KUHELJ, Anton

After completing an elementary school which K attended in his birthplace, he continued his education on high schools in Trieste and Kranj, where he graduated in 1922. Afterwards K studied electrotechnics under supervision of Milan Vidmar in Ljubljana. However, his attention during the study progressively inclined towards mechanic. He received a degree in 1927 and in 1936 completed a doctoral thesis titled stability of curved surfaces.
Since the early 1930s K was teaching on technical high school and simultaneously working as a university chancellor at University of Ljubljana. In 1938 he was appointed a senior lecturer and in 1946 a full time professor of mechanics. He was nominated a dean on technical high school in 1947/48 and in 1952/54 a rector. In 1954/65 he acted as university chancellor of the University of Ljubljana. The Slovene Academy of Sciences and Arts nominated him for its member and in 1961 he was chosen for the vice-president of the mentioned organization. In addition K received a doctorate in 1972 on faculty of mechanical engineering on the problem of rotating shaft.


As a principal of the institute for turbine machines, K always remained tightly connected with the practical work. He significantly contributed to the development of electromechanics of plates and shells. Equally important are his contributions to the development of hydromechanics of turbines and aerodynamics.
He showed an interest in static and dynamic, the fields within he occupied himself with the study of consumption of materials as a consequence of vibrations. In this respect K counts as one of the earlier researcher of the problem. K also acted as schemer and constructor. Among other things he made plans for antenna tower in Obrenovac (Serbia) as well as various turbines and airplanes. He elevated airplane construction on the scientific level. In 1934 he started with sailplane planning and in 1936 constructed his first engine drive airplane, a double sitter which he named ‘Janez’. In 1937 his one seat airplane ‘Tonček’ rose in the air and in 1940 a double sitter, military airplane for training ‘Alka’ followed. In the end of 1940s he was working as scientific associate on aviation institute in Zemun. Between 1952 and 1955 the first four seated airplane ‘LK-1’ was constructed in Yugoslavia according to K’s projects.