BANAL

FRANCE (see also List of Individuals)

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23.9.1915 Cherbourg/F - 12.2.2003 Giromagny/F

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Michel Banal was educated at Ecole Poly- technique and Ecole des Ponts et Chaussées. He then joined Electricité de France EDF and was in the 1950s a vice-director in the Department of Research and Developments. He was from 1959 president of the Technical Committee of Société Hydrotechnique de France SHF. In addition, Banal was a Member of Société Française des Thermiciens SFT, and of the International Association of Hydraulic Research IAHR. He was an Honorary President of SHF from the 1990s.

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Banal took during his early career interest in the maritime reach of Seine River. This important river had to be improved after floods and damages from World War II. His 1950 booklet gives an overview on the port of Rouen, both as a maritime and a fluvial establishment. In 1954, Banal presented also a hydrologic work on the Seine catchment area. Starting thus from problems in maritime hydraulics, he eventually developed into an expert of thermodynamics and nuclear engineering, following the general developments of energy supply in France. He took interest in all developments relating to the production, the transport and the distribution of electrical energy. He was also involved in the design and execution of the tidal power plant in Rance and presented a similar project for Cherbourg. During retirement, he also prepared a short history on the tidal power production of France. Banal therefore contributed to the success of the present French energy supply based on hydroelectric, thermal and nuclear engineering.

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_{Anonymous (1997). M. Banal, Président d'honneur de la SHF. La Houille Blanche 52(1/2): 11. P}

_{Banal, M., Laval, D. (1950). Rouen, port maritime et port fluvial 1940-1950. Montsouris: Paris.}

_{Banal, M. (1950). Travaux d'amélioration de l'estuaire de la Seine. Travaux 34(6): 417-428. Banal, M. (1954). Observations et études hydrologiques en Seine maritime et dans l'estuaire. Travaux 38(4): 278-288.}

_{Banal, M. (1960). Présentation de quelques aspects de recherches récentes sur l'agitation de la mer. La Houille Blanche 15(2): 103-118.}

_{Banal, M. (1972). La fondation de recherches internationales sur les flammes. Revue Générale de Thermique 11(10): 867-868. P}

_{Banal, M. (1997). Histoire de l'énergie marémotrice en France. La Houille Blanche 52(3): 14-17. Froger, G. (2007). Michel Maxime Marie Alfred Banal. Personal communication. Mairie de Paris 16: Paris.}