Devices and Models in the University Archives
Together with documents and written records, museum collections often end up in the University Archives.
For example, the estate of Hans Holzwarth contains numerous technical objects which were created during the research work of the honorary doctor (1927) of our university in the course of his professional activities. After studying mechanical engineering at the Technical University of Stuttgart, Hans Holzwarth (1877 - 1953) devoted his professional life entirely to the explosion gas turbine he developed which still operated without a turbo compressor. Its principle: The fuel gas was ignited in closed chambers and then flowed onto the blades of the turbine wheel. Limited by the properties of the materials used at the time, this was initially the realistic possibility of constructing gas turbines with appreciable efficiency which then also proved themselves in industrial practice. Until the end of the Second World War, a number of Holzwarth gas turbines were built, tested and also put into permanent operation. Thereafter, axial-flow gas turbines with turbo compressors became established in industrial practice due to their higher energy yield.
Contact:
Dr. Helen Wiedmaier
Stuttgart University Archives
