Eric B. Forsyth, Superconductor Expert, To Receive IEEE Technology Award
Piscataway, NJ — The IEEE has named Eric B. Forsyth as the recipient of its 2007 Herman Halperin Electric Transmission and Distribution Award, recognizing his expertise in the practical application of superconductors to power transmission technology, which resulted in more efficient distribution of electricity. The IEEE is the world's leading professional association for the advancement of technology.
Sponsored by the Robert and Ruth Halperin Foundation in memory of Herman and Edna Halperin, the award recognizes outstanding contributions to electric transmission and distribution. It will be presented to Mr. Forsyth at the 2007 IEEE Power Engineering Society General Meeting in Tampa, Fla., on June 26.
Throughout Mr. Forsyth's career, his pioneering work on the design of superconductors, which can carry very large electrical currents when cooled to low temperatures, has had enormous application to power transmission systems including very-high-power density, benign environmental impact and the ability to transport power for very long distances.
In 1995, Forsyth retired from a role as senior scientist at the Brookhaven National Laboratory in Brookhaven, N.Y., where he had spent 35 years. In his early days at Brookhaven, Forsyth worked on the designs of the alternating gradient synchrotron (AGS) and of future particle accelerators employing superconducting magnets. This led to an investigation of the application of superconductivity to power transmission systems. Forsyth oversaw the design and creation of Brookhaven's pioneering superconducting power transmission project, which operated for four years and produced a wealth of knowledge on the performance of conductors, dielectric insulation, cryogenic refrigeration at very low temperatures and system operation under a variety of conditions, including simulated emergencies.
Prior to the start of testing at the site, Forsyth led 10 years of research and development on the project. He also chaired the Accelerator Development Deployment Department, charged with the construction of a booster accelerator for the AGS, the construction of magnets for the superconducting super collider in Texas and the preconstruction design and planning of Brookhaven's relativistic heavy ion collider.
Forsyth has a bachelor's from Manchester University in the United Kingdom, and a master's degree from the University of Toronto. An IEEE Fellow, he received the Dielectrics Prize from the Japanese Institute of Electric Engineers.
About the IEEE
The IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc.) is the world's largest technical professional society. Through its more than 370,000 members in 160 countries, the organization is a leading authority on a wide variety of areas ranging from aerospace systems, computers and telecommunications to biomedical engineering, electric power and consumer electronics. Dedicated to the advancement of technology, the IEEE publishes 30 percent of the world's literature in the electrical and electronics engineering and computer science fields, and has developed nearly 900 active industry standards. The organization also sponsors or co-sponsors over 450 international technical conferences each year.
SOURCE: IEEE