Jakob Ackeret
Encyclopedia
Jakob Ackeret was a Swiss aeronautical engineer. He is widely viewed as one of the foremost aeronautics experts of 20th century.
. He received his Diploma degree in Mechanical Engineering
from ETH Zurich
in 1920 under the supervision of Aurel Stodola
. From 1921 to 1927 he worked with Ludwig Prandtl at the "Aerodynamische Versuchsanstalt" in Göttingen
, witnessing a legendary period in the development of modern fluid dynamics. He received his Ph.D from ETH Zurich in 1927.
He became a professor of Aerodynamics
at ETH Zurich in 1931 where Wernher von Braun
was one of his students.
When he was at ETH Zurich, he actively participated in the solution of practical engineering problems, such as the design of variable pitch propellers for ships and airplanes. His most important invention was the gas turbine with a closed circuit. He made the invention together with C. Keller.
Ackeret also contributed significantly to research in supersonic aerodynamics. He led the initial work on calculating the lift and drag on a supersonic airfoil and he proposed the designation of the "Mach number
" for multiples of the speed of sound. On a conference in Rome in 1935 Ackeret presented a design for a supersonic wind tunnel.
In 1976, he was elected foreign associate member of the American National Academy of Engineering
for his "contributions to the understanding of high-speed and supersonic fluid mechanics, leading to significant improvements to the science of flight".
Birth and education
Jakob Ackeret was born in 1898 in SwitzerlandSwitzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. He received his Diploma degree in Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering is a discipline of engineering that applies the principles of physics and materials science for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. It is the branch of engineering that involves the production and usage of heat and mechanical power for the...
from ETH Zurich
ETH Zurich
The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich or ETH Zürich is an engineering, science, technology, mathematics and management university in the City of Zurich, Switzerland....
in 1920 under the supervision of Aurel Stodola
Aurel Stodola
Aurel Boleslav Stodola was an engineer, physicist, and inventor. He was an ethnic Slovak. He was a pioneer in the area of technical thermodynamics and its applications and published his book Die Dampfturbine in 1903...
. From 1921 to 1927 he worked with Ludwig Prandtl at the "Aerodynamische Versuchsanstalt" in Göttingen
Göttingen
Göttingen is a university town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Göttingen. The Leine river runs through the town. In 2006 the population was 129,686.-General information:...
, witnessing a legendary period in the development of modern fluid dynamics. He received his Ph.D from ETH Zurich in 1927.
Academic career
After completing his Ph.D, Ackeret worked at Escher Wyss AG in Zurich as Chief Engineer of Hydraulics, where he applied, with great success, modern aerodynamics to the design of turbines.He became a professor of Aerodynamics
Aerodynamics
Aerodynamics is a branch of dynamics concerned with studying the motion of air, particularly when it interacts with a moving object. Aerodynamics is a subfield of fluid dynamics and gas dynamics, with much theory shared between them. Aerodynamics is often used synonymously with gas dynamics, with...
at ETH Zurich in 1931 where Wernher von Braun
Wernher von Braun
Wernher Magnus Maximilian, Freiherr von Braun was a German rocket scientist, aerospace engineer, space architect, and one of the leading figures in the development of rocket technology in Nazi Germany during World War II and in the United States after that.A former member of the Nazi party,...
was one of his students.
Research
Ackeret was an expert on gas turbines and was known for his research on propellors and on high-speed propulsion problems.When he was at ETH Zurich, he actively participated in the solution of practical engineering problems, such as the design of variable pitch propellers for ships and airplanes. His most important invention was the gas turbine with a closed circuit. He made the invention together with C. Keller.
Ackeret also contributed significantly to research in supersonic aerodynamics. He led the initial work on calculating the lift and drag on a supersonic airfoil and he proposed the designation of the "Mach number
Mach number
Mach number is the speed of an object moving through air, or any other fluid substance, divided by the speed of sound as it is in that substance for its particular physical conditions, including those of temperature and pressure...
" for multiples of the speed of sound. On a conference in Rome in 1935 Ackeret presented a design for a supersonic wind tunnel.
In 1976, he was elected foreign associate member of the American National Academy of Engineering
National Academy of Engineering
The National Academy of Engineering is a government-created non-profit institution in the United States, that was founded in 1964 under the same congressional act that led to the founding of the National Academy of Sciences...
for his "contributions to the understanding of high-speed and supersonic fluid mechanics, leading to significant improvements to the science of flight".