National Academies Press: OpenBook

Memorial Tributes: Volume 13 (2010)

Chapter: FREDERICK J. ELLERT

« Previous: LLOYD EDWIN ELKINS, S R .
Suggested Citation:"FREDERICK J. ELLERT." National Academy of Engineering. 2010. Memorial Tributes: Volume 13. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12734.
×
Page 68
Suggested Citation:"FREDERICK J. ELLERT." National Academy of Engineering. 2010. Memorial Tributes: Volume 13. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12734.
×
Page 69
Suggested Citation:"FREDERICK J. ELLERT." National Academy of Engineering. 2010. Memorial Tributes: Volume 13. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12734.
×
Page 70
Suggested Citation:"FREDERICK J. ELLERT." National Academy of Engineering. 2010. Memorial Tributes: Volume 13. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12734.
×
Page 71
Suggested Citation:"FREDERICK J. ELLERT." National Academy of Engineering. 2010. Memorial Tributes: Volume 13. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12734.
×
Page 72
Suggested Citation:"FREDERICK J. ELLERT." National Academy of Engineering. 2010. Memorial Tributes: Volume 13. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12734.
×
Page 73

Below is the uncorrected machine-read text of this chapter, intended to provide our own search engines and external engines with highly rich, chapter-representative searchable text of each book. Because it is UNCORRECTED material, please consider the following text as a useful but insufficient proxy for the authoritative book pages.

Final Tribute Vol 13.indd 68 3/23/10 3:42:10 PM

F R E D E R I C K J. E L L E R T 1929–2005 Elected in 1987 “For outstanding leadership in developing and applying high voltage direct current technology to large-scale electric utility power networks.” BY GLENN BREUER, DALE SWANN AND CLARA K. ELLERT SUBMITTED BY THE NAE HOME SECRETARY FREDERICK J. ELLERT was a talented engineer and business leader who was known for maintaining a balance between innovation, detailed analysis, and schedule. His impact on General Electric (GE) businesses will long be remembered. Fred was born in New Britain, Connecticut, on April 8, 1929, to parents who had emigrated from Bavaria, Germany. Engineering was in his blood, and he set his goal early in life to become an engineer himself. Upon graduation from New Britain High School, he was awarded a four-year alumni scholarship to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), where he earned a bachelor’s degree in1951, graduating first in his class, a master’s in 1952 (with a Tau Beta Pi Fellowship), and a doctorate in 1964, all in electrical engineering. Fred’s career at GE began when he participated in a co-op program while a student at RPI. In 1952, he joined the company as a permanent employee in the Specialty Control Department, where he was engaged in the development of electronic controls for machine tools. In 1954, he transferred to the GE General Engineering Laboratory, where he played a leading role in the development of magnetic amplifiers, silicon-controlled rectifier circuits, and advanced control systems for industrial and military applications. 69 Final Tribute Vol 13.indd 69 3/23/10 3:42:10 PM

70 MEMORIAL TRIBUTES During this time, Fred became acquainted with Dr. Charles Merriam, author of Optimization Theory and the Design of Feedback Control Systems (McGraw-Hill, 1964), who stimulated Fred’s interest in the field of optimization. His research in that field led to his dissertation, “Indices for Control System Design Using Optimization Theory.” Until the 1960s, high-voltage, direct-current (HVDC) transmission systems used mercury arc valves, but rapid advances in thyristor ratings showed that solid-state valves would have significant technical and economic advantages. Based on this research, GE decided to enter the HVDC business designing and manufacturing systems that incorporated static valves. After a search for a talented engineer to lead this new venture, Fred was asked to lead the GE Power Delivery Group in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which was working on the development of the first solid-state HV valves for use in HVDC transmission systems. Solid-state valves had considerably better availability than mercury arc-rectifier valves and soon became the industry standard. Fred also led the development of the complex controls required for these valves. Fred held several managerial positions related to the DC transmission-equipment business, including manager of the Circuit Protection and Control Laboratory. During his 13-year tenure, Fred was a prominent figure in the development and testing of power-transmission and distribution equipment. He also authored numerous technical publications and was granted ownership of several patents. In 1977, Fred transferred to the GE Electric Utility Systems Engineering Department in Schenectady, New York, where he led all engineering activities related to transmission and distribution, including systems development, product- application engineering, and consulting services for the utility industry worldwide. Fred and his team are credited with many innovations in system design and applications related to HVDC systems, static Var control, and series capacitors. In 1980, Fred was promoted to general manager of the Electrical Utility Systems Engineering Department, and his responsibilities were expanded to include power-generation Final Tribute Vol 13.indd 70 3/23/10 3:42:11 PM

FREDERICK J. ELLERT 71 systems and industrial and marine applications. Fred was widely recognized for his leadership of this multifaceted business. After his retirement from this position in May 1989, Fred formed the Ellert Consulting Group, Incorporated, a consulting firm specializing in power-system economics and technology. Fred was a member of three engineering honor societies, Tau Beta Pi, Eta Kappa Nu, and LCR, and he was elected a Fellow of both Tau Beta Pi and the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE). In 1987, he was elected a member of the National Academy of Engineering for “his outstanding leadership in developing and applying high-voltage direct- current transmission technology to large-scale electric-utility power networks.” During his career, he served on committees for IEEE, American National Standards Institute, International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), and International Council on Large Electric Systems (CIGRE). He was chair of the IEC Subcommittee on Converters for High Voltage D.C. Power Transmission, which developed international standards for DC power equipment. He was also a member of the U.S.-U.S.S.R. Working Group on Ultra High Voltage Power Transmission, which was a forum for the exchange of technical information under the auspices of the U.S. State Department. Fred was an Eagle Scout and a leader of the scouting organization for many years. A member of the RPI tennis team, he continued to demonstrate his athletic prowess later in life by consistently beating younger challengers in the GE tennis league. Fred died on July 13, 2005, after a courageous battle with mylodysplasia syndrome. He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Clara; a son, Frederick Paul; a daughter, Judith Ann; and five grandchildren. BY CLARA K. ELLERT SUBMITTED BY THE NAE HOME SECRETARY Fred and I were married on May 15, 1954. We met at GE where I was a secretary. We had a wonderful and happy 51 Final Tribute Vol 13.indd 71 3/23/10 3:42:11 PM

72 MEMORIAL TRIBUTES years together — we had so much in common coming from foreign parents. We had 2 fantastic children — Frederick Paul, born in 1956, who graduated with a masters degree in mechanical engineering from Cornell, and Judith Ann, born in 1960, who graduated from the University of Rochester with a degree in general science and biology and is now a practicing physician’s assistant. Frederick Paul married Hilary Wichert in 1981. Judith Ann married Anthony Luscher in 1985. There are five grandchildren — Joseph A. Ellert, a welding engineer in Ann Arbor, Michigan; Ashley Rose Ellert, now Sister Pio Maria with the Dominicans in Ann Arbor, Michigan; Elizabeth M. Luscher, a junior at Ohio State; Matthew A. Luscher, a freshman at Ohio State; and Rebecca A. Luscher, who is in middle school. Fred was a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, and friend. We spent our winter months in Florida and thoroughly enjoyed the life playing golf, walking the beach, and having fun with our many friends there. He is terribly missed and I think of him all the time. Final Tribute Vol 13.indd 72 3/23/10 3:42:11 PM

Final Tribute Vol 13.indd 73 3/23/10 3:42:11 PM

Next: BEN C. GERWICK, J R. »
Memorial Tributes: Volume 13 Get This Book
×
Buy Hardback | $107.00
MyNAP members save 10% online.
Login or Register to save!
Download Free PDF

This is the thirteenth volume in the series of Memorial Tributes compiled by the National Academy of Engineering as a personal remembrance of the lives and outstanding achievements of its members and foreign associates. These volumes are intended to stand as an enduring record of the many contributions of engineers and engineering to the benefit of humankind. In most cases, the authors of the tributes are contemporaries or colleagues who had personal knowledge of the interests and the engineering accomplishments of the deceased.

  1. ×

    Welcome to OpenBook!

    You're looking at OpenBook, NAP.edu's online reading room since 1999. Based on feedback from you, our users, we've made some improvements that make it easier than ever to read thousands of publications on our website.

    Do you want to take a quick tour of the OpenBook's features?

    No Thanks Take a Tour »
  2. ×

    Show this book's table of contents, where you can jump to any chapter by name.

    « Back Next »
  3. ×

    ...or use these buttons to go back to the previous chapter or skip to the next one.

    « Back Next »
  4. ×

    Jump up to the previous page or down to the next one. Also, you can type in a page number and press Enter to go directly to that page in the book.

    « Back Next »
  5. ×

    To search the entire text of this book, type in your search term here and press Enter.

    « Back Next »
  6. ×

    Share a link to this book page on your preferred social network or via email.

    « Back Next »
  7. ×

    View our suggested citation for this chapter.

    « Back Next »
  8. ×

    Ready to take your reading offline? Click here to buy this book in print or download it as a free PDF, if available.

    « Back Next »
Stay Connected!