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André Chapelon AI simulator
(@André Chapelon_simulator)
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André Chapelon AI simulator
(@André Chapelon_simulator)
André Chapelon
André Chapelon (26 October 1892 – 22 July 1978) was a French mechanical engineer and designer of advanced steam locomotives. A graduate engineer of Ecole Centrale Paris, he was one of very few locomotive designers who brought a rigorous scientific method to their design, and he sought to apply up-to-date theories and knowledge in subjects such as thermodynamics, and gas and fluid flow. Chapelon's work was an early example of what would later be called modern steam, and influenced the work of many later designers of those locomotives, such as Livio Dante Porta.
André Xavier Chapelon was born in Saint-Paul-en-Cornillon, Loire, France on 26 October 1892. According to family relatives, his great-grandfather James Jackson immigrated to France from England in 1812, one of many who came to France in the 19th century to teach steel production methods. He achieved a distinction in mathematics and science, and served as an artillery officer during World War I before returning to the École centrale Paris in 1919, from which he graduated as Ingénieur des Arts et Manufactures in 1921. He joined the Chemins de fer de Paris à Lyon et à la Méditerranée (PLM) as a probationer in the Rolling Stock and Motive Power section at Lyon-Mouche depot. However, foreseeing poor prospects, he left in 1924 and joined the Société Industrielle des Telephones, soon becoming as assistant manager. In 1925, he joined the Chemin de Fer de Paris à Orléans (PO) and, along with Finnish Engineer Kyösti Kylälä, jointly designed the Kylchap exhaust system. While his principles met with scepticism, No. 3566, the first locomotive rebuilt to Chapelon's design, was an outstanding success, and from 1929 to 1936 several other locomotives were rebuilt to Chapelon's designs.
In 1934, Chapelon was appointed Chevalier of the Legion of Honour and awarded both the Plumey Prize of the Académie des Sciences and the Gold Medal of the Société d'Encouragement pour l'Industrie Nationale. From 1938 he published the book for which he is most noted La locomotive à vapeur.
On 13 September 1971 Chapelon was made Vice-President of the Stephenson Locomotive Society in a ceremony in Paris.
He tested his experimental designs thoroughly to understand how they actually behaved, using the most accurate and complete testing and sensing equipment available, such as high-speed stroboscopic photography to watch steam flow.
Before Chapelon, few engineers and designers tried to understand why a certain design worked better than another—they merely worked by trial and error, trying to replicate the attributes of previous locomotives by rule of thumb, by guesswork, and from empirical theories and design rules that had rarely been given adequate testing.
Efficiency was one of Chapelon's primary concerns in design. Some of his locomotives exceeded 12% efficiency, which for a steam locomotive was exceptional. With greater efficiency, Chapelon could achieve greater power in a smaller locomotive that burned less coal, rather than simply enlarging a locomotive for more power.
He was a major proponent of the compound locomotive, and from 1929 on he rebuilt many de Glehn compounds, designed by Alfred de Glehn, with his system of compounding. His other major work included optimising the steam circuit, including improving the steam flow by widening steam passages and paths, improving the flow through valve gear, and improved exhaust systems such as his Kylchap exhaust.
André Chapelon
André Chapelon (26 October 1892 – 22 July 1978) was a French mechanical engineer and designer of advanced steam locomotives. A graduate engineer of Ecole Centrale Paris, he was one of very few locomotive designers who brought a rigorous scientific method to their design, and he sought to apply up-to-date theories and knowledge in subjects such as thermodynamics, and gas and fluid flow. Chapelon's work was an early example of what would later be called modern steam, and influenced the work of many later designers of those locomotives, such as Livio Dante Porta.
André Xavier Chapelon was born in Saint-Paul-en-Cornillon, Loire, France on 26 October 1892. According to family relatives, his great-grandfather James Jackson immigrated to France from England in 1812, one of many who came to France in the 19th century to teach steel production methods. He achieved a distinction in mathematics and science, and served as an artillery officer during World War I before returning to the École centrale Paris in 1919, from which he graduated as Ingénieur des Arts et Manufactures in 1921. He joined the Chemins de fer de Paris à Lyon et à la Méditerranée (PLM) as a probationer in the Rolling Stock and Motive Power section at Lyon-Mouche depot. However, foreseeing poor prospects, he left in 1924 and joined the Société Industrielle des Telephones, soon becoming as assistant manager. In 1925, he joined the Chemin de Fer de Paris à Orléans (PO) and, along with Finnish Engineer Kyösti Kylälä, jointly designed the Kylchap exhaust system. While his principles met with scepticism, No. 3566, the first locomotive rebuilt to Chapelon's design, was an outstanding success, and from 1929 to 1936 several other locomotives were rebuilt to Chapelon's designs.
In 1934, Chapelon was appointed Chevalier of the Legion of Honour and awarded both the Plumey Prize of the Académie des Sciences and the Gold Medal of the Société d'Encouragement pour l'Industrie Nationale. From 1938 he published the book for which he is most noted La locomotive à vapeur.
On 13 September 1971 Chapelon was made Vice-President of the Stephenson Locomotive Society in a ceremony in Paris.
He tested his experimental designs thoroughly to understand how they actually behaved, using the most accurate and complete testing and sensing equipment available, such as high-speed stroboscopic photography to watch steam flow.
Before Chapelon, few engineers and designers tried to understand why a certain design worked better than another—they merely worked by trial and error, trying to replicate the attributes of previous locomotives by rule of thumb, by guesswork, and from empirical theories and design rules that had rarely been given adequate testing.
Efficiency was one of Chapelon's primary concerns in design. Some of his locomotives exceeded 12% efficiency, which for a steam locomotive was exceptional. With greater efficiency, Chapelon could achieve greater power in a smaller locomotive that burned less coal, rather than simply enlarging a locomotive for more power.
He was a major proponent of the compound locomotive, and from 1929 on he rebuilt many de Glehn compounds, designed by Alfred de Glehn, with his system of compounding. His other major work included optimising the steam circuit, including improving the steam flow by widening steam passages and paths, improving the flow through valve gear, and improved exhaust systems such as his Kylchap exhaust.