The Life Story of Andre-Marie Ampere

Speaker:        Dr. Georges Montillet

Date:                Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Time:                Social 6:30 PM, Program 7:00 PM

Place:               Westinghouse Energy Center

RSVP:             Mey Sen, senml@ieee.org or 412-373-0117 by February 12, 2009

Organizers:   Power & Energy Society/Industrial Applications Society

This presentation describes the life and the discoveries of the French physicist Andre-Marie Ampere (January 20, 1775 – June 10, 1836) who is credited as the main discoverer of electromagnetism.  The Ampere House is now a top Museum of Electricity, in Poleymieux au Mont d’Or, France (Near Lyon).

 

The Ampere unit of measurement of electric current is named after him and is known as Ampere or Amps.  Ampere was called the “Newton of Electricity” for his discoveries.  He had a wide knowledge and an open mind and was a genius at his time.  He never made any politics in those troubled times.  He was a typical “absent-minded professor” of the 1850’s (many cartoons were published after his death).  His life was strange: he did not attend any school when he was young; he had to live a tough life after the murder of his father; he survived as a private teacher in Italian, Latin, and finally as a professor of Mathematics, Physics, Astronomy, Philosophy, etc.  His life is quite inspiring for the knowledge that he acquired through the years.  It is worth knowing about how his discoveries were made.  He is not as much known among the U.S. engineers as Nicholas Tesla or Thomas Edison.

Andre-Marie Ampere at 21 years old.

Speaker:

Georges F. Montillet (M 1971, SM 2002) was born in Nice, France.  He graduated in 1968 from the Polytechnic National Institute of Grenoble, France with a MS in Power Electrical Engineering.  In 1974 he received a MBA from NYU-Stern School of Business in New York, and a Doctorate in Electrical Engineering in 2005.  He published a total of 48 technical papers.

 

Dr. Montillet joined Cogenel, now AREVA T&D, in New York, in 1971.  After working on several projects in France, Algeria and New York, he became

Executive Vice President of GEC ALSTHOM T&D in the USA, Deputy General Manager of the ALSTOM US High Voltage Switchgear and was with AREVA T&D on the Board of the Research & Technology.  He is a senior member of IEEE and Honorary Member of the High Voltage Switchgear Committee and of the High-Voltage Circuit Breaker Subcommittee.  He is the IEEE Chair of the PC37.06 working group and Chair of the PC37.09 Cor. 1 plus Vice-Chair and member of several working groups.  He is also a senior member of the SEE (Société de l’électricité, de l’électronique et des Technologies de l’Information et de la Communication), Paris, France, the Society of Friends of Andre-Marie Ampere, and the Society of Industry Leaders.

DIRECTIONS TO WESTINGHOUSE ENERGY CENTER

 

From Pittsburgh take Interstate 376 East (Parkway East).  Take Exit 14A to Monroeville.  Cross Business Rt 22 at the traffic light and proceed on Rt 48 South (Moss Side Blvd) approx ½ mile (two traffic lights). The 2^nd traffic light is at a 4-way intersection with an Exxon station on the right. Turn left onto Northern Pike.  Proceed approx 0.2 miles and turn right at the 1^st traffic light onto Westinghouse Dr. Travel 0.7 miles (past the guard stand) to the 3 flags where the building’s main entrance is located. Parking in the evening will be plentiful. Use the main entrance and check with the security guards inside. You will be directed to the proper room for your meeting.

From the PA Turnpike, take Exit 57 (Monroeville). After the toll plaza, get in the left lane to get on Business Rt 22 West. At the first light, turn left onto Rt 48 South (Moss Side Blvd) and follow the above directions.