Compressible Flow Free Textbook

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E.R.G. Eckert

**Figure:** `The photo of Ernst Rudolf George Eckert with the author's family.`
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Eckert was born in 1904 in Prague, where he studied at the German Institute of Technology. During World War II, he developed methods for jet engine turbine blade cooling at a research laboratory in Prague. He emigrated to the United States after the war, and served as a consultant to the U.S. Air Force and the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics before coming to Minnesota.

Eckert developed the understanding of heat dissipation in relation to kinetic energy, especially in compressible flow. Hence, the dimensionless group has been designated as the Eckert number, which is associated with the Mach number. Schlichting suggested this dimensionless group in honor of Eckert. In addition to being named to the National Academy of Engineering in 1970, He authored more than 500 articles and received several medals for his contributions to science. His book "Introduction to the Transfer of Heat and Mass," published in 1937, is still considered a fundamental text in the field.

Eckert was an excellent mentor to many researchers (including this author), and he had a reputation for being warm and kindly. He was also a leading figure in bringing together engineering in the East and West during the Cold War years.

Next: Ascher Shapiro Up: Biographies of Major Figures Previous: Ludwig Prandtl Index

Created by:Genick Bar-Meir, Ph.D.
On: 2007-11-21