KNAPP

GERMANY (see also List of Individuals)

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10.1.1901 Konstanz/D - 2.1.1971 Sao Paolo/BR

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Fred Hermann Knapp started his civil engineering studies at Munich Technical University but decided to leave for Brazil in 1922, following an offer of a textile industry work in Paraiba County. Later, he moved to Recife and Rio de Janeiro and in 1925 to Sao Paolo collaborating with the Brazilian Traction, Light and Power Company. The Canadian company had the concession to build and explore hydro-electric power plants in the provinces of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paolo. Knapp started there as a design engineer and was promoted in 1953 to the head of the civil engineering department COBAST company, a subsidiary in charge of all hydraulic designs. He then contributed research to the water hammer problem. During his 46 years with this company, Knapp was involved in the following works in the province of Sao Paolo: Enlargement of the Cubatao power plant, design of the Pirapora regulation dam, height increase of the Edgar de Souza dam, and design of the Santa Branca dam. Similar works were also planned and executed in the Rio de Janeiro province. Once these works were completed Knapp continued works of maintenance and improvement, because hardly any new works were planned in these regions of Brazil. Knapp was also a Lecturer at Escola de Engenharia da Universidade Mackenzie in Sao Paolo.

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Knapp is particularly known for his 1960 book on outflow, overflow and through-flow related to hydraulic structures. The book is subdivided into two parts, the first relating more to theoretical concepts, whereas the second introduces examples illustrating the various procedures proposed in part 1. The book was and still is successful in German spoken countries, given the relevant topics covered, the way presented the problems and the civil engineering approach employed to deal with relatively complicated questions.

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_{Knapp, F.H. (1937). Operation of emergency shutoff valves in pipe lines. Trans. ASME}

_{59(HYD-59-10): 679-682; 61: 75-77.}

_{Knapp, F.H. (1937). Discussion to Water hammer in pipes, including those supplied by centrifugal pumps: Graphical treatment. Proc. Institution Mechanical Engineers 136: 304-309.}

_{Knapp, F.H. (1939). Discussion to Experiments and calculations on the resurge phase of water hammer. Trans. ASME 61: 440-441.}

_{Knapp, F.H. (1955). Discussion to Present trends in pressure tunnels. Proc. ICE 1, 4: 545-552. Knapp, F.H. (1960). Ausfluss, Überfall und Durchfluss im Wasserbau: Eine angewandte}

_{Hydraulik auf physikalischer Grundlage. Braun: Karlsruhe. Knapp, W. (2003). Fred Hermann Knapp. Personal communication. P}