Gustaf de Laval was born in Orsa, Sweden back in 1845. He enrolled at the Institute of Technology in Stockholm receiving a degree in mechanical engineering in 1866. He continued his education at Uppsala University in 1867, receiving his doctorate in 1872. In 1886, he was a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
In 1882, he introduced his concept of an impulse steam turbine. In 187, he built a small steam turbine to demonstrate that such devices could be constructed. In 1890, he developed a nozzle to increase the steam jet to supersonic speed. The nozzle, now known as a de Laval nozzle can run at up to 30,000 rpm. He also made important contributions to the dairy industry, including the first centrifugal milk-cream separator and early milking machines, he patented it in 1894. He died in Stockholm in 1913, he was 67.
What you may not know about Gustaf is that his de Laval nozzle is still used in modern rocket engine nozzles. Not bad, not bad at all.
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