= W. J. M. Rankine
{c}
{title2=1820–1872}
{wiki}
= William John Macquorn Rankine
{c}
{synonym}
<W. J. M. Rankine> was a Scottish <engineer> and <physicist> who contributed to <thermodynamics>, <classical mechanics> and the teaching of <engineering>. As professor of civil engineering and mechanics at Glasgow from 1855 to 1872, he emphasized connecting theory with practice and worked with shipbuilders on vessels and engines.<Macquorn Rankine in the University of Glasgow Story>[Biographical account: professorship, research and collaboration with shipbuilders]{ref}
The <Rankine cycle> connects his name with the analysis of <heat engines> using a working fluid that undergoes <vaporization> and <condensation>. Its idealized sequence of pumping, heating, expansion and cooling connects a practical <steam engine> to a calculation of mechanical <work> and <thermal efficiency>. The broader importance of his work lies in making quantitative physical theory part of systematic <engineering> design.
Institutional historical profile: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/media/imperial-college/faculty-of-engineering/civil/public/about/History_Plaques_Booklet.pdf[Imperial College historical plaque booklet: William John Macquorn Rankine].
\Image[https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:Redirect/file/William%20John%20Macquorn%20Rankine%20by%20Thomas%20Annan.jpg?width=250]
{title=Portrait of <William John Macquorn Rankine>}
{description=Thomas Annan, photograph made before his death in 1887; National Galleries of Scotland, PGP R 2115.24. Restoration by Adam Cuerden. Commons marks the photograph and faithful reproduction public domain, including expired U.S. copyright; https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/[Public Domain Mark]. The restoration's stated unrestricted permission requests attribution where possible.}
{source=https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:William_John_Macquorn_Rankine_by_Thomas_Annan.jpg}
{width=250}
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