Alexander Gorlov
Encyclopedia
Alexander M. Gorlov - Ph.D., P.E., Professor Emeritus and Director of Hydro-Pneumatic Power Laboratory at Northeastern University in Boston
, Massachusetts
.
’s purges. His mother also spent a number of years in concentration camps in Russia, which forced young Alexander Gorlov to spend some of his childhood years in the orphanage in a remote Russian Urals area.
Gorlov received his Doctorate in engineering and had a successful scientific career in Moscow for a number of years during the relatively liberal period of the so-called Khrushchev Thaw
. He was granted the Gold and two Bronze Medals for Achievements of the USSR National Economy. In 1975 because of his friendship with Alexander Solzhenitsyn, the Nobel Prize
winner and outspoken critic of the communist system, Gorlov was forced to break with his Soviet life and emigrate, eventually establishing a new home in the United States
.
in the Northeastern University combining it with extensive research work in the area of harnessing renewable energy from water flows and wind. In the pursuit of his lifelong dream of creating inexpensive, environmentally friendly hydro-power, Gorlov has developed helical turbines for use in the river, tidal, and open ocean currents. His innovation has led to a series of patents for the Gorlov Helical Turbine
which shows great promise for alleviating the worldwide crisis in energy use. This invention was named one of Popular Science
s top 100 innovations of 2001. One of the other Gorlov's inventions - "Terrorist Truck-Bomb Protection System" - is certified by four US patents and is placed on the US Department of State list of certified equipment. That allows the system to be used for protection of vital Government installations such as nuclear power plants, military bases around the world, embassies, bridges and tunnels as well as other potential strategic targets from terrorist attacks.
Gorlov has over 100 technical publications, including books, and 25 US and international patents in such fields as renewable energy
, structural analysis
& design, theoretical mechanics and the design of bridges and tunnels.
Hydro power plant on Aswan Dam
Project in River Nile
(Egypt
)
Hydro power plants on rivers Khram, Langanury (Georgia
) and Lake Sevan
(Armenia
)
Implementation of helical turbine
for extracting tidal energy in Uldolmok Strait (Korea
) and Chacao Channel Chile
)
Award by ASME for invention of the helical turbine
.
2011, Nominated for the European Inventor Award for invention of the [helical turbine.
and Falmouth
(both in Massachusetts
, USA), where he lives with his wife Ella who is a local historian.
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
.
Early life
Alexander M. Gorlov was born in into the family of a prosperous lawyer. His father was arrested and died in prison during Joseph StalinJoseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
’s purges. His mother also spent a number of years in concentration camps in Russia, which forced young Alexander Gorlov to spend some of his childhood years in the orphanage in a remote Russian Urals area.
Gorlov received his Doctorate in engineering and had a successful scientific career in Moscow for a number of years during the relatively liberal period of the so-called Khrushchev Thaw
Khrushchev Thaw
The Khrushchev Thaw refers to the period from the mid 1950s to the early 1960s, when repression and censorship in the Soviet Union were partially reversed and millions of Soviet political prisoners were released from Gulag labor camps, due to Nikita Khrushchev's policies of de-Stalinization and...
. He was granted the Gold and two Bronze Medals for Achievements of the USSR National Economy. In 1975 because of his friendship with Alexander Solzhenitsyn, the Nobel Prize
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
winner and outspoken critic of the communist system, Gorlov was forced to break with his Soviet life and emigrate, eventually establishing a new home in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Career
Since 1976 Gorlov has been teaching Mechanical EngineeringMechanical 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...
in the Northeastern University combining it with extensive research work in the area of harnessing renewable energy from water flows and wind. In the pursuit of his lifelong dream of creating inexpensive, environmentally friendly hydro-power, Gorlov has developed helical turbines for use in the river, tidal, and open ocean currents. His innovation has led to a series of patents for the Gorlov Helical Turbine
Gorlov helical turbine
The Gorlov helical turbine is a water turbine evolved from the Darrieus turbine design by altering it to have helical blades/foils. It was patented in a series of patents from September 19, 1995 to July 3, 2001 and won 2001 ASME Thomas A. Edison . GHT was invented by Professor Alexander M...
which shows great promise for alleviating the worldwide crisis in energy use. This invention was named one of Popular Science
Popular Science
Popular Science is an American monthly magazine founded in 1872 carrying articles for the general reader on science and technology subjects. Popular Science has won over 58 awards, including the ASME awards for its journalistic excellence in both 2003 and 2004...
s top 100 innovations of 2001. One of the other Gorlov's inventions - "Terrorist Truck-Bomb Protection System" - is certified by four US patents and is placed on the US Department of State list of certified equipment. That allows the system to be used for protection of vital Government installations such as nuclear power plants, military bases around the world, embassies, bridges and tunnels as well as other potential strategic targets from terrorist attacks.
Gorlov has over 100 technical publications, including books, and 25 US and international patents in such fields as renewable energy
Renewable energy
Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable . About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from...
, structural analysis
Structural analysis
Structural analysis is the determination of the effects of loads on physical structures and their components. Structures subject to this type of analysis include all that must withstand loads, such as buildings, bridges, vehicles, machinery, furniture, attire, soil strata, prostheses and...
& design, theoretical mechanics and the design of bridges and tunnels.
International engineering activity
Bridges and tunnels (Russia, design and construction)Hydro power plant on Aswan Dam
Aswan Dam
The Aswan Dam is an embankment dam situated across the Nile River in Aswan, Egypt. Since the 1950s, the name commonly refers to the High Dam, which is larger and newer than the Aswan Low Dam, which was first completed in 1902...
Project in River Nile
Nile
The Nile is a major north-flowing river in North Africa, generally regarded as the longest river in the world. It is long. It runs through the ten countries of Sudan, South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Egypt.The Nile has two major...
(Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
)
Hydro power plants on rivers Khram, Langanury (Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
) and Lake Sevan
Lake Sevan
Lake Sevan is the largest lake in Armenia and the Caucasus region. It is one of the largest high-altitude lakes in the world.Lake Sevan is situated in the central part of the Republic of Armenia, inside the Gegharkunik Province, at the altitude of 1,900m above sea level...
(Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
)
Implementation of helical turbine
Gorlov helical turbine
The Gorlov helical turbine is a water turbine evolved from the Darrieus turbine design by altering it to have helical blades/foils. It was patented in a series of patents from September 19, 1995 to July 3, 2001 and won 2001 ASME Thomas A. Edison . GHT was invented by Professor Alexander M...
for extracting tidal energy in Uldolmok Strait (Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
) and Chacao Channel Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
)
Awards
2001, Thomas EdisonThomas Edison
Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb. In addition, he created the world’s first industrial...
Award by ASME for invention of the helical turbine
Gorlov helical turbine
The Gorlov helical turbine is a water turbine evolved from the Darrieus turbine design by altering it to have helical blades/foils. It was patented in a series of patents from September 19, 1995 to July 3, 2001 and won 2001 ASME Thomas A. Edison . GHT was invented by Professor Alexander M...
.
2011, Nominated for the European Inventor Award for invention of the [helical turbine.
Personal
Professor Alexander M. Gorlov is a resident of BrooklineBrookline, Massachusetts
Brookline is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States, which borders on the cities of Boston and Newton. As of the 2010 census, the population of the town was 58,732.-Etymology:...
and Falmouth
Falmouth, Massachusetts
Falmouth is a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States; Barnstable County is coextensive with Cape Cod. The population was 31,531 at the 2010 census....
(both in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, USA), where he lives with his wife Ella who is a local historian.
Patents
- A.M. Gorlov, Apparatus for harnessing tidal power, United States Patent 4,103,490, Aug 1, 1978.
- A.M. Gorlov, High volume tidal or current flow harnessing system, United States Patent 4,464,080, Aug 7, 1984.
- A.M. Gorlov, Terrorist vehicle arresting system United States Patent 4,759,655, July 26, 1988.
- A.M. Gorlov, Friction reduction for terrorist vehicle arresting system, United States Patent 5,026,203, June 25, 1991.
- A.M. Gorlov, Water gate array for current flow or tidal movement pneumatic harnessing system, United States Patent 5,074,710, Dec 24, 1991.
- A.M. Gorlov, Shutter for hydro-pneumatic current flow harnessing system, United States Patent 5,222,833, June 29, 1993.
- A.M. Gorlov, Unidirectional helical reaction turbine operable under reversible fluid flow for power systems, United States Patent 5,451,137, Sept. 19, 1995.
- B.L. Istorik, I.B. Chpolianski, A.M. Gorlov, Unidirecional reaction turbine operable under reversible fluid from flow, United States Patent 5,451,138, Sept 19, 1995.
- A.M. Gorlov, Helical turbine assembly operable under multidirectional fluid flow for power and propulsion systems, United States Patent 5,642,984, July 1, 1997.
- A.M. Gorlov, Helical turbine assembly operable under multidirectional gas and water flow, United States Patent 6,155,892, Dec 5, 2000.
- A.M. Gorlov, Method for maintaining flotation using a helical turbine assembly, United States Patent 6,253,700, July 3, 2001.
- A.M. Gorlov, System for providing wind propulsion of a marine vessel using a helical turbine assembly, United States Patent 6,293,835, Sept 25, 2001.
Papers
- A.M. Gorlov, The Propagation of Plastic Zones Around the Tip of a Crack in a Circular Torsional Shaft, J. Appl. Mech., Vol. 46 (2) (1979), 458-459.
- A.M. Gorlov, Disaster of the 1-95 Mianus River bridge. Where could lateral vibration come from? J. Appl. Mech., Vol. 51 (3) (1984), 694-696
- A.M. Gorlov, A new opportunity for hydro: Using air turbines for generating electricity, Hydro Review; Vol. 11 (5) (1992).
- A.M. Gorlov, The helical turbine: A new idea for low-head hydro, Hydro Review, Vol. 14 (5) (1995).
- A.M. Gorlov, Helical turbines for the Gulf Stream : Conceptual approach to design of a large-scale floating power farm, Marine technology, Vol. 35 (3) (1998), 175-182.
- A.M. Gorlov, Tidal energy, In: Elements of Physical Oceanography: A derivative of the Encyclopedia of Ocean Sciences, J.H. Steele, S.A. Thorpe, K.K. Turekian (Eds), Academic Press, 2009, pp. 103-109.
- A.M. Gorlov, Turbines with a twist. In: Macro-Engineering and the Earth: World Projects for the Year 2000 and Beyond, Kitzinger U and Frankel EG (Eds), Chichester: Horwood Publishing, 1998, pp. 1-36.
- A.N. Gorban, A.M. Gorlov, V.M.Silantyev, Limits of the Turbine Efficiency for Free Fluid Flow, Journal of Energy Resources Technology, Vol. 123 (2001), 311-317.
- A.M. Gorlov, The Helical Turbine and Its Applications for Hydropower Without Dams, ASME Conf. Proc. 2002, pp. 257-264 (2002), DOI:10.1115/IMECE2002-33193.
- A.M. Gorlov, Harnessing Power from Ocean Currents and Tides, Sea Technol., Vol. 45 (7), (2004), pp. 40-43.