George "Gogu" Konstantinescu (sometimes Konstantinesko ; rum. George (Gogu) Constantinescu ; October 4, 1881 , Craiova - December 11, 1965 , Lake District ) - Romanian scientist, engineer and inventor; he owns more than 130 officially registered inventions. He is the creator of one of the branches of continuum mechanics - the “theory of sound waves” ( English theory of sonics ), in which he was able to describe the transmission of mechanical energy through vibration [1] [2] . Honorary Member of the Romanian Academy .
| George "Gogu" Konstantinescu | |
|---|---|
| room. George (Gogu) Constantinescu | |
 Image of J. Konstantinescu on a Romanian postage stamp (2016) | |
| Date of Birth | |
| Place of Birth | |
| Date of death | |
| Place of death | |
| A country | |
| Scientific field | physics |
| Alma mater | |
| Known as | creator of continuum mechanics |
Biography
George Konstantinescu was born in Craiova in the Doctor’s House, not far from the gardens of Mihai Bravo. As a child, he was influenced by his father, also George (born 1844), who was a professor of mathematics and technical sciences and specialized in mathematics at the Sorbonne University . Konstantinescu Jr. moved to the United Kingdom in 1912. He died at Oxen House, next to Coniston Water, on the night of December 11-12, 1965; He was buried in Lovik cemetery in Cumbria .
Inventions
Aircraft Cannon Synchronization
The hydraulic machine-gun synchronizing speeds of rotation and fire, created by George Konstantinescu, allowed the aircraft guns to shoot “through” the rotating rotor blades of the aircraft. The Konstantinesku Aviation Synchronizer was first used in March 1917 in the Royal Royal Air Force operational squadron RFC No. 55 on DH4s aircraft. - He soon became part of the standard equipment, replacing the various mechanisms that had been used for these purposes earlier. The synchronizer continued to be used by the Royal Air Force until World War II - the Gloster Gladiator was the last British fighter equipped with a similar system.
Sound waves
In 1918, Konstantinescu published a book, A Treatise on the Transfer of Energy through Vibrations, in which he described his theory of sound waves. The theory turned out to be applicable to various energy transfer systems, but today it is mainly applied to hydraulic systems . The theory was based on the wave mechanism - this distinguished it from hydrostatics based on fluid pressure. In particular, Konstantinescu argued that - contrary to the widespread assumption - liquids are compressible .
The transfer of energy through waves in a liquid (for example, in water or oil) required the generator to produce waves, and the engine to use them to do the job: translate the energy of the waves into rotational or translational motion.
Internal combustion engines
Konstantinescu has registered several patents for the improvement of carburetors used in internal combustion engines : for example, patent US 1206512. He also developed a hydraulic system (British patent GB 133719) for operation of both valves and fuel nozzles of diesel engines .
Torque Converter
Konstantinescu invented a mechanical torque converter driven by a pendulum: the converter found its application in the Franco-British car brand " ". The invention was also tested in railway transport: a locomotive with a gasoline engine with a capacity of 250 liters. A village with a torque converter patented by Konstantinescu was presented at the Wembley Exhibition in 1924. The system was not adopted on the British railways, but it found its practical embodiment in some cars used on the Romanian state railways.
Other inventions
George Konstantinescu’s other inventions included a “motorized railway carriage”: it worked on ordinary steel flange wheels, but used a transmission with rubber tires pressed against the rails as a drive. This is similar to the system used today on many road rail vehicles . In addition, Konstantinescu created the project of the Constanta mosque (Carol I Mosque), which was completed by the architect Victor Ştefănescu.
Influence and memory
Research in the field of a sound asynchronous motor for vehicles, which are based on the work of Konstantinescu, was performed at the University of Brasov Transylvanian in 2010.
The Demetrius Leonid Technical Museum in Bucharest has a collection of exhibits related to the life and inventions of George Constantinescu.
Family
George Konstantinescu married Alexander (Sandra) Kokoresku in Richmond ( London ) after the outbreak of World War I , in December 1914. The couple moved to the Wembley area, and after the birth of their son - Jan - they again moved, this time to Weybridge . In the 1920s, the marriage of George and Sandra broke up - they officially divorced. After that, Konstantinescu married Eve Lytton and the new family moved to Oksen's house, next to Lake Coniston. From the last marriage, Eve had two children: Richard and Michael.
Notes
- ↑ Barnes, 1964 .
- ↑ Univers ingineresc, 2011 .
Literature
- Barnes CH Bristol Aircraft since 1910. - London: Putnam, 1964.
- Geneza unei științe și celebritatea savantului George (Gogu) Constantinescu // Univers ingineresc. - 2011. - August ( issue XXII ( No. 16 (494) ).
- Anca Aldea. George Constantinescu // Jurnalul Național. - 2008. - May 17.