The Genius Not As Undervalued as Tesla: Charles P. Steinmetz

We see and know Nikola Tesla as the inventor of alternating current. Probably if Tesla were alive today, When we see that we pay the electricity bill His stomach would hurt from laughing. His vision and success inspired many people like him. If we see the things that came out of Tesla’s mind in our lives today, others also had a share in it.

A baby born on April 9, 1865, in what is now Poland would shape human history. The son of a German family, Steinmetz entered Wrocław University after a very successful primary and high school education in Germany. He was a born dwarf and hunchbacked, but he didn’t care about physical barriers. He started to make a name for himself with his work in the fields of mathematics and physics.

Steinmetz, who worked with the school as editor-in-chief of a newspaper, for some political reasons He began to be followed by the German police. While he was about to get his doctorate, Steinmetz realized that he would be caught by the police; He went first to Switzerland and then to the USA.

Steinmetz’s emigration to the United States was the most important turning point in his life:

Steinmetz, who went to the USA in 1889, got his first job. changed its name. Steinmetz, who chose the name Charles because it sounded more American as a forename, took the name of Proteus, the hunchbacked character of the famous Odyssey Epic, and made his name Charles Proteus Steinmetz. He was now an all-American.

Steinmetz was supposed to work. He took electrical engineering courses by not wasting his time in Switzerland. He discovered that he enjoyed working in the electrical field. Steinmetz researched electrical companies in the USA and Rudolph EickeyerHe started working in the company of .

Steinmetz, who established good relations with Eickemyer, who spoke the same language as him, and expanded his work at the company, realized the first of 3 groundbreaking studies in electrical engineering at that time: “Magnetic Hysteresis”.

This invention made a huge contribution to the birth of modern electrical machines. Mathematically explaining the “hysteresis” phenomenon in materials with magnetic characteristics such as iron. Published two articles. These articles also paved the way for the development of today’s electrical machines.

The losses caused by the hysteresis event greatly reduced the efficiency of the machines. This was the biggest obstacle to the widespread use of machines such as engines. Steinmetz’s losses mathematical description, It also paved the way for designs to reduce losses.

It was 1892 when Steinmetz published these world-renowned articles:

Everyone in the electrical industry was talking about Steinmetz and Eickemyer’s company he worked for. The speeches were also heard by the famous electricity company General Electric officials. Fast-moving General Electric bought Eickemeyer’s company in its entirety, exactly one year after the articles. One of the turning points in Steinmetz’s life was when he started working for General Electric.

The genius that made us hear about Tesla’s inventions:

Steinmetz, who made a name for himself all over the world with his work at General Electric, presented his second major work in electrical engineering in the same year. Tesla’s alternating current It had been used for years, but the mathematical analysis of it was quite difficult.

Steinmetz in alternating current circuits at that year’s International Electricity Congress. suggested the use of complex numbers. Explaining in detail how complex numbers make analysis and design easier, the genius engineer laid the foundations for many of today’s electrical machines.

Although Steinmetz made the idea, analysis and design very easy, unfortunately it was not understood by anyone at the time. Observing this situation and realizing the importance of mathematics in engineering, Steinmetz wrote many books on electrical engineering and mathematics. The books that Steinmetz wrote were used as textbooks in universities for years, and the world got modern engineering thanks to this genius man.

Continuing to work at General Electric, Steinmetz made his third and last major contribution to electrical engineering years later in his experiments. “transient state Developing the theory called Steinmetz, he ignited a great change especially in the electricity generation sector. Then, using these works, he produced very special generators that no one could produce at that time.

The most meaningful electric bill in history and Ford:

After a productive business life, Steinmetz devoted himself to teaching at the university, and for a while also assumed the presidency of the American Association of Electrical Engineers. In some sources, after Steinmetz’s retirement Ford He has an interesting memory:

After his retirement, one of the key machines at Ford breaks down. Company officials immediately call Steinmetz. Because the only name that can restore that machine is Steinmetz. Steinmetz arrives at the factory and begins to study the blackboard schematic of the machine. He takes a piece of chalk, puts a cross on the board and says, “Here’s the problem.”

Confused, the company’s employees solve the problem, but a few days later, an invoice from the company puts them in even more confusion. The bill only says Steinmetz’s name and $10,000. Company officials immediately request a detailed invoice from Steinmetz. Steinmetz does not break them and prepares the detailed invoice. There are two separate charges on the invoice:

“Chalk: $1, Knowing where to put it: $9,999”

One of the most legendary photos in the history of science: Einstein, Tesla and Steinmetz

Taken at Marconi RCA Radio Station in 1921, this historical photo, It is invaluable because it brings together the important names of the scientific world in the same frame. Let’s add that in some sources about this photo, there is information that the person between Einstein and Steinmetz could be AT&T engineer John Renshaw Carson.

almost all his life working non stop Steinmetz has authored 13 books and 60 articles. The private life of Steinmetz, who has become a legend in every aspect, unfortunately contains a sad story. Steinmetz, who did not marry although he loved children very much, opened his house to them after his assistant wanted to leave him to get married so that the dwarfism and hunchback from his family would not be passed on to his children, and asked them to live with them. His assistant, who did not offend Steinmetz, began to live with his wife after his marriage. Steinmetz, who has 3 children of his assistant, tasted the love of children like this.

He achieved many successes until his death in 1923. “Electric Wizard” We respectfully commemorate the genius engineer Steinmetz, who received his nickname.