Louis Brennan
Encyclopedia
Louis Brennan was an Irish-Australian
mechanical engineer and inventor.
Brennan was born in Castlebar
, Ireland
, and moved to Melbourne
, Australia
in 1861 with parents. He started his career as a watchmaker and a few years later was articled to Alexander Kennedy Smith
, a renowned civil and mechanical engineer of the period.
Brennan invented the idea of a steerable torpedo
in 1874, from observing that if a thread is pulled on a reel at an angle with suitable leverage, the reel will move away from the thread side. Brennan spent some years working out his invention, and received a grant of £700 from the Victorian government towards his expenses. He patented the Brennan Torpedo
in 1877. The idea was trialled at Camden Fort near Crosshaven
, County Cork
in what is now the Republic of Ireland
.
Brennan went to England in 1880 and brought his invention before the War Office. Sir Andrew Clarke
alerted the authorities to the possibilities of the torpedo if used in the defence of harbours and channels, and the patent was eventually bought for a sum believed to be more than £100,000. In 1887 Brennan was appointed superintendent of the Brennan torpedo factory, and was consulting engineer 1896–1907.
He did much work on a monorail
locomotive which was kept upright by a gyrostat. In 1903 he patented a gyroscopically-balanced monorail
system that he designed for military use; he successfully demonstrated the system on 10 November 1909, at Gillingham, England
, but fears that the gyroscopes might fail prevented adoption of the system for widespread use.
From 1916 to 1919 Brennan served in the munitions inventions department. From 1919 to 1926 he was engaged by the air ministry in aircraft research work at the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough, and gave much time to the invention of a helicopter
. The government spent a large sum of money on it, but in 1926 the air ministry gave up working on it, much to Brennan's disappointment.
In January 1932 he was knocked down by a car at Montreux
, Switzerland
, and died on 17 January 1932. He had married Anna Quinn (died 1931) on 10 September 1892. He was survived by a son and a daughter. Brennan was created a Companion of the Order of the Bath
in 1892, and was foundation member of the National Academy of Ireland in 1922.
Gillingham library retains the archive of his papers.
Irish Australian
Irish Australians have played a long and enduring part in Australia's history. Many came to Australia in the eighteenth century as settlers or as convicts, and contributed to Australia's development in many different areas....
mechanical engineer and inventor.
Brennan was born in Castlebar
Castlebar
Castlebar is the county town of, and at the centre of, County Mayo in Ireland. It is Mayo's largest town by population. The town's population exploded in the late 1990s, increasing by one-third in just six years, though this massive growth has slowed down greatly in recent years...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, and moved to Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in 1861 with parents. He started his career as a watchmaker and a few years later was articled to Alexander Kennedy Smith
Alexander Kennedy Smith
Alexander Kennedy Smith was a Scottish/Australian engineer and former Mayor of Melbourne.-Early life:Smith was born in Cauldmill near Hawick, Roxburghshire, Scotland...
, a renowned civil and mechanical engineer of the period.
Brennan invented the idea of a steerable torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
in 1874, from observing that if a thread is pulled on a reel at an angle with suitable leverage, the reel will move away from the thread side. Brennan spent some years working out his invention, and received a grant of £700 from the Victorian government towards his expenses. He patented the Brennan Torpedo
Brennan Torpedo
The Brennan torpedo was a torpedo patented by Irish born Australian inventor Louis Brennan in 1877. It was powered by two contra-rotating propellors that were spun by rapidly pulling out wires from drums wound inside the torpedo...
in 1877. The idea was trialled at Camden Fort near Crosshaven
Crosshaven
Crosshaven is a village in County Cork, Ireland. Origins of the Irish name of Crosshaven include; - mouth of the river Sabhrann , and . The village is located in a scenic area with views of Wood, and Cork Harbour.-Transport:...
, County Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
in what is now the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
.
Brennan went to England in 1880 and brought his invention before the War Office. Sir Andrew Clarke
Andrew Clarke (administrator)
Lieutenant-General Sir Andrew Clarke, GCMG, CB, CIE was a British soldier and governor as well as a politician in Australia.-Background and education:...
alerted the authorities to the possibilities of the torpedo if used in the defence of harbours and channels, and the patent was eventually bought for a sum believed to be more than £100,000. In 1887 Brennan was appointed superintendent of the Brennan torpedo factory, and was consulting engineer 1896–1907.
He did much work on a monorail
Gyro Monorail
The gyro monorail, gyroscopic monorail, gyro-stabilized monorail, or gyrocar are terms for a single rail land vehicle that uses the gyroscopic action of a spinning wheel, to overcome the inherent instability of balancing on top of a single rail....
locomotive which was kept upright by a gyrostat. In 1903 he patented a gyroscopically-balanced monorail
Gyro Monorail
The gyro monorail, gyroscopic monorail, gyro-stabilized monorail, or gyrocar are terms for a single rail land vehicle that uses the gyroscopic action of a spinning wheel, to overcome the inherent instability of balancing on top of a single rail....
system that he designed for military use; he successfully demonstrated the system on 10 November 1909, at Gillingham, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, but fears that the gyroscopes might fail prevented adoption of the system for widespread use.
From 1916 to 1919 Brennan served in the munitions inventions department. From 1919 to 1926 he was engaged by the air ministry in aircraft research work at the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough, and gave much time to the invention of a helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
. The government spent a large sum of money on it, but in 1926 the air ministry gave up working on it, much to Brennan's disappointment.
Montreux
Montreux is a municipality in the district of Riviera-Pays-d'Enhaut in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland.It is located on Lake Geneva at the foot of the Alps and has a population, , of and nearly 90,000 in the agglomeration.- History :...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
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....
, and died on 17 January 1932. He had married Anna Quinn (died 1931) on 10 September 1892. He was survived by a son and a daughter. Brennan was created a Companion of the Order of the Bath
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
in 1892, and was foundation member of the National Academy of Ireland in 1922.
Gillingham library retains the archive of his papers.