MÉTRAL

FRANCE (see also List of Individuals)

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12.9.1902 Lyon/F - 1.10.1962 Saint-Germain-sur-Ecole/F

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Albert Métral graduated from Ecole Polytechnique and from Ecole des Mines ENSMP, Paris. In 1925 he was appointed Lecturer at Sorbonne, Paris, where he collaborated with Paul Painlevé (1863-1933) at the chair of fluid mechanics and applications to aviation. From 1932 Métral was a professor of mechanics at Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers CNAM, a position he kept until his death. In 1940 he proceeded to the Ministry of Aviation and was appointed professor at Ecole Nationale Supérieure de l'Aéronautique ENSICA. Métral was awarded the Gold Medal from ENSMP and the Grand Medal from Institut de Transports. He was also a Commander of Légion d'Honneur. From 1948 to 1952, Métral presided over the Association des Elèves de l'Ecole des Mines in Paris, and he was also associated with the Alumni of the Ecole Polytechnique.

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Métral was known for a large number of researches in fluid dynamics. These include cavitation and corrosion of turbo-machinery, aerodynamic resistance based on a book written in collaboration with Painlevé and his colleague Mazet in 1930, possible utilization of wind power for energy production with so-called éoliennes, stabilization of airplanes, and the wing theory. His 1948 book was devoted to the Coanda effect, as introduced by Henri Coanda (1886-1972) in the early 1930s. This effect may be used in a variety of elements to deflect a fluid jet by curved boundary geometry, and currently is extensively applied in fluidics.

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_{Barbas, F. (1978). Albert-Roger Métral. Les pionniers - Période héroïque 1920-1945: 38-41.}

_{Conservatoire des Arts et Métiers: Paris.}

_{Chalvet, M. (1962). Albert R. Métral. Ingénieurs et Techniciens (159): 81. P}

_{Heudelot, C.-J. (1953). A.R. Métral Commandeur de la Légion d'Honneur. Revue Générale de Mécanique 37(10): 353-354. P}

_{Métral, A. (1928). Homogénéité et similitude en aérodynamique. Chiron: Paris.}

_{Métral, A., Zerner, F. (1948). L'effet Coanda. Publications Scientifiques et Techniques de l'Air}

_{218. SDIT: Paris.}

_{Painlevé, P.P., Métral, A., Mazet, R. (1930). Leçons sur la résistance des fluides non visqueux.}

_{SDIT: Paris.}

_{Raymond, F.H. (1994). Métral, Albert R. Les professeurs du Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers 2: 261-264, C. Fontanon, A. Grelon, eds. CNAM: Paris.}