Energy Inventors

Lester Allan Pelton

• Born 1829 in Ohio• Carpenter/millwright• 1850 moved to

California for Gold Rush

• Died 1908

http://inventors.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.geocities.com/vermviews/x.html

Inventions

• Water turbine called the Pelton Wheel

• One of the most efficient inventions in mining

http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/bl_lester_pelton.htm

Charles F. Brush

• Born 1849

• Company merged with General Electric 1892

• Died 1929

http://www.windpower.org/en/pictures/brush.htm

Inventions

• Efficient DC dynamo used in the public electrical grid

• First commercial electrical arc light

• Efficient method for manufacturing lead-acid batteries

• First automatically operating wind turbine for electricity generation http://www.windpower.org/en/pictures/brush.htm

Nikola TeslaBorn 1856 in Austria-HungaryEmigrated to US in 1884PhysicistWorked for Thomas EdisonBecame Edison’s enemyBest Friend of Mark TwainDied nearly penniless and alone 1943 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikola_Tesla

AC Current-powers household appliancesRoboticsSpeedometersEfficient electrical generatorsBladeless turbine still used todayRadio waves to detect ships (RADAR)Fluorescent lightingHydroelectric power

Inventions

Rudolf Diesel

• Born 1858 in France• Refrigerator Engineer• Thermal Engineer• Social Theorist• Became a millionaire

by 1898• Died 1913

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudolf_Diesel

Invention

• Patented diesel engine

• Diesel engine efficiency of 75% compared to steam engine with 10% efficiency

• Wanted to help the everyday person compete with big companies

• Helped big companies by powering mines, oil fields, factories and transoceanic shipping