This week in 1930: Ferranti's legacy
Sebastian Z. de Ferranti (1864-1930)
Today marks the 150th anniversary of the birth of Sebastian Ziani de Ferranti, the prolific electrical engineer who held 176 patents and was instrumental in bringing electricity generation to London.
As witnessed in this 1888 report, the London Electric Supply Corporation (LESCo) were alert to his talents and they approached him to design the Deptford Generating Station, a facility acknowledged as being the first modern power station.
Interestingly, certain comparisons can be made between the claims made by the developers of today’s power stations and those of LESCo.
It isn’t unusual for today’s power station developers – be they wind, coal or nuclear et al – to make claims about the number of homes their installations will supply.
Keen to quantify their output, LESCo measured their productivity in the number of light bulbs their power station could help to illuminate.
This quaint reflection, however, shouldn’t mask another of Ferranti’s many achievements, namely his part in ensuring the implementation of alternating current.
As the following excerpt shows, The Engineer clearly admired the possibilities of LESCo’s Central Station at Deptford, itself a fitting tribute to Ferranti’s legacy.
Register now to continue reading
Thanks for visiting The Engineer. You’ve now reached your monthly limit of premium content. Register for free to unlock unlimited access to all of our premium content, as well as the latest technology news, industry opinion and special reports.
Benefits of registering
-
In-depth insights and coverage of key emerging trends
-
Unrestricted access to special reports throughout the year
-
Daily technology news delivered straight to your inbox
Experts speculate over cause of Iberian power outages
I´m sure politicians will be thumping tables and demanding answers - while Professor Bell, as reported above, says ´wait for detailed professional...