Significance of the scientific research of Nicolae Vasilescu Karpen

96 Pages·2006·26.79 MB·English

by  Andrei Nicolaide

Andrei Nicolaide
Significance of the scientific
research of ·
- NICOLAE VASILESCU KARPEN
AGIR Publishing House ~
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SIGNIFICANCE OF THE SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
OF NICOLAE VASILESCU KARPEN
HISTORI.CAL LANDMARKS
SERIES
Prof. dr.şt. Andrei NICOLAIDE
SEMNIFICAŢIA CERCETĂRILOR ŞTIINŢIFICE
ALE LUI NICOLAE VASILESCU KARPEN
Seria REPERE ISTORICE
Editura AGIR
Bucureşti, 2006
Lucrare editată cu sprijinul
AUTORITĂŢII NAŢIONALE PENTRU CERCETARE ŞTIINŢIFICĂ
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ANDREI NICOLAIDE, Prof. D.Sc.
Member ofthe Academy ofTechnical Sciences in Remania
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
of
NICOLAE VASILESCU KARPEN
( 1870-1964)
AGIR Publishing House
Bucharest, 2006
THE GENERAL ASSOCIATION OF ENGfNEERS fN ROMAN[A
© Editura AGIR, 2006
Editura AGIR
(AGIR Publishing House)
Calea Victoriei, nr.118, sector I,
010093 Bucureşti, România
Tel./Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [email protected]
Descrierea ClP a Bibliotecii Naţionale a României
NlCOLAIDE, A.
Significancc of thc scicntific rcscarch of Vasilescu
Karpcn: (1870-1964) / A. Nicolaide. -Bucureşti: Editura
A.G.J.R.
53(498) Vasilescu Karpen,N.
929 Vasilescu Karpen,N.
Editorial Assistant: eng. Dan BOGDAN
Cover: eng. Ion MARIN
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PREFACE
The present book is devoted to the life and achievements of an important
Romanian scientist Nicolae VASILESCU KARPEN. A short biography highlighting
the most important stages of bis life is followed by a thorough analysis of his
scientific contribution. The aim is not only a remembrance of his activity, but also
an analysis attempting to emphasize the relation between his contribution and the
actual state of science in the concemed domains. N. Vasilescu Karpen had a
multifarious activity, however his major contributions concern two domains,
namely Electrodynamics and Electrochernistry.
Conceming Electrodynamics, he studied convection electric currents. The
experimental verification of the magnetic effect of convection currents is the resuit
of studies and experimental research of many remarkable scientists, but
N. Vasilescu Karpen bas the merit of having established the final results with high
precision, superior to the former experiments, and of having removed the doubts
which existed at that time.
Conceming Electrochemistry, he studied the operation of electric cells, and
developed a new theory of their operation. This study Ied him to establish a new
type of cells, which he named K cells. The K cells produce electric energy without
any traceable chemical reactions, except oxidation-reduction reactions, but the
delivered power is small.
In order to realize the importance of his contributions, we shall present bis research
including bis derivations, as concisely and clearly as possible, and then, we shall
analyse anew the problems using the methods used at present. In this manner, some
interesting situations could be highlighted. We shall give only the following example.
In order to explain the operation of electric cells, the theory proposed by
N. Vasilescu Karpen offers a suggestive description of the phenomena, which lead
to the appearance of the electromotive force. In this theory, he proposed to consider
in the electrolyte solution of the cells, not only the presence of positive and
negative ions, but also, that of free electrons, especially in the neighbourhood of
the electrodes. At that time, no theory considered the presence of electrons in the
solution. The theory ofN. Vasilescu Karpen was published between the years 1923
and 1944, as he progressed in his research. The presence of electrons in solution
was experimentally proved much latcr, in 1958. Fmther, the theory of solvation
was developed, hence bringing an argument in favour of bis theory.
6 Preface
The theory of N. Vasilescu Karpen allows explaining the operation of various
types of cells including alsa the K cells, operation that could not be satisfactorily
explained by the theories known previously.
It is wo11h noting that his experiments conceming the operation of cells with
unalterable electrodes led Vasilescu Karpen to the experimental development of the
world-wide first cell with dissolved liquid fuel.
According to the reasons above, the present book has faur parts. The first one
contains the biographic data; the second one, his conh·ibution to the Electrodynamics
of electrified bodies in motion; the third one, his contribution to Electrochemistry;
and the fourth one, some other contributions in various domains. For an easy
understanding of the content of the present book, the Intemational System of units
of measure, SI, and the symbols accepted at present have been used.
We remade the original involved calculations, and we have carried out their
treatment with improved precision using the contemporary methods.
The author wishes to thank Professor Florin Teodor Tănăsescu, Secretary general
of the Academy of Technical Sciences in Romania, for his recornmendation to write
this book and for his support. At the same time, the author wishes to thank
professors: Toma Dordea and Alexandru Timotin, members of the Romanian
Academy; Augustin Moraru, from the Polytechnica University of Bucharest;
Ovidiu Gh. Drăgănescu, from the University of Craiova, for their support.
Several photographs illustrating this book have been kindly provided by:
Gabriel Braru, from. Craiova; Vasile C. Diaconescu, director of the Museum of the
Polytechnica University of Bucharest; Nicolae Diaconescu, director ofthe National
Technical Museum Dimitrie Leonida from Bucharest; The Nobel Foundation;
Pierre -Edouard Bour, from the Laboratoires de Philosophie et d'Histoire des
Sciences - Archives Henri Poincare, CNRS Nancy - Universite, whom the author
expresses his thanks.
Finally, the author should like to gratefully thank Professor Michel Poloujadoff,
from the University Pierre et Marie Curie (Paris VI), for having carefully read the
manuscript and written the Foreword of this book.
The book is addressed to all readers interested in the History of science,
Electrodynamics, and Electrochemistry.
Andrei Nicolaide
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FOREWORD
by Michel POLOUJADOFF
Professor emeritus at the University Pierre et Marie CURIE (Paris VI),
Doctor honoris causa ofthe Polytechnic University ofBucharest,
Honorary Member oftl'le Academy ofTechnical Sciences in Romania.
Indeed,
Nicolae Vasilescu Karpen was a great servant of bis country, Romania, and a
great servant of Science. That is why Professor Nicolaide wished to devote to him
this truly beautiful book. Such homage is quite necessary, since, if the scientists do
not honour their most eminent representatives, they leave the opportunity open to
mediocrities to push themselves forward and occupy the whole scene.
The book is conceived as a didactic work of physics, revisiting the ideas of a
master, giving them a more modern form, and enlightening their reason. This
expose, written from a great distance in time, appears to me as being quite faithful.
But let me allow seeing in it especially one fact: an important document for
understanding the history of our science and of our technology.
The remarkable achievements of N. Vasilescu Karpen concern especially
two domains: Electrodynamics and Electrochemistry. At first, I shall refer to the
former domain.
I have been very astonished indeed, as many readers will be, to learn that in
1904, it was yet possible to defend a thesis on the experiment ofthe Rowland disc,
although it was twenty-eight years old at the time. Anyway, we can irnmediately
realize that the panel was perfectly entitled to judge of the actuality and the
pertinence of the subject; indeed, that panel included two members on the eve of
being awarded the Nobel Prize (Moissan was awarded it in 1906, and Lippmann in
1908), and one member over any prize: Henri Poincare. I am therefore very
grateful to Professor Nicolaide for explaining completely and clearly how the
subject evolved over twenty-five years, which were the difficulties that remained to
be solved, and why, consequently, the thesis was quite opportune. In the mean
time, however, the quantum mechanics had already been conceived by Planck, and
was to be developed in the spirit of Einstein. We derive from this chronology a
splendid example of the history of science and technology, where we often see a
page being written, while the preceding page has not been finished yet.
Now, let us proceed to the latter of the domains mentioned above, namely,
Electrochemistry. N. Vasilescu Karpen carried out thorough research on the
8 Foreword
electrolyse phenomenon and electric cells. He established a new theory of electric
cells, permitting the explanation of phenomena, which the previous theories could
not explain. At the same time, he achieved a new type of cells that he called K
cells. These cells with unalterable electrodes have presented the interesting
property of delivering electric cun-ent, without any detectable chernical reaction,
except the oxidation-reduction reactions on the electrodes. But much more
important than the study of these cells, is the fact, that while trying to improve their
properties, N. Vasilescu Karpen invented, achieved aud experimentally tested the
first combustion cell with dissolved liquid fuel, which, as is known, has since had a
wide development.
Another element to which we have to assign a great importance in assessing
N. Vasilescu Karpen is that attending advanced studies, and even more, writing a
thesis, were extremely rare steps at the beginning of the 20th century. The
exarnination of the thesis of N. Vasilescu Karpen reveals to us the list of professors
of the Faculty of Science of Paris, at the moment of the approval of the defence of
the thesis: they were thirty ! ! By way of example, there were just one hundred in
1955, and there are more than one thousand at present in all Paris Universities.
N. Vasilescu Karpen belongs to a group of men that had the immense privilege
of witnessing to an unbelievable explosion of the initial knowledge of our actual
civilisation. Born in 1870, in a wealthy farnily, between the invention of the
Gramme commutator (1869), and the drum winding (1871), we can imagine the
life that he could have led in his youth, thanks to the memories of childhood of his
contemporary Marcel Proust, and that he devoted to his instruction. We know also
the life of the poor people of the same time, through the works of Emile Zola,
Victor Hugo, and others. Born just before the apparition of « White Coal »,
N. Vasilescu Karpen lived to observe the building of the first nuclear plants.
Now, a question has to be posed : what have we done by the example set by
N. Vasilescu Karpen? Despite the perfidious insinuations of many politicians, our
contemporaries make every year, revolutionary progress, in the knowledge of
matter, living or inert, as the list of Nobel Prizes winners attests. We do not realize
it, because we are now accustomed to miracles. And we realize even less the
impact of fundamental discoveries on industrial production.
May the outstanding history of this great scientist take us to a wiser, more
rational thinking.
And thanks to the author of this work, for having given us the opportunity of
such considerations.
Paris, on the 2 J5' ofF ebruary 2006.
Mic/iei Poloujadoff.
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