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May 1946 Popular Science
 [Table of Contents]
Wax nostalgic about and learn from the history of early
electronics. See articles from
Popular
Science, published 1872-2021. All copyrights hereby acknowledged.
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These rather nicely done
paintings celebrating the "Westinghouse Centenary" appeared in a 1946 issue of
Popular Science magazine. The centenary marked the 100th year since the
birth of George Westinghouse, not the company. We electrical and electronics types
know
Westinghouse
Electric Corporation, founded by George Westinghouse in 1886, as a company that makes electrical distribution equipment,
electronics products and systems (e.g., radar, microwave transmission), household appliances,
industrial motors and generators, jet engines, and other high tech products.
However, George
Westinghouse was famous first for his locomotive air brake design.
He teamed up with Nikola Tesla to
battle Thomas Edison over the superiority of
alternating current (AC) over direct current (DC) for building a large scale
distribution system. The caption of one picture mentions that DC systems could
only cover 16 square miles (~4 mi. x 4 mi.). Line losses due to high currents
dissipated a large part of the power. AC allowed voltages to be cranked way up
to keep current down. Unlike DC, AC can be efficiently and economically
transformed up and down. However, modern principles are allowing high voltage
direct current (HVDC) to be
implemented from generation plants to AC substations. One advantage of DC is not
needing to phase-synchronize the system.
Westinghouse Centenary
 High spots in the long inventive career of George Westinghouse are recreated
in these paintings, which are based on meticulous historical research.
In 1885, direct-current stations served only 16 square miles. Westinghouse found
how to extend area by A. C.
"Mary Ann," 2,000-kw. steam-turbine generator, was the first unit of the kind
to be installed in U. S.
First air-brake train stops short just in the nick of time and convinces witnesses
of its quick efficiency.
Big night in Great Barrington, Mass., was when Westinghouse proved that town
could be lighted with A. C.
Posted November 27, 2023
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