Heinrich Zoelly
Heinrich Zoelly ( born April 11, 1862 in Mexico City; † March 30, 1937 in Zurich ) was a Mexican -Swiss engineer. He became known primarily through the development of the steam turbine ( Zoelly turbine) and the turbine-driven steam locomotive.
Life and work
Heinrich Zoelly was born the fifth child of the originally derived from the Unterklettgau immigrant Francis Xavier Zoelly in Mexico and was thus a Mexican citizen. The father ran with his brother John a hat factory in Mexico City. When Henry was still in childhood, his father left but due to political unrest in Mexico with his family, the country, returned to Europe and settled in Switzerland. Here Heinrich attended the primary school, the district school and the Swiss Federal Polytechnic. When he earned his engineering degree, he was only about 20 years old. After study trips to Mexico and Paris Heinrich Zoelly returned to Switzerland in 1886. Two years later, Zoelly Fluntern the application for naturalization and became a Swiss citizen. Heinrich Zoelly was married and had five children.
In 1886 Zoelly entered the service of the Zurich Maschinenfabrik Escher, Wyss & Cie.. Quick made the talented engineer career and was at the age of only 26 years technical director. He now bore his part in the flourishing of the company that made this time different steam engines, water turbines, locomotives, traction engines and ships.
As a significant development Zoelly spurred the construction of a multi-stage steam turbine. He led the first form from water turbines. In collaboration with Professor Stodola Zoelly developed therefrom in 1903 a multi-stage, axial-flow impulse turbine. This reached despite low vapor pressure ( 11 bar ) and low temperature (185 ° C) a significant output of 370 kW and a thermodynamic efficiency of 62%. The original of the first machine of this type is seen in the Deutsches Museum. This turbine was competing with others, about the same time developed steam turbines in the world ( Parsons, Rateau, tab, Curtis, Laval, ...) and was sold through licenses worldwide.
In 1912 received Zoelly among others thanks to its contribution to the turbine development honorary doctorate from the ETH Zurich.
Since Zoelly was convinced of the superiority of the steam turbine over the reciprocating steam engine, was Escher Wyss 1913, the production of steam engines, and concentrated fully on the turbines. Zoellys vision is to drive even steam locomotives that worked with traditional piston engines with steam turbines was. Until his resignation from the Escher-Wyss company located Zoelly (later 1930 Krupp Zoelly 1926 Zoelly SLM ) prescribed the development of a steam turbine -driven locomotive, which he drove forward to operational efficiency. However, since total diesel and electric drive increasingly supplanted the steam locomotive as the drive, the superior condensation locomotive sat stopped by.
Zoelly died in 1937 in his adopted hometown of Zurich.