At the IEEE Power Electronics Specialist Conference at
Gaithersburg, Maryland in 1984, Pierre Thollot presented the William
E. Newell Award to Dr. Loren F. Stringer as follows. [JF]
"Loren F. Stringer received his B.S.E.E. degree from the
University of Texas in 1946, his M.S.E.E. from the California
Institute of Technology in 1947, and his Ph.D. degree in applied
mathematics from the University of Pittsburgh in 1963. Dr.
Stringer joined the Westinghouse Electric Corporation in 1947 on
the Graduate Student Course."
"In 1948, he was assigned to the Steel Mill Section of the
Industry Engineering Department at the Westinghouse East
Pittsburgh Works."
"In 1956, Dr. Stringer was transferred to the Systems Control
Division in Buffalo, N.Y. as Manager of the Mill Systems
Development."
"In 1958, he was appointed Manager, Development Engineering,
Systems Control Division and in 1963 he was appointed Director,
Thyristor Drive Systems Development Group, with the responsibility
for directing and coordinating the Corporate effort involved in
the development of high power thyristor drive systems. The
immediate result of this effort was a 10,000 HP reversing mill and
a 40,000 HP continuous hot strip mill for Alcoa, the world's first
thyristor powered continuous mill. In subsequent years, the
installed capacity of this and later models, also planned and
developed under Dr. Stringer's direction, exceeded several million
horsepower."
"Following the completion of the above assignment in 1965, Dr.
Stringer was appointed Consulting Engineer and Director of
Advanced Development, Systems Control Division. In 1972, Dr.
Stringer became Division Engineering Manager, Industrial Equipment
Division, Buffalo. In this capacity, he was responsible for
planning and implementing strategic engineering power electronics
programs for both the Industial Equipment and Industry Systems
Division. With the formation of the Power Electronics and Drive
Systems Division in 1979, Dr. Stringer became the Division
Engineeering Manager with responsibility for all design and
development engineering for the Division."
"In additon to his management responsibilites Dr. Stringer has
been a personal contributer in the design and development of power
electronic and industrial automation products throughout his
career. In 1981, this role was expanded with his appointment as
Chief Engineer of the Power Electronics and Drive Systems
Division. In 1983, he was assigned the task of directing the
completion of the start-up of the micro-computer controlled
thyristor drive and automation systems for the China Steel 5
Strand Tandem Cold Mill and the 2 Strand Temper Pass Mill in
Taiwan. Dr. Stringer was awarded a Siver Medal by China Steel for
his leadershhip and technical contributions that led to the
successful completion of the start-up of these two mills with both
production and performance exceeding contractual
expectations."
"In addition to his contributions in the field of Mill
Automation, Dr. Stringer has been responsible for the planning,
design, and development of many power electronic products such as
adjustable frequency, thyristor cycloconverter synchronous motor
drive, for the Yankee dryers; 6500 KW wound rotor, thyristor
cycloconverter excited, induction generators for load compensation
of excavator distribution systems; also pulse width modulated,
voltage source, self-commutated, thyristor inverter induction
motor drives for machine tools; also a 25 megawatt, 25/60 hertz
frequency changer for a steel mill distribution system; also a
thyristor converter starting system for a 100 megawatt pumped
storage facility; also a 16 megawatt, voltage source, harmonic
neutralized, self-commutated thyristor inverter, this perhaps the
largest ever built, for a linear induction motor drive; and
finally thyristor DC drives for such diverse applications as feed
and spindle drives for machine tools, mine hoists, arc furnace
electrode hoists, paper machines, rolling mills, uniterruptable
power supplies, wire drawing machines, test stands, and many
others in the electrochemical and transporation industries."
"More recently Dr. Stringer was instrumental in the planning,
development, design, and start-up of the adjustable frequency,
load commutated, current source, thyristor inverter, 3600 HP
synchronous motor drives for induced draft fans that were
installed at the Bayshore Station of the Toledo Edison Company in
1979. Since this pioneering effort, the supply of large,
adjustable frequency synchronous motor drives has become common
place for other generation and industrial applications such as
forced draft fans, pumps and compressors. Although the basic
principle of this drive had been implemented in extremely
rudimentary forms using thyratrons and Ignitrons some fifty years
before, this appears to have been the first large scale commercial
application in the U.S. of such technology."
"Dr. Stringer planned and directed the development of a fully
microprocessor based digital controller for static power converter
drive systems that included all sequencing, protective,
diagnostic, display, gating, and feedback control functions. This
control has been employed in over a hundred drive systems, both AC
and DC, in the steel, paper, chemical, and utility
industries."
"Dr. Stringer is the recipient of a Westinghouse Special Patent
Award, the B.G. Lamme Scholarship, and the Westinghouse Order of
Merit. Dr. Stringer holds 24 United States Patents. He is past
Chairman of the IEEE Static Power Converter Committee, past
Chairman of the N.E.M.A. Static Power Converter Section, Chairman
of the Technical Support Subcommittee of A.N.S.I. Comittee C34,
and is Technical Advsor to the U.S. National Committee of the
International Electrotechnical Commission for many of their
committees such as the TC22 (Power Electronics), SC22B
(Semiconductor Converters), the SC22D (Single-Phase Power
Convertors, and the SC22E (Stabilized Power Supplies). He is also
the International Electrotechnical Commission Secretary for SC22G
(Static Power Converters for Industrial Drive Systems) and
Chairman of the Industrial Power Converter Systems Department of
the Industry Application Society of the IEEE. Dr. Stringer was
elected a Fellow of the IEEE in 1979 for contributions to the
development and application of solid state power electronic
systems. Dr. Stringer has been a recognized technical author and
contributor to the field of power electronics for many many
years."
Dr. Stringer served in the Naval Reserve during World War II.
He is a member of Tau Beta Pi, the Caltech Varsity T Association,
and the New York Academy of Sciences. He is a life member of the
Association of Iron and Steel Engineers."
"It is with great pleasure that I present you with the 1984
William E. Newell Award for outstanding contributions to the field
of power electronics."