- Peter Cooper Hewitt
Infobox Scientist
name = Peter Cooper Hewitt
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caption = Peter Cooper Hewitt
birth_date =May 5 ,1861
birth_place =New York City
death_date =August 25 ,1921
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nationality = American
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alma_mater =Columbia University School of Mines
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known_for = Arc discharge lamp,Mercury arc valve
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Peter Cooper Hewitt (May 5 ,1861 -August 25 ,1921 ) was an American electrical engineer, who demonstrated the mercury-vapor lamp for which he deposited a patent.Early life
Hewitt was born in
New York City , the son of New York City MayorAbram Hewitt and the grandson ofindustrialist Peter Cooper . He was educated at theStevens Institute of Technology and theColumbia University School of Mines .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
electrode s, 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 convertingalternating current power todirect current for use in electricrailway s, industry, andHVDC 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.Royal connection
He was married to Lucy Bond Work who was the sister of Frances Ellen Work. Frances was the great-grandmother of
Diana, Princess of Wales .External links
* [http://www.ringwoodmanor.com/peo/ch/pch/pch.htm Biography]
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