George Westinghouse (* 6 October 1846 in cent ral Bridge, New York; "† 12. March 1914 in New York) was an US-American inventor, engineer and a large-scale manufacturer. By its invention of the compressed air brake the Eisenbahnverkehr became safer and it help the transfer of energy with alternating current to the break-through. He was an opponent of Thomas Alva Edison, which favored the direct current technology. Westinghouse acquired patents of other inventors like for example from Nikola Tesla, marketed these like also its own ideas. It received 360 patents, created 60 factories (among other things the later Westinghouse Electric corporation) and employed 50,000 employees. It was one of the largest employers of its time.

Life

Early years

George Westinghouse was born on 6 October 1846 in cent ral Bridge, Schoharie County (to the west of Albany) in New York. Its ancestors came from Westphalia into Germany, who had emigrated later to England and into the United States of America. Its father pulled 19 in the early years. Century from Vermont to Ohio and then Bridge, established itself New York, in cent ral. George was that respects from ten children of George Westinghouse senior and Emmeline Vedder. There its father pulled after Schenectady, New York and established to 1856 a factory for agricultural machines and small steam engines, where George gained first vocational experiences. After the outbreak of the American civil war 1861 fought the 15 year old George with two of his brothers for the union. One of its brothers fell in the fight. it changed 1864 of the Kavallerie to the navy, where he became a Schiffsingenieur. To the war 1865 George returned to Schenectady and visited union the college, which he however already left after 3 months. He worked in the factory of his father and received its first patent for a "rotary steam engine". On 8 August 1867 he married Marguerite Erskine, with which he had a son George III. They pulled after Pittsburgh. Its first large invention was a device, which set derailed railroad cars the rails (car more replacer and the reversible railroad frog).

After the observation of a course collision, he developed the compressed air brake, which could be served by the engine driver for all cars of a course. This system refined and standardized it for the employment on different railway companies. 1893 was prescribed for US by the Railroad Safety Appliance act the compressed air brakes for all courses in the USA. They are today still standard in courses, heavy LKWs and penalties. In Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania) it created 1869 the Westinghouse air Brake company (WABCO). Its compressed air brake made it famous and rich.

It developed just as automatic signal and switching devices (union SWITCH and signal company), which river and compressed air used, as well as improved railroad car clutches. Oil became ever more important for industrielle of purposes. Naturgas was set free by drillings for oil, which was not used. Westinghouse improved the oil drilling equipment around the natural gas to use and the necessary piping technology around the gas to distribute. Among other things it invented a pressure reducing valve, the gas of high pressure when boring and with the distribution on low pressure with consumption brought.

The invention of the telephone by Alexander Graham Bell in the year 1877 led Westinghouse on a new field. At the beginning all calls were led to a central Schaltstelle, which led to an excessive wiring expenditure. 1879 introduced Westinghouse automatic sub-distribution branches, which reduced the number of connections substantially.

Middle years

The interest of Westinghouse in the gas distribution and the exchange led it to the energy distribution with electric current. It examined Thomas Alva Edisons concept, found it too inefficiently over to be however on a large scale used. The network of Edison used low DC voltage, which meant high rivers and substantial losses. Several European inventors worked on the energy distribution with alternating current. A system with alternating voltages made it possible to high-transform the tensions for the distribution by a transformer to keep and the transducer losses small. To consumption the tension was reduced again by a transformer.

A transformer, which was developed by Lucien Gaulard in France and by John Gibbs in England and 1881 in London were introduced, excited the interest of Westinghouse and it imported 1885 a number of these transformers as well as a Siemens alternating voltage generator, in order to develop with them in Pittsburgh an alternating voltage system. Together with William Stanley the transformer concept one improved. 1886 would install it a multi-level alternating voltage system in Great bar ring clay/tone, Massachusetts. The net fed of an alternating voltage generator, which produced and by water power was propelled 500 V of alternating voltage. The electrical tension was transformed for distribution to 3000 V and stepped down then for the enterprise of the electrical lighting to 100 V. In the same year it created the Westinghouse Electric company, which was renamed 1889 in Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing company and to the Westinghouse Electric corporation led. 30 further lighting installations, based on alternating current, were furnished in the same year. But an effective measuring system and an alternating-current motor were missing. 1888 developed Westinghouse as well as its engineer of olive Shallenger an electric meter, which looked similar a gas meter. The measurement principle is today still common. The engine for alternating voltage was a more difficult task. But fortunately the inventor Nikola Tesla the principle of a multi-phase electrical engine had devised. Tesla had come into the United States and worked at the Edison company. Edison was an advocate of the DC voltage technology, while Tesla was interested in alternating voltage systems. Westinghouse came into contact with Tesla and acquired the patent laws for its alternating voltage engine and generator. Tesla had still no functioning engine built however Westinghouse placed it as an advisor for one year around the multi-phase alternating voltage engine to carry out. The work led to the today's US transmission system: Three-phase alternating current with 60 cycles per second. The frequency with 60 cycles per second was selected to keep highly enough low around the light flickering to keep but low enough low around the reactive power. Westinghouse acquired the rights at the patents of Nikola Tesla for a multi-phase system of alternating currents in the year 1888.

The support of the alternating voltage transmission by Westinghouse led to an embittered confrontation with Edison and its DC voltage system. This became as current war admits. Edison stated that high alternating voltages were inevitably dangerous. Westinghouse against it stated that the dangers were controllable and the advantages outweigh. Edison tried to limit the transmission tension over the legislation several states to 800 V, failed however. The fight became ever more absurdly than 1887 a committee Edison assigned from the State of New York consulted to execute in order to find the best kind out around condemned prisoners. At the beginning Edison did not want to have to do anything thereby by appointing itself to its refusal of the death penalty. The alternating voltage systems by Westinghouse were to be won thereby the current war, as Edison the last chance saw its rivals defeating. Edison employed engineer Harold P. Brown, gave to be impartial, in order to demonstrate public demonstrations, in which animals were killed by alternating current. Edison stated opposite the state committee that alternating current was so dangerous that it would kill presently/immediately. Alternating current is to be executed therefore the ideal method around condemned prisoners. Edisons influence was so large that its recommendation was obeyed. In August 1890 the prisoner William Kemmler was executed as the first on an electrical chair. Edison called this method Westinghousing around its adversary to discredit. Edison did not succeed to bring it however the alternating current technology in discredit, their advantages the possible dangers by far exceeded. Even General Electric, in an educated manner with support of Edison in Schenectady 1892, decided to manufacture products for alternating current.

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