Palmer Cosslett Putnam (1900–1984) was an American consulting engineer and wind-power pioneer, the son of George Haven Putnam and Emily (Smith) Putnam (1865–1944). Putnam graduated from MIT in 1924 as a geologist after serving in the RAF during World War I. He is known as the designer of the Smith–Putnam wind turbine installed in 1941 in Vermont, the first megawatt-scale wind turbine project. Putnam wrote on the subject of wind power including "Power from the Wind" published in 1948, with an introduction by Vannevar Bush, describing the Smith–Putnam project. His book "Energy in the Future", 1953, was reviewed in the journal "Science".
Putnam served as the president of G. P. Putnam's Sons publishing company from the time of his father's death until 1932. During the Second World War he worked on military projects including the DUKW amphibious vehicle.
Publications
- 1948: Power from the Wind (Van Nostrand)
- 1953: Energy in the Future (Van Nostrand)
References
- http://www.novelguide.com/a/discover/aww_03/aww_03_00987.html Emily Smith Putnam retrieved 2009 Nov 21
- Robert Rakes Shrock, Geology at M.I.T., 1865–1965: a history of the first hundred years of geology at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Vol. 2 MIT Press, 1982, ISBN 0-262-19211-X, page 765
- IEEE Carl Suzlberger, A Bold Effort in Vermont: The 1941 Smith–Putnam Wind Turbine
- "Science". Moses King. 16 August 1883 – via Google Books.
- Allen, Thomas B. (August 2002). "Odd DUKW: On land and in the water, World War II's amphibian workhorse showed the skeptics a thing or two — now it shows tourists the sights". Smithsonian. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
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