Uno Lamm
Encyclopedia
August Uno Lamm was a Swedish
electrical engineer and inventor, sometimes called "The Father of High Voltage Direct Current" power transmission.
Lamm was born in Gothenburg
, on the Swedish west coast. He obtained his master's degree
at the Royal Institute of Technology
in Stockholm
in 1927. After a short time in compulsory military service he joined ASEA
, the Swedish electrical conglomerate, initially working in their training program. In 1929 he was made manager of the project to develop a high-voltage mercury arc valve
. Valves at the time operated only to about 2500 volts, and higher-voltage valves would have practical use in the transmission of large quantities of electric energy over long distances.
By 1943 Lamm obtained his Ph. D from the Royal Institute, studying part time while also developing the mercury arc valve. After about twenty years of development work to produce a valve with the necessary rating for HVDC transmission, ASEA obtained an order for the HVDC Gotland
project in 1950, which when completed in 1955 became the first modern fully commercial HVDC system.
In 1955 Lamm was made head of the ASEA project to develop Sweden's first commercial nuclear reactor
s.
Lamm was appointed by ASEA in 1961 to work with General Electric
on the Pacific DC Intertie project, which combined long AC and HVDC transmission systems to move electrical energy from the hydroelectric generators of the Pacific Northwest to consumers in southern California
. By the end of 1964 Lamm had moved to southern California.
During his career Lamm obtained 150 patents and wrote about 80 technical papers. He also wrote extensively on social issues in articles published in Swedish newspapers and magazines, often critical of the Swedish government. Lamm was described as a staunch anti-Communist who admired some of the positive features of the United States economy. During the Second World War
, while required to travel to Nazi
Germany to carry out ASEA business, Lamm was criticized by his supervisors for his anti-Nazi attitude, such as refusing to give the Nazi Party salute at patent hearings.
Lamm had learned to play the violin in his youth and retained an interest in the performing arts. He had been married twice and had four children.
Lamm's Ph. D thesis was titled, in English, "The Transductor, DC Pre-Saturated Reactor". While describing this device at a lecture in the United States he also mentioned that the same principle could be applied to resistors, making a transistor
. This was the name later applied to the solid-state amplifier.
During his life Lamm received many awards including the Lamme medal in 1965. From 1967 to 1988 he served as an IEEE director at large. In 1980 the IEEE developed the Uno Lamm award for contributions to the field of high voltage electrical engineering. In 1981, he was awarded the Howard N. Potts Medal.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
electrical engineer and inventor, sometimes called "The Father of High Voltage Direct Current" power transmission.
Lamm was born in Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
, on the Swedish west coast. He obtained his master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
at the Royal Institute of Technology
Royal Institute of Technology
The Royal Institute of Technology is a university in Stockholm, Sweden. KTH was founded in 1827 as Sweden's first polytechnic and is one of Scandinavia's largest institutions of higher education in technology. KTH accounts for one-third of Sweden’s technical research and engineering education...
in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
in 1927. After a short time in compulsory military service he joined ASEA
ASEA
Allmänna Svenska Elektriska Aktiebolaget was a Swedish industry company. It merged with the Swiss Brown, Boveri & Cie in 1988 to form Asea Brown Boveri...
, the Swedish electrical conglomerate, initially working in their training program. In 1929 he was made manager of the project to develop a high-voltage mercury arc valve
Mercury arc valve
A mercury-arc valve is a type of electrical rectifier used for converting high-voltage or high-current alternating current into direct current . Rectifiers of this type were used to provide power for industrial motors, electric railways, streetcars, and electric locomotives, as well as for...
. Valves at the time operated only to about 2500 volts, and higher-voltage valves would have practical use in the transmission of large quantities of electric energy over long distances.
By 1943 Lamm obtained his Ph. D from the Royal Institute, studying part time while also developing the mercury arc valve. After about twenty years of development work to produce a valve with the necessary rating for HVDC transmission, ASEA obtained an order for the HVDC Gotland
HVDC Gotland
The HVDC Gotland, on the Swedish east coast, was the first fully commercial static plant for high voltage direct current transmission in the world. The first HVDC Gotland link went into service in 1954. It could transfer 20 megawatts over a 98-kilometer-long submarine cable between Västervik on...
project in 1950, which when completed in 1955 became the first modern fully commercial HVDC system.
In 1955 Lamm was made head of the ASEA project to develop Sweden's first commercial nuclear reactor
Nuclear reactor
A nuclear reactor is a device to initiate and control a sustained nuclear chain reaction. Most commonly they are used for generating electricity and for the propulsion of ships. Usually heat from nuclear fission is passed to a working fluid , which runs through turbines that power either ship's...
s.
Lamm was appointed by ASEA in 1961 to work with General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
on the Pacific DC Intertie project, which combined long AC and HVDC transmission systems to move electrical energy from the hydroelectric generators of the Pacific Northwest to consumers in southern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. By the end of 1964 Lamm had moved to southern California.
During his career Lamm obtained 150 patents and wrote about 80 technical papers. He also wrote extensively on social issues in articles published in Swedish newspapers and magazines, often critical of the Swedish government. Lamm was described as a staunch anti-Communist who admired some of the positive features of the United States economy. During the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, while required to travel to Nazi
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
Germany to carry out ASEA business, Lamm was criticized by his supervisors for his anti-Nazi attitude, such as refusing to give the Nazi Party salute at patent hearings.
Lamm had learned to play the violin in his youth and retained an interest in the performing arts. He had been married twice and had four children.
Lamm's Ph. D thesis was titled, in English, "The Transductor, DC Pre-Saturated Reactor". While describing this device at a lecture in the United States he also mentioned that the same principle could be applied to resistors, making a transistor
Transistor
A transistor is a semiconductor device used to amplify and switch electronic signals and power. It is composed of a semiconductor material with at least three terminals for connection to an external circuit. A voltage or current applied to one pair of the transistor's terminals changes the current...
. This was the name later applied to the solid-state amplifier.
During his life Lamm received many awards including the Lamme medal in 1965. From 1967 to 1988 he served as an IEEE director at large. In 1980 the IEEE developed the Uno Lamm award for contributions to the field of high voltage electrical engineering. In 1981, he was awarded the Howard N. Potts Medal.