Heinrich Zoelly
Encyclopedia
Heinrich Zoelly was a Mexican-Swiss engineer. He developed steam turbine
s and turbine-driven locomotive
s and patented the geothermal heat pump in 1912.
, had emigrated to Mexico
to seek better fortune. Heinrich was born in Mexico and received the Mexican citizenship. His father ran a hat factory in Mexico City
with his brother John. When Henry was still a child, his father left Mexico because of political unrest and returned to Switzerland. There, Henry attended primary school, skipping two grades before starting at the Federal Polytechnic Institute (which later became ETH Zurich
). He was just 20 years old when he earned his degree in mechanical engineering. After study trips to Mexico and Paris, Heinrich Zoelly went back to Switzerland in 1886. Two years later Zoelly applied in Fluntern
for naturalization and became a Swiss citizen. Heinrich Zoelly was married and had five children.
In 1886 Zoelly entered the service of Zurich's Maschinenfabrik Escher Wyss & Cie
. He quickly became its technical director at the young age of 26. Thanks to him, the company flourished, which at this time manufactured various steam engines, water turbines, locomotives, traction engines and vessels.
His most significant development was the construction of a multi-stage steam turbine, initially used in water turbines. In 1903 Zoelly developed a multi-stage axial flow impulse turbine in collaboration with Professor Stodola. Despite low vapor pressure (11 bar) and low temperature (185 °C), this achieved a considerable output of 370 kW and a thermodynamic efficiency of 62%. The original of the first machine of this type is now at the Deutsches Museum
. This turbine competed with other steam turbines developed about the same time in the world (Parsons, rake, plate, Curtis, Laval, and others) and was distributed worldwide through licensing.
In 1912 Zoelly was awarded an honorary degree from the ETH Zurich
, partly thanks to his work in turbine development.
Since Zoelly was convinced of the superiority of the steam turbine to the steam piston engine, in 1913 Escher Wyss gave up on the production of steam engines and concentrated fully on turbines. Zoelly's vision also extended to steam locomotives, which traditionally worked with piston engines, with steam turbines as drive. Until his resignation from Escher-Wyss Zoelly devoted himself to the development of a steam turbine-driven locomotive, which he drove forward to serviceability (1926 Zoelly- SLM), and later in 1930 Krupp Zoelly). However, since diesel and electric power was increasing the steam locomotive lost its economic significance.
Zoelly died in 1937 in his adopted hometown of Zurich
.
Steam turbine
A steam turbine is a mechanical device that extracts thermal energy from pressurized steam, and converts it into rotary motion. Its modern manifestation was invented by Sir Charles Parsons in 1884....
s and turbine-driven locomotive
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
s and patented the geothermal heat pump in 1912.
Life and work
Heinrich Zoelly was the fifth child of Franz Xaver Zoelly. His father, originally from Switzerland near KlettgauKlettgau
Klettgau is a group of towns in the district of Waldshut in Baden-Württemberg in Germany. Landgraviat of Klettgau to 1812.There is a border crossing into Switzerland at Erzingen to Trasadingen in Schaffhausen canton....
, had emigrated to Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
to seek better fortune. Heinrich was born in Mexico and received the Mexican citizenship. His father ran a hat factory in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
with his brother John. When Henry was still a child, his father left Mexico because of political unrest and returned to Switzerland. There, Henry attended primary school, skipping two grades before starting at the Federal Polytechnic Institute (which later became 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....
). He was just 20 years old when he earned his degree in mechanical engineering. After study trips to Mexico and Paris, Heinrich Zoelly went back to Switzerland in 1886. Two years later Zoelly applied in Fluntern
Fluntern
Fluntern is a quarter in the district 7 in Zurich.It was formerly a municipality of its own, having been incorporated into Zurich in 1893.The quarter has a population of 7,325 distributed on an area of 2.84 km².-Weather:-References:...
for naturalization and became a Swiss citizen. Heinrich Zoelly was married and had five children.
In 1886 Zoelly entered the service of Zurich's Maschinenfabrik Escher Wyss & Cie
Escher Wyss & Cie.
Escher Wyss & Cie., also known as Escher Wyss AG, was a Swiss industrial company with a focus on engineering and turbine construction. The company was headquartered in the Zurich quarter of Escher Wyss, which takes its name from the company....
. He quickly became its technical director at the young age of 26. Thanks to him, the company flourished, which at this time manufactured various steam engines, water turbines, locomotives, traction engines and vessels.
His most significant development was the construction of a multi-stage steam turbine, initially used in water turbines. In 1903 Zoelly developed a multi-stage axial flow impulse turbine in collaboration with Professor Stodola. Despite low vapor pressure (11 bar) and low temperature (185 °C), this achieved a considerable output of 370 kW and a thermodynamic efficiency of 62%. The original of the first machine of this type is now at the Deutsches Museum
Deutsches Museum
The Deutsches Museum in Munich, Germany, is the world's largest museum of technology and science, with approximately 1.5 million visitors per year and about 28,000 exhibited objects from 50 fields of science and technology. The museum was founded on June 28, 1903, at a meeting of the Association...
. This turbine competed with other steam turbines developed about the same time in the world (Parsons, rake, plate, Curtis, Laval, and others) and was distributed worldwide through licensing.
In 1912 Zoelly was awarded an honorary degree from the 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....
, partly thanks to his work in turbine development.
Since Zoelly was convinced of the superiority of the steam turbine to the steam piston engine, in 1913 Escher Wyss gave up on the production of steam engines and concentrated fully on turbines. Zoelly's vision also extended to steam locomotives, which traditionally worked with piston engines, with steam turbines as drive. Until his resignation from Escher-Wyss Zoelly devoted himself to the development of a steam turbine-driven locomotive, which he drove forward to serviceability (1926 Zoelly- SLM), and later in 1930 Krupp Zoelly). However, since diesel and electric power was increasing the steam locomotive lost its economic significance.
Zoelly died in 1937 in his adopted hometown of Zurich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
.
Further reading
- Schweizer Pioniere der Wirtschaft und Technik, Band 19: Drei Zürcher Pioniere: Paul Usteri (1853–1927) / Heinrich Zoelly (1862–1937) / Karl Bretscher (1885–1966), Zürich. Verein für wirtschaftshistorische Studien. 1968.