Engineers Who Changed The World

Tuesday, 9 July 2013

ELI WHITNEY

1765-1825

Eli Whitney was the inventor of the cotton gin and a pioneer in the mass production of cotton. In 1793, Whitney designed and constructed the cotton gin, a machine that automated the separation of cottonseed from short-staple cotton fiber. His machine could generate up to fifty pounds of cleaned cotton daily, making production profitable.

GUSTAVE EIFFEL

1832-1923

Alexandre Gustave Eiffel was a French structural engineer from Paris. An architect, an entrepreneur and a specialist of a metallic structures, Eiffel is acclaimed for designing the world-famous Eiffel Tower. The Industrial Revolution palyed a important role in his life - building bridges is how Eiffel gained a reputation as an engineer, which he designed and constructed all over the world. The bridges allowed for easier and faster travel and trade in the geographical area in which they were constructed. Many of Eiffel's bridges did not require skilled workers for assembly, which made his bridges a great economical choice.

NIKOLA TESLA

1856-1943

Nikola Tesla is perhaps the greatest electrical engineer of all time. His inventions include fluorescent lighting, the Tesla coil, the induction motor and 3-phase electricity. He developed the AC-current generation system, which comprised of a motor and a transformer. Some have said that he "invented the 20th century".

Monday, 8 July 2013

HENRY BESSEMER

1813-1898

Bessemer was a prolific inventor. During his experiments with steelmaking, he discovered that contact with hot air would trun pig iron into steel. Given the tiltle of 'Father of the Industrial Revolution', Bessemer's process made steel available in industrial quantities at an affordable price.

NIKOLAUS OTTO

1832-1891

Nikolaus Otto's Otto-cycle engine worked is four steps; drawing in fuel and air, compressing the mixture, igniting it and expelling the exhaust. This Otto-cycle is stil used in the internal combustion engines that run all of our cars today.

JAMES WATT

1736-1819

The 'watt' unit of power is named after James Watt. An enthusiastic inventor, Watt's improvement of the steam engine sparked the Industrial Revolution. His engines were used for coal mining, textile manufacturing, transportation and a host of other industrial applications.

THOMAS EDISON

1874-1931

Thomas Alva Edison, American inventor and businessman, developed many devices that influenced life around the world, including the electric bulb. Edison originated the concept and implementation of electric-power generation and distribution to homes, businesses and factories - a crucial development in the modern industrialized world.