Background and Education
– Charles LeGeyt Fortescue was born in York Factory, Manitoba, Canada in 1876.
– He was the son of a Hudson’s Bay Company fur trading factor.
– He graduated from Queens University with a degree in electrical engineering in 1898.
– After graduation, he joined the Westinghouse Corporation in East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
– Fortescue spent his entire professional career at Westinghouse.
Contributions to Electrical Engineering
– In 1913, Fortescue published a paper on the application of a theorem of electrostatics to insulator problems.
– He was one of the authors of a paper on the measurement of high voltage using the breakdown of a gap between two conductive spheres.
– In 1918, he presented a paper demonstrating the concept of symmetrical components in power engineering.
– His 1918 paper was considered the most important power engineering paper of the twentieth century.
– Fortescue obtained 185 patents throughout his career, focusing on transformers, insulators, and power circuits.
Awards and Recognition
– In 1932, Fortescue was awarded the Elliott Cresson Medal by the Franklin Institute for his contributions to electrical engineering.
– The IEEE awards a fellowship in his name every year to commemorate his contributions.
– He is recognized as a significant figure in the field of electrical engineering.
– Fortescue’s work continues to be influential and relevant in high-voltage laboratories today.
– His contributions to electrical engineering have left a lasting impact on the field.
Publications and Papers
– Fortescue published a paper in 1918 titled ‘Method of Symmetrical Co-Ordinates Applied to the Solution of Polyphase Networks.’
– This paper introduced the concept of symmetrical components in power engineering.
– He also authored papers on the application of electrostatics to insulator problems and the measurement of high voltage.
– His papers were published in respected journals such as the AIEE Transactions.
– Fortescue’s papers and publications contributed to advancements in electrical engineering.
References and Legacy
– Various references and sources provide information about Charles LeGeyt Fortescue’s life and work.
– The Charles LeGeyt Fortescue Scholarship is awarded by the IEEE in his honor.
– The IEC Techline recognizes Fortescue as an inventor and scientist.
– His contributions to electrical engineering are remembered and celebrated by the IEEE and other organizations.
– Although he passed away in 1936, Fortescue’s legacy lives on through his work and the recognition he has received. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_LeGeyt_Fortescue
Charles LeGeyt Fortescue (1876–1936) was an electrical engineer. He was born in York Factory, in what is now Manitoba where the Hayes River enters Hudson Bay. He was the son of a Hudson's Bay Company fur trading factor and was among the first graduates of the Queen's University electrical engineering program in 1898.
Charles LeGeyt Fortescue | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1876 |
| Died | 1936 (aged 59–60) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Nationality |  Canada |
| Alma mater | Queen's University |
| Occupation | Electrical engineer |
| Years active | Since 1898 |
| Employer | Westinghouse Electric Corporation |
| Known for | Symmetrical components |
| Spouse | Louise Cameron Walter (m. 1905) |
| Children | Ernest , Charles , Thomas |
| Awards | Elliott Cresson Medal (1932) |
On graduation Fortescue joined the Westinghouse Corporation at East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he spent his entire professional career. In 1901 he joined the Transformer Engineering Department and worked on many problems arising from the use of high voltage. In 1913 Fortescue published the AIEE paper "The Application of a Theorem of Electrostatics to Insulator Problems". Also in that year he was one of the authors of a paper on measurement of high voltage by the breakdown of a gap between two conductive spheres, which is a technique still used in high-voltage laboratories today.
In a paper presented in 1918, Fortescue demonstrated that any set of N unbalanced phasors — that is, any such "polyphase" signal — could be expressed as the sum of N symmetrical sets of balanced phasors known as symmetrical components. The paper was judged to be the most important power engineering paper in the twentieth century.
He was awarded the Franklin Institute's 1932 Elliott Cresson Medal for his contributions to the field of electrical engineering.
A fellowship awarded every year by the IEEE in his name commemorates his contributions to electrical engineering.
