Mikhail Dolivo-Dobrovolsky

Who was Mikhail Dolivo-Dobrovolsky?

Mikhail Osipovich Dolivo-Dobrovolsky, was a Russian engineer, electrician, and inventor. Born in a mixed family between a Polish noble family originating from Mazowsze, and a Russian noble family. Emigrated to Germany due to political persecution after the assassination of Alexander II of Russia. He studied at the Darmstadt University of Technology in Germany. From 1887 he worked for AEG.

One of the founders of three-phase electrical systems, he developed the three-phase electrical generator and a three-phase electrical motor and studied star and delta connections. The triumph of the three-phase system was displayed in Europe at the International Electro-Technical Exhibition of 1891, where Dolivo-Dobrovolsky used this system to transmit electric power at the distance of 176 km with 75% efficiency. In 1891 he also created a three-phase transformer and short-circuited induction motor.