The Laboratory for Energy Conversion (LEC) formerly known as Turbomachinery Laboratory (LSM) was founded in 1892 by Aurel Boleslav Stodola. As part of the Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (

ETH (colloquially) , former_name = eidgenössische polytechnische Schule , image = ETHZ.JPG , image_size = , established = , type = Public , budget = CHF 1.896 billion (2021) , rector = Günther Dissertori , president = Joël Mesot , ac ...

). The laboratory has been headed by some of the most prominent mechanical engineers in the history of turbomachinery.

Areas of research

The current research projects at LEC cover the fields of: * energy economics and policy * performance and reliability of wind energy * minimizing high-cycle fatigue failure of compressors * efficiency improvements of

turbomachines Turbomachinery, in mechanical engineering, describes machines that transfer energy between a rotor and a fluid, including both turbines and compressors. While a turbine transfers energy from a fluid to a rotor, a compressor transfers energy from ...

aircraft An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air. It counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines ...

noise suppression * cooling and thermal management *

laser A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation. The word "laser" is an acronym for "light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation". The fir ...

produced plasma source ( EUV) and debris mitigation * development of a mobile power pack * novel measurement techniques *

biomedical Biomedicine (also referred to as Western medicine, mainstream medicine or conventional medicine)

diagnostics Diagnosis is the identification of the nature and cause of a certain phenomenon. Diagnosis is used in many different disciplines, with variations in the use of logic, analytics, and experience, to determine "cause and effect". In systems engineer ...

Awards

Amongst many noted achievements, LEC has recently developed the FENT probe. This probe, for the first time, enables measurement of

entropy Entropy is a scientific concept, as well as a measurable physical property, that is most commonly associated with a state of disorder, randomness, or uncertainty. The term and the concept are used in diverse fields, from classical thermodynam ...

generation in Turbomachinery. The highly rated

peer-review Peer review is the evaluation of work by one or more people with similar competencies as the producers of the work (peers). It functions as a form of self-regulation by qualified members of a profession within the relevant field. Peer review ...

journal

Measurement Science and Technology ''Measurement Science and Technology'' is a monthly peer-reviewed scientific journal, published by IOP Publishing, covering the areas of measurement, instrumentation, and sensor technology in the sciences. The editor-in-chief is Andrew Yacoot ( ...

recognised the development of this probe as the most outstanding contribution in the field of

fluid mechanics Fluid mechanics is the branch of physics concerned with the mechanics of fluids ( liquids, gases, and plasmas) and the forces on them. It has applications in a wide range of disciplines, including mechanical, aerospace, civil, chemical and bio ...

in 2008.

Professors since 1892

* 1892 - 1929 Aurel Boleslav Stodola * 1929 - 1954 Henri Quiby * 1954 - 1983 Prof. Walter Traupel * 1983 - 1998 George Gyarmathy * 1998 - Prof. Reza Abhari

Industry partners

* ABB Group, Switzerland *

BKW FMB Energie AG BKW Energie AG (BKW; formerly known as ''Bernische Kraftwerke AG'') is a power production and distribution utility with its headquarters in Bern, Switzerland. It also provides gas and heat through a number of subsidiaries or partner companies. ...

, Switzerland * EOS Holding, Switzerland *

General Electric General Electric Company (GE) is an American multinational conglomerate founded in 1892, and incorporated in New York state and headquartered in Boston. The company operated in sectors including healthcare, aviation, power, renewable energ ...

, US *

MAN Turbo MAN Turbo AG was a company based in Oberhausen, Germany, that produced turbomachinery, including compressors, expanders, steam and gas turbines. It was owned by the German conglomerate MAN SE. In 2010, MAN Turbo and MAN Diesel were merged to f ...

AG, Switzerland *

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is a Japanese multinational engineering, electrical equipment and electronics corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. MHI is one of the core companies of the Mitsubishi Group and its automobile division is the predecessor of Mitsubishi Mo ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

* MTU,

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

Siemens Siemens AG ( ) is a German multinational conglomerate corporation and the largest industrial manufacturing company in Europe headquartered in Munich with branch offices abroad. The principal divisions of the corporation are ''Industry'', '' ...

, US, Germany * Swisselectric Research, Switzerland *

Toshiba , commonly known as Toshiba and stylized as TOSHIBA, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Its diversified products and services include power, industrial and social infrastructure system ...

, Japan

References

External links