[Milsurplus] DC vs AC for power distribution

[Peter Gottlieb]

This is not black and white.  We all fall somewhere in between.  We know how to 
calculate some things, we guess at others.  If you think up a new concept for 
something and throw it together with guesses for component values and it looks 
promising, is that engineering or tinkering?  And how much was actually 
"calculated" in your head?  At least roughly?


On 5/1/2012 10:19 PM, J. Forster wrote:
> There have been visionaries who have thought up all sorts of wonderful
> things.
>
> Unfortunately, you can design something on paper, but it is the mundane
> things like the breaking stress of materials or the resistivity of
> conductors or the saturation flux of magnetic materials that determine
> whether things actually work.
>
> You gan get some neutrons out of a cold fusion experiment, but not enough
> to cover the losses. You can light a lamp at a distance, but is it
> economic to expend 100 kW to light a small bulb?
>
> To calculate these things you need engineering, not tinkerers.
>
> YMMV,
>
> -John
>
> =====================
>
>
>
>> Isn't inspired tinkering engineering? Leonardo Da Vinci was not a
>> mathematician, but he had a profound understanding of how things worked;
>> through his knowledge and his thinking, he was able to figure out new
>> things.  IMO, Leonardo was an engineer.
>>
>> Engineering is more than math; math is a tool. Changing a resistor until
>> things work is not engineering, and being able to do math is not
>> engineering, either.
>>
>> F
>>
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: milsurplus-bounces at mailman.qth.net
>> [mailto:milsurplus-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of J. Forster
>> Sent: Tuesday, May 01, 2012 6:01 PM
>> To: mstangelo at comcast.net
>> Cc: milsurplus at mailman.qth.net
>> Subject: Re: [Milsurplus] DC vs AC for power distribution
>>
>> In my view, real engineering is based on understanding the fundamentals of
>> physics and applying them. There is a difference between engineering and
>> 'cut and try' tinkering.
>>
>> On that basis Edison was not an engineer, but rather an inventor. Perhaps
>> his most well known effort, the lightbulb, was a result of 'cut and try'.
>>
>> This proves you can do a lot with the tinkering.
>>
>> For example, I am unconvinced that Marconi knew enough about circuit
>> theory
>> to actually design a radio. As with others, IMO he was an inspired
>> tinkerer.
>>
>> As was Tesla.
>>
>> IMO, Steinmetz was a real engineer by these definitions.
>>
>> (Flame shields up) ...  and many (most) of the 'conversions' done to
>> vintage
>> mil gear are the result of tinkering without real engineering
>> understanding.
>> An example is the modification of countless thousands of
>> ARC-5 and other Transmitters.
>>
>> YMMV,
>>
>> -John
>>
>> =================
>>
>>
>>
>>> John,
>>>
>>> I agree with you on the genius of Steinmetz but he work for GE, not
>>> Westinghouse.
>>>
>>> He left Germany and worked for a small firm in Yonkers, NY. GE offered
>>> him a job but he didn't leave this firm out of loyalty so GE purchased
>>> the firm.
>>>
>>> Steinmetz became the Chief of Engineering at GE.
>>>
>>> Even though he was an academic he believed children should have time
>>> to take a break and play and was responsible of the lunch time recess.
>>> This was first instituted in the Schnectady school district, of which
>>> he was a member.
>>>
>>> I did a report on him in high school, many moons ago.
>>>
>>> Mike N2MS
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: J. Forster<jfor at quikus.com>
>>> To: Paul Kraemer<elespe at lisco.com>
>>> Cc: milsurplus at mailman.qth.net
>>> Sent: Tue, 01 May 2012 16:13:21 -0000 (UTC)
>>> Subject: Re: [Milsurplus] DC vs AC for power distribution
>>>
>>> Well, it depends on who is telling the story.
>>>
>>> Tesla was a 'mad' inventor. Not a real engineer. His real fucus was on
>>> radiated power. In recent years he has become something of a cult hero.
>>>
>>> The real brains behind AC was Charles Proteus Steinmetz, who worked
>>> for Westinghouse and did the fundamental engineering.
>>>
>>> -John
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
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>
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