Arnold Tustin
Encyclopedia
Arnold Tustin, was a British
engineer
, and Professor of Engineering at the University of Birmingham
and at Imperial College London
, who made important contributions to the development of control engineering
and its application to electrical machines.
at the age of 16 and attended Armstrong College (later incorporated into Newcastle University). After completing his degree studies he joined Metropolitan-Vickers
(MV) as a graduate trainee.
At Metropolitan-Vickers he worked on the Metadyne
constant-current DC generator for gun control. This work began in 1937-38 and continued during World War II
.
He was Professor of Engineering and head of the Department. of Electrical Engineering at the University of Birmingham
from 1947 to 1955 and at Imperial College London
from 1955 to 1964 and a Visiting Professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
in 1953-54.
, control systems, and even economics
and biology
.
About Tustin
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
, and Professor of Engineering at the University of Birmingham
University of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Birmingham Medical School and Mason Science College . Birmingham was the first Redbrick university to gain a charter and thus...
and at Imperial College London
Imperial College London
Imperial College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom, specialising in science, engineering, business and medicine...
, who made important contributions to the development of control engineering
Control engineering
Control engineering or Control systems engineering is the engineering discipline that applies control theory to design systems with predictable behaviors...
and its application to electrical machines.
Biography
Arnold Tustin was born in 1899. He was apprenticed to the Parsons Company of Newcastle upon TyneNewcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
at the age of 16 and attended Armstrong College (later incorporated into Newcastle University). After completing his degree studies he joined Metropolitan-Vickers
Metropolitan-Vickers
Metropolitan-Vickers, Metrovick, or Metrovicks, was a British heavy electrical engineering company of the early-to-mid 20th century formerly known as British Westinghouse. Highly diversified, they were particularly well known for their industrial electrical equipment such as generators, steam...
(MV) as a graduate trainee.
At Metropolitan-Vickers he worked on the Metadyne
Metadyne
A Metadyne is an electrical machine with three, or more, brushes. It can be used as an amplifier or rotary transformer. It is similar to a third brush dynamo but much more complex, having additional regulator or "variator" windings. It is also similar to an amplidyne except that the latter has a...
constant-current DC generator for gun control. This work began in 1937-38 and continued during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
He was Professor of Engineering and head of the Department. of Electrical Engineering at the University of Birmingham
University of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Birmingham Medical School and Mason Science College . Birmingham was the first Redbrick university to gain a charter and thus...
from 1947 to 1955 and at Imperial College London
Imperial College London
Imperial College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom, specialising in science, engineering, business and medicine...
from 1955 to 1964 and a Visiting Professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
in 1953-54.
Work
Tustin's primary concern has been in the field of electrical machines, but his interests was much wider in the fields of systems thinkingSystems thinking
Systems thinking is the process of understanding how things influence one another within a whole. In nature, systems thinking examples include ecosystems in which various elements such as air, water, movement, plants, and animals work together to survive or perish...
, control systems, and even economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
and biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
.
Quotes
- When beliefs need some modification, we make it with much trepidation, for our world is then new, and things seem all askew, ‘til we’re used to the new formulation.
Publications
Tustin was the author of several books and many published papers on electrical machines.- 1953, The Mechanism of Economic Systems, Cambridge, MA. : Harvard Univ. Press.,
About Tustin
- 1992, "Pioneers of Control: an interview with Arnold Tustin", Chris Bissell in: IEE Review, June 1992, pp. 223-226
- 1994, "Arnold Tustin 1899-1994", Chris Bissell in: Int. J. Control, Vol 60, No 5, Nov 1994, pp. 649 - 652