George H. Bryan
Encyclopedia
George Hartley Bryan FRS
(1 March 1864 – 13 October 1928), generally referred to in the technical literature as G. H. Bryan, was a professor at University College
, Bangor, Wales
who is generally credited with developing the modern mathematical treatment of the motion of airplanes in flight as rigid bodies with six degrees of freedom. Aside from minor differences in notation, Bryan's 1911 equations are the same as those used today to evaluate modern aircraft. (Perhaps surprisingly, Bryan's equations - published just eight years after the first aircraft flew - are most accurate when applied to supersonic
jets.) In evaluating aircraft mathematically, Bryan focused on issues of aerodynamic stability
rather than on control; stability and control of an aircraft tend to lie on opposite ends of the same spectrum. Bryan's aeronautic results were an extension of his earlier work in fluid dynamics
. In 1888, Bryan developed mathematical models for fluid pressures within a pipe and for external buckling pressures. These models are still used today.
In 1890, Bryan discovered the so-called "wave inertia effect" in axi-symmetric thin elastic shells. This effect is the theoretical basis for modern solid-state gyroscopy using "wine-glass" resonators, which were elaborated by Dr. David D. Lynch, at al almost a century after Bryan's original discovery. These novel, precise sensors are now developed in the United States, Ukraine, Russia, France, South Africa, and China. They are used for satellite guidance systems, among other applications.
He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in June, 1895.
Bryan's seismologic studies of Coriolis effect
s in massive liquid spheres have received experimental confirmation from data collected by seismologic stations set up to detect nuclear explosions in the aftermath of World War II, as well as from seismographic data from the Great Chilean Earthquake of 1960.
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
(1 March 1864 – 13 October 1928), generally referred to in the technical literature as G. H. Bryan, was a professor at University College
Bangor University
Bangor University is a university based in the city of Bangor in the county of Gwynedd in North Wales-United Kingdom.It was officially known for most of its history as the University College of North Wales...
, Bangor, Wales
Bangor, Wales
Bangor is a city in Gwynedd, north west Wales, and one of the smallest cities in Britain. It is a university city with a population of 13,725 at the 2001 census, not including around 10,000 students at Bangor University. Including nearby Menai Bridge on Anglesey, which does not however form part of...
who is generally credited with developing the modern mathematical treatment of the motion of airplanes in flight as rigid bodies with six degrees of freedom. Aside from minor differences in notation, Bryan's 1911 equations are the same as those used today to evaluate modern aircraft. (Perhaps surprisingly, Bryan's equations - published just eight years after the first aircraft flew - are most accurate when applied to supersonic
Supersonic
Supersonic speed is a rate of travel of an object that exceeds the speed of sound . For objects traveling in dry air of a temperature of 20 °C this speed is approximately 343 m/s, 1,125 ft/s, 768 mph or 1,235 km/h. Speeds greater than five times the speed of sound are often...
jets.) In evaluating aircraft mathematically, Bryan focused on issues of aerodynamic stability
Aerodynamic center
The torques or moments acting on an airfoil moving through a fluid can be accounted for by the net lift applied at some point on the foil, and a separate net pitching moment about that point whose magnitude varies with the choice of where the lift is chosen to be applied...
rather than on control; stability and control of an aircraft tend to lie on opposite ends of the same spectrum. Bryan's aeronautic results were an extension of his earlier work in fluid dynamics
Fluid dynamics
In physics, fluid dynamics is a sub-discipline of fluid mechanics that deals with fluid flow—the natural science of fluids in motion. It has several subdisciplines itself, including aerodynamics and hydrodynamics...
. In 1888, Bryan developed mathematical models for fluid pressures within a pipe and for external buckling pressures. These models are still used today.
In 1890, Bryan discovered the so-called "wave inertia effect" in axi-symmetric thin elastic shells. This effect is the theoretical basis for modern solid-state gyroscopy using "wine-glass" resonators, which were elaborated by Dr. David D. Lynch, at al almost a century after Bryan's original discovery. These novel, precise sensors are now developed in the United States, Ukraine, Russia, France, South Africa, and China. They are used for satellite guidance systems, among other applications.
He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in June, 1895.
Bryan's seismologic studies of Coriolis effect
Coriolis effect
In physics, the Coriolis effect is a deflection of moving objects when they are viewed in a rotating reference frame. In a reference frame with clockwise rotation, the deflection is to the left of the motion of the object; in one with counter-clockwise rotation, the deflection is to the right...
s in massive liquid spheres have received experimental confirmation from data collected by seismologic stations set up to detect nuclear explosions in the aftermath of World War II, as well as from seismographic data from the Great Chilean Earthquake of 1960.