George Westinghouse | |
|---|---|
 Westinghouse in 1884 | |
| Born | October 6, 1846 Central Bridge, New York, U.S. |
| Died | March 12, 1914 (aged 67) New York City, U.S. |
| Known for | Founder of the original Westinghouse Electric Corporation, and the Westinghouse Air Brake Company and others. |
| Spouse |
Marguerite Erskine Walker
(m. 1867) |
| Children | 1 |
| Awards |
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| Signature | |
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George Westinghouse Jr. (October 6, 1846 – March 12, 1914) was a prolific American inventor, engineer, and entrepreneurial industrialist based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania who is best known for his creation of the railway air brake and for being a pioneer in the development and use of alternating current (AC) electrical power distribution. During his lifetime, he received 362 patents for his inventions and established 61 companies, many still in existence today.
His invention of a train braking system based on using compressed air transformed the railroad industry around the world. He founded the Westinghouse Air Brake Company in 1869. [1] He and his engineers also developed track-switching and signaling systems, leading to the founding of the company Union Switch & Signal in 1881.
In the early 1880s, his interest in and inventions for the safe production, transmission, and use of natural gas spurred a whole new energy industry.
During this same period, Westinghouse recognized the potential of using alternating current (AC) for electric power distribution, and in 1886, he founded the Westinghouse Electric Corporation. Westinghouse's electric business was in direct competition with Thomas Edison's, who was promoting direct current (DC) electricity. Westinghouse Electric won the contract to demonstrate its AC system to illuminate the "White City" at the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The company went on to install the world's first large-scale, AC power generation plant at Niagara Falls, NY, which opened in August 1895.
Ironically, among many other honors, Westinghouse received the 1911 Edison Medal of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers "for meritorious achievement in connection with the development of the alternating current system." [2]
- ^ Becerra-Fernandez, Irma; Rajiv Sabherwal (2014). Knowledge Management: Systems and Processes. Taylor & Francis. p. 241. ISBN 9781317503026 – via Google Books.
- ^ "George Westinghouse". IEEE Global History Network. IEEE. Retrieved 22 July 2011.