Victor Wouk
Encyclopedia
Victor Wouk was an American scientist and pioneer in the development of electric
and hybrid vehicle
s.
Victor Wouk, the brother of writer Herman Wouk
, was born in New York City
in 1919. He got his bachelor's degree from Columbia University
in 1939 and graduated in 1942 as PhD
from the California Institute of Technology
with a thesis
titled Static electricity generated during the distribution of gasolene.
During the 1960s and 1970s, Wouk got involved in electric and hybrid vehicles; he successfully converted a Buick Skylark
vehicle with a 20-kilowatt direct-current electric motor
and an RX-2 Mazda
rotary engine
. This vehicle was tested at the Environmental Protection Agency
's emissions-testing laboratories in Ann Arbor, where it obtained more than twice the fuel economy of the vehicle before it was converted. Furthermore, the vehicle's emission rates were only about 9 percent of those of a gasoline powered car from that era. This pioneer work gained him the nickname of the grandfather of electric and hybrid vehicles in the United States.
Even though they were not a new idea, hybrid vehicles would in fact only appear on the market by the late 1990s.
Wouk was also actively involved in the field of electric vehicle standardization
, participating in relevant technical committees such as the IEC
TC69 and the ISO TC22 SC21 on electric vehicles. He remained an active member of these committees until the early 2000s.
Victor Wouk died on May 19, 2005 in his New York home. He is survived by his wife Joy, and sons Jonathan and Jordan.
The archives of Victor Wouk are kept at Caltech.
Electric vehicle
An electric vehicle , also referred to as an electric drive vehicle, uses one or more electric motors or traction motors for propulsion...
and hybrid vehicle
Hybrid vehicle
A hybrid vehicle is a vehicle that uses two or more distinct power sources to move the vehicle. The term most commonly refers to hybrid electric vehicles , which combine an internal combustion engine and one or more electric motors.-Power:...
s.
Victor Wouk, the brother of writer Herman Wouk
Herman Wouk
Herman Wouk is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American author of novels including The Caine Mutiny, The Winds of War, and War and Remembrance.-Biography:...
, was born in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1919. He got his bachelor's degree from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
in 1939 and graduated in 1942 as PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
from the California Institute of Technology
California Institute of Technology
The California Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Pasadena, California, United States. Caltech has six academic divisions with strong emphases on science and engineering...
with a thesis
Thesis
A dissertation or thesis is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings...
titled Static electricity generated during the distribution of gasolene.
During the 1960s and 1970s, Wouk got involved in electric and hybrid vehicles; he successfully converted a Buick Skylark
Buick Skylark
The Buick Skylark was a passenger car produced by the Buick division of General Motors. The model was made in six production runs. In each run, the car design varied dramatically due to changing technology and tastes, as well as new standards implemented over the years.-1953–1954:Introduced to mark...
vehicle with a 20-kilowatt direct-current electric motor
DC motor
A DC motor is an electric motor that runs on direct current electricity.-Brush:The brushed DC electric motor generates torque directly from DC power supplied to the motor by using internal commutation, stationary magnets , and rotating electrical magnets.Like all electric motors or generators,...
and an RX-2 Mazda
Mazda
is a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Fuchū, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.In 2007, Mazda produced almost 1.3 million vehicles for global sales...
rotary engine
Rotary engine
The rotary engine was an early type of internal-combustion engine, usually designed with an odd number of cylinders per row in a radial configuration, in which the crankshaft remained stationary and the entire cylinder block rotated around it...
. This vehicle was tested at the Environmental Protection Agency
United States Environmental Protection Agency
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...
's emissions-testing laboratories in Ann Arbor, where it obtained more than twice the fuel economy of the vehicle before it was converted. Furthermore, the vehicle's emission rates were only about 9 percent of those of a gasoline powered car from that era. This pioneer work gained him the nickname of the grandfather of electric and hybrid vehicles in the United States.
Even though they were not a new idea, hybrid vehicles would in fact only appear on the market by the late 1990s.
Wouk was also actively involved in the field of electric vehicle standardization
Standardization
Standardization is the process of developing and implementing technical standards.The goals of standardization can be to help with independence of single suppliers , compatibility, interoperability, safety, repeatability, or quality....
, participating in relevant technical committees such as the IEC
International Electrotechnical Commission
The International Electrotechnical Commission is a non-profit, non-governmental international standards organization that prepares and publishes International Standards for all electrical, electronic and related technologies – collectively known as "electrotechnology"...
TC69 and the ISO TC22 SC21 on electric vehicles. He remained an active member of these committees until the early 2000s.
Victor Wouk died on May 19, 2005 in his New York home. He is survived by his wife Joy, and sons Jonathan and Jordan.
The archives of Victor Wouk are kept at Caltech.