hydromechanic Relations. Relative dynamic and buoyant support.". Annual Report of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution: 143–144. http://books.google.com/?id=gtQWAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA143. References Cooper Hewitt's hydrofoil work.
- "Notes and Comments. Cooper Hewitt Interrupter As An Aid In Wireless Telegraphy". Journal of the Franklin Institute CLV (4): 315–316. April 1903. http://books.google.com/?id=r8kGAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA315. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
- "The March Of Radio: Did Peter Cooper Hewitt Discover The Grid?". Radio Broadcast I (6): 460–461. October 1922. http://books.google.com/?id=VMcnAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA5-PA460. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
- "The Awarding Of Medals: Presentation Medals". Journal of the National Institute of Social Sciences II: 40–43. October 1916. http://books.google.com/?id=t-JRAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA40. Retrieved 2009-08-07. References Cooper Hewitt's work with hydrofoils.
