Hippolyte Pixii
French instrument maker (1808-1835) · France · On the map · Scientists · Died at 27
Hippolyte Pixii (1808-1835) was an instrument maker from Paris, France. In 1832 he built an early form of alternating current electrical generator, based on the principle of electromagnetic induction discovered by Michael Faraday.
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About this person
Pixii's device was a spinning magnet, operated by a hand crank, where the north and south poles passed over a coil with an iron core, and thus classified as a magneto. A current pulse was produced each time a pole passed over the coil. He also found that the current direction changed when the north pole passed over the coil after the south pole. Later, acting on a suggestion by André-Marie Ampère, other results were obtained by introducing a commutator which produced a pulsating direct current. At that time direct current was preferable to alternating current. Although Pixii did not fully understand electromagnetic induction, his device led to more sophisticated devices being constructed. A reproduction of Pixii's electrical generator can be admired at the Ampère Museum, close to Lyon.
