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OCR for page 174
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ROBERT H
1 902-1 994
PARK
BY CHARLES CONCORDIA
ROBERT H. PARK will long be remembered by electric power
system engineers and electrical machine designers as the
originator of what are universally known as "Park's equations."
These were given in an Arr~erican Institute of Electrical Engineers
technical paper in 1929. Essentially, they provided a set of
relations that made practical and simple the calculation of the
dynamic performance of electric lacy generators (and motors).
Such a too! was necessary, but not yet available, for the calculation
of the dynamic performance of electric power systems to ensure
stable and reliable operation in the face of possible disturbances.
This seminal paper has been the basis not only for an enormous
flood of useful work in the field but also for many careers in the
field. It was, and still is, unmatched in that respect. By itself it
would have been enough to make Park famous among power
system engineers worldwide.
Before Park's work, several papers had been written on elec-
tric generator equations. However, they were so complex as to
be of little practical use. David M. Jones, for whom Park then
worked at General Electric, recognized this and also recog-
nized that Park was the person who could bring order out of
chaos. So he assigned the job to Park, with world-shaking re-
sults. Incidentally, it is ironic that the resulting paper did not
elicit any discussion when it was presented.
175
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176
MEMORIAL TRIBUTES
Although he fully recognized the significance of his contri-
bution, Park was equally interested in many other things.
About the same time, he had made contributions to the cleter-
mination of switching transient voltages and was a major
influence in promoting the importance of, and showing how
to produce switch gear with, very much smaller interrupting
times than were then thought possible.
During World War [I, he served in the Naval Ordnance Lab-
oratory in charge of mine development, resulting in seventeen
patents (assigned to the U.S. government).
In the 1950s and 1960s he manufactured plastic bottles,
inventing the machinery to automate the process.
Later, his interest returned to electric power. He formed a
company, Fast Load Control, inc., to promote the idea of fast
control of turbine valves as a means for improving power system
stability, and developed several means for accomplishing this.
Rather late in his life, he was recognized by the Institute of
Electrical and Electronics Engineers as a fellow in 1965 and
was awarded the Lamme Medal in 1972 "for outstanding con-
tributions to the analysis of a-c machines and systems." He
had received (in 1945) the Navy's highest civilian award "for
distinguished service to the U.S. Navy in time of war in the
designing of magnetic mines." In 1986 he was elected to the
National Academy of Engineering.
Perhaps the lateness in recognition by "the establishment" was
due to the nature of his contribution. It was not a new machine,
nor yet a new method of analysis. It was a new structure particu-
larly well suited to facilitate analysis and application to new
problems. It has been said that it was a ladder that others could
climb and that it was the opening of a gate so that others could
enter and cultivate the garden. Thus, it was appreciated immedi-
ately by the young engineers at the bottom of the Dicer long
before those at the top realized what was going on. "Park" was a
household word among the young engineers and students Tong
before any awards came. Even at the Lamme Medal award cere-
mony in 1972, his contribution was compared with that of two
other engineers as being similar, apparently without realization
of the clifference: their papers remained on the shelf, Park's
paper took fire and traveled arounc! the world.
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ROBERT H. PARK
177
Robert Park was an original thinker, a prolific innovator,
and a forceful advocate of his ideas. This was his forte. He did
not spend time thinking about his past accomplishments but
was more interested in his new projects. He was an inventor
and proud that he did not require an attorney to help him
prepare his later patents. (He had 64.)
Robert Park was a clear thinker, sure in his opinions (which
stood well the test of time) and was neither very diplomatic or
sentimental. And he was a valued friend, whose course! was
always sound as well as illuminating.
Park was born in Strassburg, Germany, while his father, the
sociologist Robert Erza Park, was studying en c! teaching at
Heidelberg University. He grew up in WolIaston, Massachu-
setts, and graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology in 1923 in electrical engineering. He did post-
graduate work at the Royal Technical Institute in Stockholm,
Sweden. He worked on a wide variety of subjects in a wide
variety of companies and organizations, among which are Gen-
eral Electric, American Cyanamid, the Naval Ordnance
Laboratory, the Bureau of Ordnance, Emhart Manufacturing
Company, R. H. Park Company, and Fast Load Control, Inc.
He was a private consultant to the end of his life. He is sur-
vived by a daughter, three sons, and a nephew.
Representative terms from entire chapter:
naval ordnance
