Henry Lewis Guy
Encyclopedia
Sir Henry Lewis Guy CBE, FRS, (15 June 1887 – 20 July 1956) was a leading British mechanical engineer, notable in particular for his work on steam turbine
design.
, in the Vale of Glamorgan
, Wales in 1887. Following his education he joined the Taff Vale Railway
as a student apprentice, and studied at the University College of South Wales where he gained a diploma in mechanical and electrical engineering
.
) as a design engineer. In 1918 he was appointed chief mechanical engineer at that company, a post he was to hold until 1941. Whilst at Metrovicks, Guy was responsible for many innovations in the design of steam turbo-generators.
Guy was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1936.
During WWII, Guy served on a number committees including the Scientific Advisory Council of the Ministry of Supply. He was awarded a CBE in 1943 followed by a knighthood in 1949.
From 1941 until his retirement in 1951, Guy was secretary of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers
.
Steam turbine
A steam turbine is a mechanical device that extracts thermal energy from pressurized steam, and converts it into rotary motion. Its modern manifestation was invented by Sir Charles Parsons in 1884....
design.
Early life
Guy was born at PenarthPenarth
Penarth is a town and seaside resort in the Vale of Glamorgan , Wales, 5.2 miles south west from the city centre of the Welsh capital city of Cardiff and lying on the north shore of the Severn Estuary at the southern end of Cardiff Bay...
, in the Vale of Glamorgan
Vale of Glamorgan
The Vale of Glamorgan is a county borough in Wales; an exceptionally rich agricultural area, it lies in the southern part of Glamorgan, South Wales...
, Wales in 1887. Following his education he joined the Taff Vale Railway
Taff Vale Railway
The Taff Vale Railway is a railway in Glamorgan, South Wales, and is one of the oldest in Wales. It operated as an independent company from 1836 until 1922, when it became a constituent company of the Great Western Railway...
as a student apprentice, and studied at the University College of South Wales where he gained a diploma in mechanical and electrical engineering
Electrical engineering
Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
.
Career
In 1915, Guy joined the British Westinghouse Company, (later to become Metropolitan-VickersMetropolitan-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...
) as a design engineer. In 1918 he was appointed chief mechanical engineer at that company, a post he was to hold until 1941. Whilst at Metrovicks, Guy was responsible for many innovations in the design of steam turbo-generators.
Guy was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1936.
During WWII, Guy served on a number committees including the Scientific Advisory Council of the Ministry of Supply. He was awarded a CBE in 1943 followed by a knighthood in 1949.
From 1941 until his retirement in 1951, Guy was secretary of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers
Institution of Mechanical Engineers
The Institution of Mechanical Engineers is the British engineering society based in central London, representing mechanical engineering. It is licensed by the Engineering Council UK to assess candidates for inclusion on ECUK's Register of professional Engineers...
.