Year: 1971 

Who: Meredith Charles Gourdine (1929–1998) 

Where: USA

What: Meredith C. Gourdine was a pioneering researcher and inventor in the field of electrogasdynamics, with a focus on creating practical applications for the science of ionizing gas molecules under high pressure. Born in Newark, New Jersey, he excelled in both academics and athletics, earning a silver medal in long jump at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics while pursuing his studies at Cornell University. Gourdine earned his BS in Engineering Physics from Cornell in 1953 and went on to obtain a PhD from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in 1960, during which time he was also a Senior Research Scientist at Caltech's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Known for his inventions in electrogasdynamics, Gourdine's work involved creating electrostatic precipitator systems, such as "Incineraid," designed to remove smoke from burning buildings, and a method to clear fog from airport runways (patented in 1987). These systems worked by negatively charging airborne particles, which then dropped to the ground, replaced by fresh air.

In addition to air purification systems, Gourdine was awarded over 30 U.S. patents throughout his career, including innovations in circuit breakers, acoustic imaging, air monitoring, and coating systems, as well as the Focus Flow Heat Sink used to cool computer chips. He also made significant contributions to heating and cooling technologies, focusing on the conversion and transfer of thermal energy, with patents granted from 1989 to 1996.

Gourdine's groundbreaking work earned him induction into the Engineering and Science Hall of Fame in 1994. Despite facing personal challenges, including losing his sight and a leg due to diabetes, Gourdine's legacy as a trailblazer in electrogasdynamics and practical engineering solutions remains influential. He passed away on November 20, 1998, from multiple strokes

Sources:

Dissertations:

• Gourdine, M. C. (1960). On magnetohydrodynamic flow over solids (Doctoral dissertation, California Institute of Technology).

Websites:

• Lemelson-MIT Program. (n.d.). Meredith Gourdine. https://lemelson.mit.edu/resources/meredith-gourdine

• The Mathematics Department of the State University of New York at Buffalo. (n.d.). Meredith C. Gourdine. http://www.math.buffalo.edu/mad/physics/gourdine_meredithc.html