ESCHER R

SWITZERLAND (see also List of Individuals)

\

8.6.1848 Salerno/I - 12.11.1921 Zürich/CH

\

Rudolf Escher was the son of Caspar, and grandson of Hans Caspar Escher (1775-1857). Rudolf was educated at the Higher Industrial School of Zurich and went through a three years apprenticeship in Glarus Canton. He graduated as a mechanical engineer in 1871 from the Swiss Polytechnic School Zurich, today's ETH. Escher continued as an assistant at the Chair of Mechanical Engineering to be appointed Lecturer in 1875. After a one year leave to Dresden Technical University, he returned to ETH Zurich in 1876 as professor of mechanical technology.

\

Escher is particularly known for his book on water turbines, of which the first edition was published in 1908 and the third posthumously in 1924. The book summarizes the main developments in turbine theory and design, with particular reference to the successful turbines incorporated in the young hydropower schemes erected all over the world. Earlier, Escher had presented papers on particular turbine elements, such as the wheel shape and the draft tube. He also published a book on the technology of construction materials in mechanical engineering, and on problems with high-speed turbines. It should also be noted that Albert Strickler (1887-1963), the famous Swiss hydraulician, made his PhD thesis with Escher. Another famous student of Escher was Aurel Stodola (1859-1942), the father of the gas turbine.

\

_{Anonymous (1921). Prof. Rudolf Escher. Schweizerische Bauzeitung 78(22): 264-265. P}

_{Escher, R., Vuilleumier-Schetty, A. (1894). Mitteilungen aus dem Gebiete des Maschinenwesens. Haller: Bern.}

_{Escher, R. (1907). Alte und neue Tangentialräder. Zeitschrift für das gesamte Turbinenwesen}

_{4(9): 133-136.}

_{Escher, R. (1909). Über Saugprofile. Die Turbine 6(3): 43-45. Escher, R. (1910). Über den Wasserschlag. Die Turbine 7(1): 1-12.}

_{Escher, R. (1918). Mechanische Technologie der Maschinenbaustoffe. Teubner: Leipzig. Escher, R. (1918). Über schnellaufende Turbinen. Zeitschrift für das gesamte Turbinenwesen 15(28): 237-239; 15(29): 247-248; 15(34): 292.}

_{Escher, R. (1921). Die Theorie der Wasserturbinen. Springer: Berlin, ed. 2.}

_{Stodola, A. (1921). Erinnerungen an Prof. Rudolf Escher. Schweizerische Bauzeitung 78(25): 302-303.}

_{Strickler, A. (1916). Vergleichende Untersuchungen an Leitapparaten von Francisturbinen.}

_{Dissertation 155. ETH: Zürich.}