Peter Lawrenson facts for kids

Peter John Lawrenson (born March 12, 1933 – died October 27, 2017) was a very important electrical engineer from Britain. He was a professor at the University of Leeds. Peter Lawrenson is famous for creating and promoting a special type of electric motor system. This system is called a switched reluctance drive. He also helped us understand how magnetic fields work in electrical machines. He wrote many important books with his friends and colleagues.

Early Life and Education

Peter Lawrenson was born in Prescot, a town in England. He went to the University of Manchester. There, he earned several degrees, including a Bachelor of Science (BSc), a Master of Science (MSc), and a Doctor of Science (DSc).

From 1956 to 1961, Peter worked as a research engineer at a company called GEC. Early in his career, he worked on linear electrical machines. These machines were even considered for use in textile weaving machines.

Career at the University of Leeds

In 1961, Peter Lawrenson became a teacher at the University of Leeds. He taught Electrical Engineering. His work started to focus on "reluctance machines." These are special types of electric motors.

He first studied AC-fed synchronous reluctance motors. Later, he worked on stepper motors. These are motors that move in small, exact steps. He published many papers on these topics throughout the 1970s. He often worked with his students and other teachers.

Peter Lawrenson stayed at the University of Leeds for 30 years. He became a "Reader" in 1965 and a full "Professor" in 1966. He retired in 1991. After retiring, he became an "Emeritus Professor." This means he kept his title but focused on his new business.

Developing Switched Reluctance Drives

Peter Lawrenson is known as the "father" of the switched reluctance motor. This is a special type of electric motor and the system that controls it. He worked on this research with the University of Nottingham.

In 1980, he and three friends started a company. It was called Switched Reluctance Drives Ltd. This company helped design and develop this new motor technology. It also licensed (shared) the technology with other companies.

The company was first based in Leeds, UK. In 1994, a big company called Emerson Electric bought it. Later, in 2010, it was sold again to a Japanese company called Nidec Corporation. Even though the company changed owners, Peter Lawrenson's work had a huge impact.

Awards and Recognition

Peter Lawrenson received many important awards for his work. These awards showed how much his contributions were valued.

He received the Faraday Medal from the Institution of Electrical Engineers. He also won the ESSO Energy Gold Medal from The Royal Society. Another award was the J.A. Ewing Gold Medal.

In 1980, he became a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering. In 1982, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society. These are very high honors for scientists and engineers in Britain.

In 2005, Peter Lawrenson won the IEEE Edison Medal. This award was given to him for his amazing work. It recognized his efforts in developing and making switched reluctance drives available to everyone.

Peter Lawrenson was also the president of The Institution of Electrical Engineers. He held this important position from 1992 to 1993.