Frederick Nelson
Encyclopedia
Frederick Nelson was professor emeritus
of mechanical engineering at Tufts University School of Engineering
in Medford, Massachusetts
, USA. His areas of professional interest included acoustics
, vibration
, shock (mechanics)
and rotordynamics
. He wrote or co-authored more than 50 articles in professional publications. He wrote a monograph entitled An Introduction to Rotordynamics which was published posthumously by SAVIAC
. Professor Nelson graduated from the Tufts College of Engineering in 1954 and received his Ph.D. in applied mechanics from Harvard University in 1961. He joined the Tufts faculty in 1955. He was Dean of the College of Engineering from 1980 to 1994.
Professor Nelson was a Fellow of the Acoustical Society of America
, a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers
, a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
, and a past associate editor of Applied Mechanics Review.
Emeritus
Emeritus is a post-positive adjective that is used to designate a retired professor, bishop, or other professional or as a title. The female equivalent emerita is also sometimes used.-History:...
of mechanical engineering at Tufts University School of Engineering
Tufts University School of Engineering
The School of Engineering is one of the eight schools and colleges that comprise Tufts University . The school offers undergraduate and professional degrees in several fields of engineering and computer science...
in Medford, Massachusetts
Medford, Massachusetts
Medford is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States, on the Mystic River, five miles northwest of downtown Boston. In the 2010 U.S. Census, Medford's population was 56,173...
, USA. His areas of professional interest included acoustics
Acoustics
Acoustics is the interdisciplinary science that deals with the study of all mechanical waves in gases, liquids, and solids including vibration, sound, ultrasound and infrasound. A scientist who works in the field of acoustics is an acoustician while someone working in the field of acoustics...
, vibration
Vibration
Vibration refers to mechanical oscillations about an equilibrium point. The oscillations may be periodic such as the motion of a pendulum or random such as the movement of a tire on a gravel road.Vibration is occasionally "desirable"...
, shock (mechanics)
Shock (mechanics)
A mechanical or physical shock is a sudden acceleration or deceleration caused, for example, by impact, drop, kick, earthquake, or explosion. Shock is a transient physical excitation....
and rotordynamics
Rotordynamics
Rotordynamics is a specialized branch of applied mechanics concerned with the behavior and diagnosis of rotating structures. It is commonly used to analyze the behavior of structures ranging from jet engines and steam turbines to auto engines and computer disk storage...
. He wrote or co-authored more than 50 articles in professional publications. He wrote a monograph entitled An Introduction to Rotordynamics which was published posthumously by SAVIAC
SAVIAC
The Shock and Vibration Information Analysis Center is a private organization established in 1947 for promulgating information about the testing, analysis and design of structural or mechanical systems subjected to dynamic conditions and loading such as vibration, blast, impact, and shock for...
. Professor Nelson graduated from the Tufts College of Engineering in 1954 and received his Ph.D. in applied mechanics from Harvard University in 1961. He joined the Tufts faculty in 1955. He was Dean of the College of Engineering from 1980 to 1994.
Professor Nelson was a Fellow of the Acoustical Society of America
Acoustical Society of America
The Acoustical Society of America is an international scientific society dedicated to increasing and diffusing the knowledge of acoustics and its practical applications.-History:...
, a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers
American Society of Mechanical Engineers
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers is a professional body, specifically an engineering society, focused on mechanical engineering....
, a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
American Association for the Advancement of Science
The American Association for the Advancement of Science is an international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsibility, and supporting scientific education and science outreach for the...
, and a past associate editor of Applied Mechanics Review.
External links
Selected publications
- "A Review of the Origins and Current Status of Rotor Dynamics" presented at IFToMM 2002, Sydney, Australia.
- "A Review of Vibration Control Methods" with D.S. Nokes, presented at the 2002 Annual Meeting of the Vibration Institute, Pittsburgh, PA.
- "Rotor Dynamics: Critical Speeds", published in Sound and Vibration, May 2002.
- "Rotor Dynamics: Instabilities" published in Sound and Vibration, September 2002.
- "A Brief History of Early Rotor Dynamics" published in Sound and Vibration, June 2003.
- "Rotordynamics without Equations" published in International Journal of COMADEM, vol. 10, no. 3, July 2007, ISSN 1363-7681.