San Francisco
County
Biographies
FRANK GEORGE BAUM
BAUM,
FRANK GEORGE, Hydro-Electric Engineer, San Francisco, California, was born at
Sainte Genevieve, Missouri, July 18, 1870, the son of Christian Baum and Mrs.
Klein Baum. He married Mary Elizabeth
Dawson, at Butte, Montana, on July 18, 1891.
They have three children, Esther, Helen and Adah
Baum.
Mr. Baum received his preliminary
education in the public schools of San Francisco and entered Leland Stanford,
Jr., University in 1894. He was
graduated in 1898 with the
Degree
of A.B. in Electrical Engineering and the following year received the degree of
Electrical Engineer.
He began his professional career in 1899
in the employee of the Standard Electric Company of California, taking up
high-tension transmission work, but after a short time he entered the works of
the Stanley Electric Company of Pittsfield, Mass. He remained there about a year, returning to
California in 1900 to accept appointment as instructor in Electrical Engineering
at Leland Stanford, Jr., University. He
served in this capacity until 1902, being engaged in the meantime in special
work in electrical energy transmission for the Bay Counties Power Company and
other institutions.
In March, 1902, following his resignation
from the faculty of the University, Mr. Baum became electrical engineer of the
California Gas & Electric Corporation, being advanced within a short time
to the position of Transmission Engineer and Superintendent of the same
concern, having charge of all hydraulic and electrical construction and of
operation. His duties included the
design and installation of about 50,000 kilowatts of electrical machinery,
35,000 kilowatts of which is operated by water-power, and in addition he
designed and installed numerous sub-stations.
In 1907 Mr. Baum incorporated the firm of
F.G. Baum & Company, and since that time has practiced as a consulting
engineer, with special reference to hydro-electric power development, and in
that capacity has done work for practically every large energy transmission
company on the Pacific Coast. He holds a
commission as Chief Engineer for the Pacific Gas & Electric Company, in
charge of all hydro-electric development, and also is engaged (1913) in the
installation of large hydraulic systems in California and in Peru, South
America.
Mr. Baum’s success in the field of
electricity has been largely due to his own resourcefulness and originality and
in addition to his work in the installation of great power plants has also
introduced numerous valuable innovations.
Among other things he invented the outdoor high-tension switch used
throughout the Pacific Gas & Electric Company’s system, and which is being
introduced quite generally in the Western transmission systems. He also put into practical form the type of
high-tension oil switch now used throughout the system of the company which he
now serves as Chief Engineer, and which has since been adopted by many others.
A thorough student of all phases of
electrical science, Mr. Baum has written prolifically on its many subjects and
has been a liberal contributor to the technical press. His writings have included articles and
treatises on Electric Energy Transmission, Transformers, Alternators,
Synchronous Motors and Converters, these being subdivided into discussions on
the Regulation of Transmission Systems; Effect of Wave-form on Capacity of
Transmission Systems; Conditions of Maximum Transformer Efficiency; Effect of
Magnetic Leakage on Transformer Regulation; Effect of Leading and Lagging
Currents on Transformer Regulations; Effect of Armature Current on the
Wave-Form of Alternators; Synchronous Reactance; Synchronous Motor Stability
and Overload Capacity Curves.
In conjunction with the late Dr. F.A.C.
Perrine, Mr. Baum, in 1900 presented the first paper published on the
calculation of the charging current in three-phase transmission lines, and
developed his method of calculating the regulation of transmission systems,
which forms the basis of his “Alternating-Current Calculating Device,”
published in 1902.
The same year, in his paper on “Surges in
Transmission Systems,” presented before the Pacific Coast Transmission
Association, he pointed out for the first time in a practical way a simple
method of calculating the rise in pressure due to surges in transmission
systems.
In 1904 Mr. Baum presented a notable paper
before the International Electrical Congress at the World’s Fair in St. Louis,
on High-Tension, Long Distance Transmission and Control.
Mr. Baum, in addition to the writings
noted above, is the author of a book entitled “The Alternating-Current
Transformer” and is the inventor of a device whereby the regulation of an
alternating-current line may be simply calculated.
In scientific and technical societies and
associations, Mr. Baum is a member of the High-Tension Transmission Committee
of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers, and ex-Vice President of
that body, and also belongs to the American Society of Civil Engineers and the
American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
Transcribed by Suzanne Wood.
Source:
Press Reference Library, Western Edition Notables of the West, Vol. I, Page 512,
International News Service, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles,
Boston, Atlanta. 1913.
© 2007 Suzanne Wood.