Philip Dulhunty

Last updated

Philip Wellesley Dulhunty, OAM (27 April 1924 - 29 November 2020) was an Australian aviator, power distribution entrepreneur and inventor. He invented the widely-adopted "dogbone" damper for the protection of overhead power lines and produced the world's first battery-powered laptop computer. He was chairman of the Australian National Committee of the Conseil International des Grands Réseaux Électriques (CIGRÉ) and a member of its international administrative council and executive committee. [1] :391 He formed the Seaplane Pilots Association of Australia in 1972 and was its chairman for 44 years. [2] [3] [1] :vi [4]

Contents

Early life

Dulhunty was born in Kempsey, New South Wales, in 1924, great-grandson to Robert Venour Dulhunty, the first white settler of what was to become the city of Dubbo, New South Wales. He was one of five children born to Robert Dulhunty and Phyllis. At age six, the family moved to Port Macquarie where Dulhunty left school after completing his Form Three Intermediate Exam, no higher school tuition being available in Port Macquarie at the time. [1] :12

Military career

In the Coral sea battle he was with the 16th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Battery at Mount St John, Garbutt field, Townsville at No 393 Gun site, then 8th Brigade Intelligence section in Wewak / Kokoda, then 34 Brigade HQ I section, British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF), Hiroshima. [1]

Aviation

After returning from service with the armed forces in Japan, Dulhunty, in partnership with his younger brother Roger, inaugurated flying services to the northern New South Wales town of Port Macquarie in 1949, operating several Short S25 Sunderland MKIII flying boats leased from Trans Oceanic Airways under the banner of Port Macquarie Clipper, from Rose Bay in Sydney. The £4.18s.6d 75-minute service obviated travelling by poor gravel road or spending 10 hours on a train journey. [5]

Dogbone damper

Stockbridge dampers, invented and patented in the 1920s [6] by George H. Stockbridge, an engineer for Southern California Edison, contributed greatly to the durability of overhead cables in conditions giving rise to Aeolian vibration. Failures were still common, particularly in the great featureless expanses of the Australian landscape, and Dulhunty was inspired to invent the Dogbone damper in 1976. His innovation was to offset the weights sideways in order to introduce a third degree of freedom, twisting the damper cable in addition to bending it up and down. Additional intra-strand friction was created in the damper cable, dissipating significantly more energy. The design configuration, a larger metal sphere attached to the end of the damper, with a smaller sphere projecting sideways from it, resembled a dog's bone. [1] :280–282 His work on Aeolian vibration on the Overhead Lines Study Committee of CIGRÉ, of which he is a life member and considered a driving force, [7] [1] :vii,390 was reflected in the council's 1982 task force report he lead authored. [8] The design was adopted worldwide and sold in the millions. [9]

Marine inventions

Aqueon

Dulhunty grew up on Port Macquarie where he was a keen swimmer and won the North Coast Junior Open Surf Race in 1940. [1] :210,315 Having experimented with his own swimming action, he worked together with Calvin A Gongwer to devise the "Aqueon", a winged contraption configured to cause the swimmer's legs to operate in unison, delivering power in the manner of a dolphin's kick. [10] He claimed it had a propulsion efficiency of 86 per cent, as compared to 25 per cent for the average swimmer.[ citation needed ] [1] :212

Flook anchor

In 1986, Dulhunty designed the "Flook", an automatically setting flying anchor. The device automatically adopts the correct angle on the bottom, obviating the necessity for sailors to make the often difficult estimation of depth and length of line to pay out. The Flook was designed to adopt a 5:1 flying angle when deployed. It was patented and sold successfully in Japan and the US. [1] :326–8[ citation needed ]

World's first laptop

Dulmont Magnum (later, Kookaburra) Laptop PC Dulmont Magnum Kookaburra Laptop PC.jpg
Dulmont Magnum (later, Kookaburra) Laptop PC

Dulhunty established Dulmison Pty Ltd in 1947 to exploit importing opportunities in the strictly controlled, quota and foreign exchange limited trading environment then prevailing in post-War Australia. After opportunistically trading in whatever available quota presented itself (e.g. fireworks, costume jewellery, calico and case shooks [1] :96–9), Dulmison settled into the power distribution components business in which it became a leading player in Australia for decades. Having successfully developed a portable testing set for recording Aeolian vibrations in the 70s, [1] :284 Dulhunty decided to commit Dulmison to developing a highly compact personal computer when his right-hand man Clive Mackness supported the idea. [11] Al Westbury was transferred to lead the development programme, Dave Irwin to come up with the initial idea and design and the world's first true, battery-powered laptop computer, the Dulmont Magnum, which went into production in 1983, was the result. The product was marketed both domestically and internationally by a joint-venture with Tramont Ltd, a subsidiary of the Belgian National Electricity Authority, one of Dulmison's customers. [11] [1] :285–6

1942 minisub attack

Having himself witnessed the heavy cruiser USS Chicago firing on the Japanese minisub M-24 in Sydney Harbour on 1 June 1942, Dulhunty developed a lifelong fascination with the event which culminated in publication of his forensic analysis in 2009 concluding that the sinking of HMAS Kuttabul during that encounter was not, as the official account would have it, to a torpedo fired by the Japanese submarine but, rather, a five-inch shell from one of the guns of the Chicago. Dulhunty's account attracted press interest at the time. [1] :414–429 Dulhunty was the pilot of the seaplane which re-enacted the 30 May 1992 Japanese reconnaissance flight which preceded the attack on its 50th anniversary [12] [1] :340 and he was instrumental in the original Yokosuka E14Y1 "Glen" floatplane's rediscovery in 1994. [1] :349

Companies Founded

Philip founded Dulmison, Dulmison Cables, Dulmison Ski Club, Pressure Impregnate Poles (PIP), Dulmison Aircraft, Greenwich Marine Electronics (GME), Greenwich Marine Corp, Linelec, Dulmont Magnum, Dulmison Marine, Modern Utilities, Sailboards Australia, Ocean Action, Seaplane Pilots Association of Australia (SPAA), Dulhunty Industries, Dulhunty Power, Dulhunty Poles, Jaspero, Philip Dulhunty Pty Ltd, Rophi, Eulamina, Markka Finance and Abuklea Estates. He also published “Never A Dull Moment” in 2009.

Recognition

Dulhunty was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2004 for "service to international trade through the design, manufacture and export of equipment for large high voltage electric systems, and to aviation, particularly through the Seaplane Pilots Association of Australia." [13]

In 2008, the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) conferred its James N Kirby Award on Dulhunty for "outstanding eminence, distinction, and public recognition". [1] :402

Sir Richard Kingsland described Dulhunty as a "truly Renaissance man, and his contribution to the business and engineering life of post-war Australia ... astonishing." [1] :vi

In June 1986, Dulhunty's Dulmison UK Ltd received a Queen's Export Award in recognition of its successful exports of power-line equipment, particularly vibration dampers, from its plant in Corby, Northamptonshire. [14]

See also

Related Research Articles

Millennium Bridge, London Steel suspension footbridge crossing the River Thames

The Millennium Bridge, officially known as the London Millennium Footbridge, is a steel suspension bridge for pedestrians crossing the River Thames in London, linking Bankside with the City of London. It is owned and maintained by Bridge House Estates, a charitable trust overseen by the City of London Corporation. Construction began in 1998, and it initially opened on 10 June 2000.

Laptop Personal computer for mobile use

A laptop, laptop computer, or notebook computer is a small, portable personal computer (PC) with a screen and alphanumeric keyboard. These typically have a clamshell form factor, typically having the screen mounted on the inside of the upper lid and the keyboard on the inside of the lower lid, although 2-in-1 PCs with a detachable keyboard are often marketed as laptops or as having a laptop mode. Laptops are folded shut for transportation, and thus are suitable for mobile use. Its name comes from lap, as it was deemed practical to be placed on a person's lap when being used. Today, laptops are used in a variety of settings, such as at work, in education, for playing games, web browsing, for personal multimedia, and general home computer use.

Flying boat Aircraft equipped with a boat hull for operation from water

A flying boat is a fixed-winged seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water, that usually has no type of landing gear to allow operation on land. It differs from a floatplane as it uses a purpose-designed fuselage which can float, granting the aircraft buoyancy. Flying boats may be stabilized by under-wing floats or by wing-like projections from the fuselage.

Seaplane Aircraft with an undercarriage capable of operating from water surfaces

A seaplane is a powered fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing (alighting) on water. Seaplanes are usually divided into two categories based on their technological characteristics: floatplanes and flying boats; the latter are generally far larger and can carry far more. Seaplanes that can also take off and land on airfields are in a subclass called amphibious aircraft, or amphibians. Seaplanes were sometimes called hydroplanes, but currently this term applies instead to motor-powered watercraft that use the technique of hydrodynamic lift to skim the surface of water when running at speed.

Tuned mass damper Device designed to reduce vibrations in structures

A Tuned Mass Damper (TMD), also known as a harmonic absorber or seismic damper, is a device mounted in structures to reduce mechanical vibrations, consisting of a mass mounted on one or more damped springs. Its oscillation frequency is tuned to be similar to the resonant frequency of the object it is mounted to, and reduces the object's maximum amplitude while weighing very much less than it.

Dubbo City in New South Wales, Australia

Dubbo is a city in the Orana Region of New South Wales, Australia. It is the largest population centre in the Orana region, with a population of 38,392 at June 2018.

Francis Chichester

Sir Francis Charles Chichester KBE was a British businessman, pioneering aviator and solo sailor.

Overhead power line Structure used in electric power transmission and distribution

An overhead power line is a structure used in electric power transmission and distribution to transmit electrical energy across large distances. It consists of one or more uninsulated electrical cables suspended by towers or poles.

Vortex shedding Oscillating flow effect resulting from fluid passing over a blunt body

In fluid dynamics, vortex shedding is an oscillating flow that takes place when a fluid such as air or water flows past a bluff body at certain velocities, depending on the size and shape of the body. In this flow, vortices are created at the back of the body and detach periodically from either side of the body forming a Von Kármán vortex street. The fluid flow past the object creates alternating low-pressure vortices on the downstream side of the object. The object will tend to move toward the low-pressure zone.

Robert Venour Dulhunty is chiefly remembered as being the first permanent white settler of what has since become the City of Dubbo, in the rural heartland of the Australian state of New South Wales.

Stockbridge damper Tuned mass damper used to suppress wind-induced vibrations

A Stockbridge damper is a tuned mass damper used to suppress wind-induced vibrations on slender structures such as overhead power lines, long cantilevered signs and cable-stayed bridges. The dumbbell-shaped device consists of two masses at the ends of a short length of cable or flexible rod, which is clamped at its middle to the main cable. The damper is designed to dissipate the energy of oscillations in the main cable to an acceptable level.

Yokosuka E14Y

The Yokosuka E14Y was an Imperial Japanese Navy reconnaissance seaplane transported aboard and launched from Japanese submarine aircraft carriers such as the I-25 during World War II. The Japanese Navy designation was "Type 0 Small Reconnaissance Seaplane" (零式小型水上偵察機).

Conductor gallop is the high-amplitude, low-frequency oscillation of overhead power lines due to wind. The movement of the wires occurs most commonly in the vertical plane, although horizontal or rotational motion is also possible. The natural frequency mode tends to be around 1 Hz, leading the often graceful periodic motion to also be known as conductor dancing. The oscillations can exhibit amplitudes in excess of a metre, and the displacement is sometimes sufficient for the phase conductors to infringe operating clearances, and causing flashover. The forceful motion also adds significantly to the loading stress on insulators and electricity pylons, raising the risk of mechanical failure of either.

RAAF Base Rathmines Former RAAF WWII seaplane base

RAAF Base Rathmines is a heritage-listed former RAAF Second World War seaplane base and now used as community venues, sports venues and a visitor attraction at Dorrington Road, Rathmines, City of Lake Macquarie, New South Wales, Australia. It was in use as an RAAF base from 1939 to 1961. It is also known as Rathmines Park, former RAAF Seaplane Base, Flying Boat Base, Rathmines Aerodrome and Catalina Base. The property is owned by Australian Christadelphian Bible School, Disability Life Enrichment, Don Geddes Nursing Home and Lake Macquarie City Council. The remains of the former air base was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 25 November 2005.

Supermarine S.4

The Supermarine S.4 was a 1920s British single-engined single-seat monoplane racing seaplane built by Supermarine to compete in the 1925 Schneider Trophy. It crashed and was destroyed before the competition started.

William Cowper (Dean of Sydney)

William Macquarie Cowper was an Australian Anglican archdeacon and Dean of Sydney.

Hippolyte De La Rue Royal Australian Air Force senior commander

Air Commodore Hippolyte Ferdinand (Frank) De La Rue, CBE, DFC was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Joining the Mercantile Marine as a youth, he became a pilot in Britain's Royal Naval Air Service during World War I. In 1918, he was given command of No. 223 Squadron in the newly formed Royal Air Force. The following year he took charge of No. 270 Squadron RAF in Egypt. Returning to Australia, De La Rue joined the short-lived Australian Air Corps in 1920, and became a founding member of the RAAF in March 1921. Specialising in maritime aviation, he led seaplane formations based at Point Cook, Victoria, during the 1920s and early 1930s.

Dulmont Magnum

The Dulmont Magnum is an early laptop computer designed initially by Australian power line equipment manufacturer Dulmison Pty Ltd and subsequently marketed by Dulmont Pty Ltd. Exhibited in September 1983, it was the world's first true battery-powered laptop computer.

The PowerSwim is a diver powered propulsion comprising two pairs of high aspect ratio hydrofoils in a device somewhat like two pairs of long thin airplane wings, one pair at each end of an axis. The axis is fastened to a scuba diver's shins by straps round the legs. The longer pair of wings is at the hips and the shorter pair is at the ankles. The wings rotate to a limited angle on axles near their front edges, and thus on upstroke and downstroke they propel water backwards. It is claimed that the length of the front wing lets it operate outside the cone of wake that starts at the diver's shoulders. It is claimed to let a scuba diver or swim much faster (250%) than with swimfins for the same amount of bodily effort, if used correctly, and being not motorized, it makes no motor noise to be heard by hostile hydrophones, but noise would occur if the front wings are allowed to hit the diver's hips at end of upstroke. It works somewhat like a penguin's or turtle's front flippers. Its estimated cost is less than $500. The diver uses it by moving his legs up and down together, letting the knees bend and straighten.

All-dielectric self-supporting (ADSS) cable is a type of optical fiber cable that is strong enough to support itself between structures without using conductive metal elements. It is used by electrical utility companies as a communications medium, installed along existing overhead transmission lines and often sharing the same support structures as the electrical conductors.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Dunhunty, Philip (2009). Never a Dull Moment. Philip Dulhunty.
  2. "SPA Australia News - On the Step". Seaplane Magazine. United States. 9 April 2016. Retrieved 5 January 2019.
  3. "Dreaming of a Wet Christmas" (PDF). Flight International: 2248. 20 December 1980.
  4. "DULHUNTY, Philip Wellesley". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  5. "Port Macquarie Clipper". The Museum of Australian Commercial Aviation. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
  6. U.S. Patent 1,675,391
  7. by Queensland Electricity Commissioner Neil Galwey, OAM
  8. Dulhunty, P.W.; Lamprecht, A.; Roughan, J. (1982). The Fatigue Life of Overhead Line Conductors. CIGRE SC22-WG04 Task Force.
  9. "International Workshop on Fatigue and Vibration of Overhead Conductors" (PDF). Brasilia. 17 September 2018.
  10. "Swim Win to Machine". Sydney Morning Herald. 7 December 1969.
  11. 1 2 "The Story of Dulmont". Electronics Today International. July 1985. p. 132. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
  12. Alexander, Paul (1 June 1992). "Sydney Marks 50th Anniversary of Harbor Assault". Associated Press. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
  13. "Order of Australia". The Age. 26 January 2004. Retrieved 5 January 2019.
  14. "Queen's award to powerful exporter". The Weekend Australian. 14 June 1986.