CASACCI

FRANCE (see also List of Individuals)

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19.1.1923 Carqueiranne/F - 4.6.1983 Grenoble/F

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Séverin Casacci graduated in 1944 from Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts et Métiers in Aixen-Provence. In 1946 he joined Société Neyrpic in Grenoble, where he passed his entire professional career. From 1950, France initiated an important program to increase its hydropower resources, mainly in collaboration with Electricité de France EDF and Compagnie Nationale du Rhône CNR. Neyrpic Company was thus at the basis for adequate renewal of hydraulic machinery and developed to one of the largest turbine furnishers worldwide.

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Casacci played a major role during these changes, mainly in terms of technological advance of hydroelectric equipment. These include the control of large powers for giant turbines, the improvement of turbine performances and the availability of economical machinery. In addition new turbine types were developed, such as the bulbturbine or the reversible pump-turbine. The bulb-turbine permitted the realization of the first tidal power plant in Rance and then was applied especially for very low hydraulic heads. Casacci particularly added to the regulation problems with turbines and to sea-borne hydro-reactors. He has written books in the field of hydro-elastic vibrations and on regulation processes, among others in engineering mechanics. He was a Lecturer at Institut Polytechnique of Grenoble and collaborated with Centre Technique des Industries Mécaniques CETIM. Casacci was particularly affiliated with Société Hydrotechnique de France SHF, where he served as a president of various meetings dealing with hydraulic machinery. He was awarded Officer in the Order of the National Merit and posthumously the Prix Nessim Habif 1984 during the inauguration of the research laboratory at Ecole Supérieure d'Hydraulique in Grenoble.

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_{Anonymous (1983). Séverin Casacci. La Houille Blanche 38(2): 143-145. P}

_{Bossuges, P., Casacci, S. (1948). Etude sur les pivots à grains. La Houille Blanche 3(7/8): 347- 355.}

_{Casacci, S., Kammerlocher, M. (1962). Analyse du fonctionnement des groupes axiaux de grandes dimensions. La Houille Blanche 17(2): 153-162.}

_{Casacci, S. (1973). Les groupes bulbes: Projets et perspectives. La Houille Blanche 28(2): 229-246. Henry, P., Casacci, S., Graeser, J.E., Wegner, M. (1982). Examen expérimental de la stabilité des turbines Francis sur modèle et sur prototype à charge partielle. 11 IAHR Symposium Operating problems of pump stations and power plants Amsterdam 2(41): 1-13.}

_{Henry, P. (1992). Turbomachines hydrauliques. Presses Polytechniques et Universitaires Romandes: Lausanne.}

_{Ricard, P. (1984). Sèverin Casacci. Arts et Métiers (9/10): 89. P}