Peter Cooper Hewitt
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| Peter Cooper Hewitt | |
 Peter Cooper Hewitt
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| Born | May 5, 1861 New York City |
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| Died | August 25, 1921 |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Columbia University School of Mines |
| Known for | discharge lamp |
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.
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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.
[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 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] External links
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