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The descendant of 17th century French émigrés, Gustaf de Laval was born in the Swedish province of Dalecarlia (Dalarna) in 1845. Even as a child he was considered to be unusually clever and innovative. A very successful student, he received a degree in engineering and continued on to become a Ph.D.
At the time he invented the centrifugal separator in 1878, he was employed at the Kloster Works in Dalecarlia, an important industrial estate for mechanical engineering. Clearly de Laval possessed manifold technical talents, because he was able to produce a great number of inventions. Apart from the centrifugal separator and the milking machine, the steam turbine is among the best-known. As a result of these exploits he acquired an impressive reputation as both an inventor and industrialist, and through these channels he was also able to influence many other contemporary inventors.
During his lifetime, Gustaf de Laval acquired 92 Swedish patents and founded 37 companies. His inventions have survived and evolved to create work for millions. He died February 2, 1913.
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