Arthur Henry Lefebvre (14 March 1923 – 24 November 2003) was a British scientist and an innovative leader in the science and engineering of fuel sprays and combustion in

gas turbines A gas turbine, also called a combustion turbine, is a type of continuous flow internal combustion engine. The main parts common to all gas turbine engines form the power-producing part (known as the gas generator or core) and are, in the directi ...

Career

During his career he developed several innovative atomizers, including prefilming (in the 1960s) and effervescent (in the 1990s) designs for aircraft engines. Improvements in atomization greatly reduced the emissions of

soot Soot ( ) is a mass of impure carbon particles resulting from the incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons. It is more properly restricted to the product of the gas-phase combustion process but is commonly extended to include the residual pyrolysed ...

(particulate combustion product) and were instrumental in increasing the reliability of the combustor that was critical to improve the engine robustness. Lefebvre was a pioneer in the development of the jet engine, and arguably one who contributed more as a researcher, designer and educator than any other, except the original inventors – Sir

Frank Whittle Air Commodore Sir Frank Whittle, (1 June 1907 – 8 August 1996) was an English engineer, inventor and Royal Air Force (RAF) air officer. He is credited with inventing the turbojet engine. A patent was submitted by Maxime Guillaume in 1921 for ...

and

Hans von Ohain Hans Joachim Pabst von Ohain (14 December 191113 March 1998) was a German physicist, engineer, and the designer of the first operational jet engine. Together with Frank Whittle he is called the "father of the jet engine". His first test unit ran ...

. He shared his expertise with an annual week-long gas turbine combustion short course from 1962 to 2003. His memory is honored at each International Conference on Liquid Atomization and Spray Systems (ICLASS) with a Lecture named in his honor.

Biography

Education

Long Eaton Grammar School Long may refer to: Measurement * Long, characteristic of something of great duration * Long, characteristic of something of great length * Longitude (abbreviation: long.), a geographic coordinate * Longa (music), note value in early music mensu ...

, Nottingham,

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree ...

BSc in Engineering in 1946 from University College. He received PhD from

Imperial College Imperial College London (legally Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine) is a public research university in London, United Kingdom. Its history began with Prince Albert, consort of Queen Victoria, who developed his vision for a cu ...

in 1952 and a Doctor of Science (DSc) from Imperial College in 1975.

Cranfield University , mottoeng = After clouds light , established = 1946 - College of Aeronautics 1969 - Cranfield Institute of Technology (gained university status by royal charter) 1993 - Cranfield University (adopted current name) , type = Public research uni ...

(Britain) : Professor and Head of the Department of Aircraft Propulsion and Chief Research Engineer at Rolls-Royce Limited, Derby. 1961–1976.

Purdue University Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and money ...

(USA) 1976–1993 Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University and Reilly Professor of Combustion Engineering in 1980 After retiring, Lefebvre was concurrently made Emeritus Professor by Purdue and Cranfield Universities. He co-authored over 160 archival publications, 13 patents and 3 books (Gas Turbine Combustion, Gas Turbine Combustor Design Problems, and Atomization and Sprays). His book Atomization and Sprays is a guide to a generation of researchers and engineers on the development and use of spray science and technology. Lefebvre invented and introduced the concept of air-blast

atomization Atomization refers to breaking bonds in some substance to obtain its constituent atoms in gas phase. By extension, it also means separating something into fine particles, for example: process of breaking bulk liquids into small droplets. Atomizati ...

, which transformed fuel injection in combustors. He initiated some of the earliest research on atomization and spray structure. As a founding member and regular participant at conferences of the Institute of Liquid Atomization and Spray Systems Americas ( ILASS) he taught a generation of scientists.

Quotes

Tools are not a substitute for innovation, 2000

Recognition

ASME The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) is an American professional association that, in its own words, "promotes the art, science, and practice of multidisciplinary engineering and allied sciences around the globe" via "continuing ...

Gas Turbine Award (1984) ASME R. Tom Sawyer Award (1984)

AIAA The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is a professional society for the field of aerospace engineering. The AIAA is the U.S. representative on the International Astronautical Federation and the International Council of ...

Propellants and Combustion Award (inaugural recipient in 1990) Marshal Award from the Institute of Liquid Atomization and Spray Systems, ILASS, (1993) IGTI Scholar Award (1995) IGTI Aircraft Engine Technology Award (1996) ASME George Westinghouse Gold Medal (2002) Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society and the Royal Academy of Engineering in the U.K.

Personal life

He married Elizabeth Marcella Betts in 1952. They had two sons and one daughter.

References

* Gas Turbine Combustion 2nd edition 1998 * Atomization and Sprays 1988

External links

Atomization and Sprays Journal

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lefebvre, Arthur H. 1923 births 2003 deaths Academics of Cranfield University Alumni of the University of Nottingham English mechanical engineers Jet engine pioneers People from Long Eaton Purdue University faculty British expatriates in the United States