Charles Algornon Parsons
Charles Algornon Parsons, better known as C.A. Parsons, was an English engineer and inventor who was a noted pioneer in the development of steam turbine technology and its applications in power generation. In 1884, he founded the Parsons Steam Turbine Company, which eventually became part of the General Electric Corporation. Parsons’ steam turbine inventions made it possible for ships and factories to use steam power on a large scale, leading to the development of a new industrial world.
Parsons was born in London on 13 June 1854 to a family of historic engineers. His grandfather, William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse, was a notable early 19th century astronomer and an pioneer in the development of the steam engine. His father, named William George (after his grandfather), was also a great inventor in his own right. Growing up, Parsons was surrounded by engineers and scientists, which likely inspired him to pursue a career in engineering.
Parsons studied mechanical engineering at Trinity College, Dublin, and then apprenticed as an engineer with Easton & Anderson, a locomotive works. After honing his skills there, he moved back to England and took on a position at the London & North Western Railway Company in 1879, where he conducted experiments on steam turbines and turbines in general. This work resulted in his first patent, entitled Improvements in Steam Turbines, which was granted the same year.
In 1884, Parsons established the Parsons Steam Turbine Company, in Newcastle upon Tyne, which marked the beginning of the industrial revolution. Parsons developed many inventions for the company, most notably his steam turbine. The turbine used steam to turn a shaft that drove an electric generator. The turbine was vastly more efficient than the existing steam engines of the time, and it could generate much more power with the same amount of fuel. With its improved efficiency, it allowed factories and ships to be powered by electricity, instead of steam, thus ushering in a new era of industrialization.
Parsons also designed and developed many other inventions, such as a steam catapult, blast furnace, and advanced steam turbine engines for ships. His inventions helped lay the foundations for modern power engineering, and he was instrumental in the development of modern power plants. He also wrote the classic work The Steam Turbine and Its Application, which became a leading treatise on the subject.
Parsons received numerous awards and honours for his work, most notably the Albert Medal from the Royal Society of Arts and the IEE’s Faraday Medal. He was also a consultant to the British Admiralty and Royal Navy, developing numerous solutions for their ships.
At the age of 65, Parsons passed away on 11 February 1920. Despite his death, his legacy lives on through his inventions and engineering achievements. Parsons’ inventions made it possible to use electricity to power ships and factories, revolutionalizing the industrial landscape of the twentieth century.
