Gustaf de Laval

Karl Gustaf Patrik de Laval(Swedish pronunciation:[ˈɡɵ̂sːtavdɛlaˈvalː];9 May 1845 – 2 February 1913) was a Swedish engineer and inventor who made important contributions to the design ofsteam turbinesandcentrifugal separationmachinery fordairy.

Gustaf de Laval
de Laval 1875
Born	9 May 1845 Orsa,Dalarna,Sweden
Died	2 February 1913 (aged 67) Stockholm,Sweden
Nationality	Swedish
Alma mater	KTH Royal Institute of Technology Uppsala University
Known for	Steam turbines,dairymachinery, and thede Laval nozzlefor rocket engines
Signature

Life

de Laval's forge in Kloster

Gustaf de Laval was born atOrsainDalarnain the Swedish de LavalHuguenotfamily (immigrated 1622 - Claude de Laval, soldier - knighted de Laval 1647). He enrolled at theInstitute of Technology in Stockholm(later the Royal Institute of Technology, KTH) in 1863, receiving a degree in mechanical engineering in 1866, after which he matriculated atUppsala Universityin 1867.

He was then employed by the Swedish mining company,Stora Kopparberg.From there he returned to Uppsala University and completed his doctorate in 1872. He was further employed inKloster Iron worksin Husby parish, Sweden.

de Laval was a member of theRoyal Swedish Academy of Sciencesfrom 1886. He was a successful engineer and businessman. He also held national office, being elected to Swedish parliament, from 1888 to 1890 and later became a member of the senate. De Laval died in Stockholm in 1913 at the age of 67.

Contributions

de Laval nozzle

In 1882 he introduced his concept of animpulse steam turbineand in 1887 built a small steam turbine to demonstrate that such devices could be constructed on that scale. In 1890, Laval developed anozzleto increase the steam jet to supersonic speed, working from the kinetic energy of the steam, rather than its pressure. The nozzle, now known as ade Laval nozzle,is used in modernrocket engine nozzles.De Laval turbines can run at up to 30,000 rpm. The turbine wheel was mounted on a long flexible shaft, its two bearings spaced far apart on either side. The higher speed of the turbine demanded that he also design new approaches to reduction gearing, which are still in use today. Since the materials available at the time were not strong enough for the immense centrifugal forces, the output from the turbine was limited, and large scale electric steam generators were dominated by designs using the alternative compound steam turbine approach ofCharles Parsons.

Using high pressure steam in a turbine that had oil-fed bearings meant that some of the steam contaminated the lube-oil, and as a result, perfecting commercial steam-turbines required that he also develop an effective oil/water separator. After trying several methods, he concluded that a centrifugal separator was the most affordable and effective method. He developed several types, and their success established the centrifugal separator as a useful device in a variety of applications.

De Laval cream separators and Alfa Laval

De Laval also made important contributions to the dairy industry, including the first centrifugalmilk-creamseparatorand earlymilking machine,the first of which he patented in 1894. It was not until after his death, however, that the company he founded marketed the first commercially practical milking machine, in 1918.Together with Oscar Lamm, de Laval founded the companyAlfa Lavalin 1883, which was known asAB Separatoruntil 1963 when the present name was introduced.

DeLaval

In 1991, Alfa Laval Agri, a company producing dairy and farming machinery was split from Alfa Laval when it was bought by theTetra PakGroup. When Alfa Laval was sold, Alfa Laval Agri remained a part of the Tetra Pak group and was renamedDeLaval,after the company's founder.

Tributes

On 9 May 2013, Google celebrated Gustaf de Laval’s 168th birthday with a doodle.

Image gallery Gustaf de Laval

• 
  Gustaf de Laval at the age around 50.
• 
  Impulse Turbine by Gustaf de Laval. Built in Sweden, 1888. Deutsches Museum, Munich.
• 
  A unique submarine invented by Gustaf de Laval
• 
  The former De Laval steam turbine factory inNackaoutside Stockholm, now converted to a conference centre.

He is interred atNorra begravningsplatsenin Stockholm, Sweden.

See also

• History of the internal combustion engine

External links

• Alfa Laval- Official site
• DeLaval- Official site
• DeLaval- Unofficial site