Biography

Biography

Ernst Keppel

(1916-1981)

My father was an R&D

Engineer and Scientist.

By the time he died, in a

tragic accident in 1981,

he had left 76 international

patent rights, which significantly

advanced science in a

large variety of mechanical

technology.

His work laid foundations

that led to major technical

progress for his and future

generations.

My father taught me more

than any College or University

ever could.

He will always be

remembered.

Family and Early Life

I was born on May 10, 1948 in Blankenburg, Germany. Blankenburg, unfortunately,

was located in the part of Germany that was Soviet occupied.

World War II

At this point I want to state that the following descriptions are not meant to glorify the Nazi War Machine.

People with exceptional expertise and the ability to create new technology were ordered and forced to

apply their talents to the Nazi Regime. The only alternative was a concentration camp or a firing squad.

My father did not agree with the Nazi Regime and was hoping to continue his work as an R&D Engineer

in an environment of respect for human life and peace between nations as soon as possible.

His disagreement and disgust grew to its extreme when Adolf Hitler appeared in the

bunker in Travemuende where he and his collegues worked. Hitler approched one of

the young engineers and told him how his drawing should look like. The young man

responded by stating that this would not work - within a minute the engineer was

forced by SS officers to the door of the bunker and shot execution stile in the back

of his neck.

During World War II, as a colleague of Wernher von Braun, my father, Ernst Keppel worked on the

V-2 rocket navigation systems.

Later, at the Walter Co. in Kiel, he helped to develop a non-detectable submarine engine powered

by hydrogen peroxide (H²O²).

Utilizing this high power propellant this Submarine was in, 1944 - 1945, the fastest ever built, could

travel sumerged over 600miles without surfacing and was virtually undetectable because the exhaust

from this engine was H²O (Water).

(A few years ago it came to my attentionreported to me that Germany and

Great Britain decided to retire nuclear U-Boots for environmental protection of

the oceans and build U-Boots powered by H²O² propellant based on the technical

inventions made in 1944.)

Prisoners of War in Leningrad - Russia

In 1948, six weeks after I was born, the KGB and Russian troops, in the middle of the night surrounded

our house and took us as prisoners of war.

We traveled by train for 7 days - I almost did not survive. There was no food for me. My father jumped, under

the machine gun fire of the Russian soldiers, of the slow moving train to obtain milk from farmers for trading

his last valuables for milk.

Much later I found out about all these events. That is why I can write this story today.

The following 6 years we lived in Leningrad, constantly in fear of the KGB and had to endure the

always present threat of deportation to Siberia if the military engineering demands were not fulfilled.

All the Russian people from the general population, we met, and became friends were of outstanding kindness

and helping us to cope with any kind of difficulties, we were exposed to. - Only Stalin and the KGB were the danger.

My Father and I had great respect for Russia, its people's forgiveness concerning the war and Russia's culture.

I remember all the little young Russian boys who were my friends. Six of them practically died in front of my eyes

by playing with a German bomb which had failed to explode on earlier impact.

My Father loved to play his guitar and sing Russian folk music. That way I got aware of the beauty of Russian music

and the wonderful melodies which were all around me and now are unfortunately lost for me. I wish I could keep

the tradition.

	My early Engineering Training in Leningrad - Russia
	Click Image for more Photos

After Russia

In 1953, after Stalin's death, we were allowed to move to East Berlin. We escaped in 1954 to West Berlin,

where American agents assisted us and arranged for us to escape to West Germany.

The Great Escape from East Berlin was a very clever planed conspiracy which my father arranged through

precise timing to fool the East German Secret Service who was watching us 24/7 from a building across the street.

If we meet some day I can tell you more about this adventure - or just ask me about it.

We arrived in Cologne with just our clothing, lived for many month in a basement between bombed out houses

and I learned very early in my life what poverty and hunger means.

There are a lot more interesting and dramatic stories to tell and I could write a book about

- well, may-be, when I am retired. which will most likely never happen. I am too busy with engineering.

My father finally found employment and continued to work as an R&D engineer and we lived in a small

town, Remscheid, near Cologne.

In West Germany I went through the public education system, graduating with a high school diploma in 1966.

Military Service

In 1967, I joined the West German Air Force. Having a natural aptitude for electronics and engineering, I received

extensive training for an Air Defense System equipped with the first Main Frame Computers, manufactured

by Hughes Aircraft Company, San Diego, CA.

During the heights of the Cold War I served in the Air Force, working as a Staff Sergeant in a 600 foot underground

bunker of the NATO Strategic Air Command Europe Center as a Main Frame Computer specialist.

During this time I experienced numerous times DEFCON situations one level below a nuclear counter strike,

the third Word War and the total destruction of our planet and all people. This was nerve racking

to say the least.

Flow Regulator Patents

However, during this time, inspired by an ongoing discussion of technical design ideas with my father, I invented

a flow control device for instantaneous water heating systems. It was patented in almost every industrial country

in the world and also was integrated in faucets, shower heads and many industrial applications.

Flow Regulator Patents No. 3,847,178 & No. 4,632,791

Click to see (new Window for easy "come back")

First Commercial Ventures

In 1969, with a financial partner, I founded a company called Mannesmann + Keppel GmbH&Co. My role was

Product Development, Design Engineering, and Technical Director. We produced electronic equipment such as

audio amplifiers, etc. In 1971, our company started producing my invention, the Flow Regulator. We were

highly successful over a period of 12 years.

In his spare time, my father worked with me in developing a great variety of flow regulators for water heating

systems.

Eventually, our devices were used in almost every commercial and residential water heater on the European

market and last production number and worldwide distribution which was reported to me, even this "Discovery Patent"

had expired a long time ago was 220,000,000 units. They are still built almost idendical as I designed them 40 years ago.

We supplied custom-designed flow regulators to such corporations as Siemens, Vaillant, AEG, and

Stiebel Eltron etc. My father's untimely accidental death in 1981 was devastating to me. Working 14-hour days,

7 days a week had also taken its toll on my emotional health.

At that point, I opted to sell my half-interest in Mannesmann + Keppel and traveled to the United States

and many other countries for recovery from the emotional stress my father's death had caused.

Chicago - Relocation and Marriage

In 1982, I met Nancy Barber, a professional pianist and composer. We were married on August 25, 1983

and have lived in Chicago ever since at 1255 N. Sandburg Terrace Apt. 2610, Chicago, IL

Together we founded Belle Studios, a music production company. for the purpose of indroducing my wife's

beautiful compositions to as many people as possible around the world for their pleasure, enjoyment and relaxation

which is .now possible by free downloads over the Internet. This is about to turn my greatest dream into reality >

people can listen to musical magic which was created in concert settings without any preparation:

We call them "Spontaneous Compositions" which solely came from the Audience and the Moment in Time.

Nancy Barber

Pianist - Composer - Arranger - Performer and Teacher

As an engineer relocating in a new country, I needed to retool my skills for the American market. Beginning ,

in 1983 I worked at various technical jobs by day, while attending Devry Institute of Technology in the evenings.

Iwhere I studied Microprocessor Technology, concluding with a 4.0 out of 4.0 grade point average. During the

course of study I tutored quite a few other students, all of whom completed successfully and this helped me to

increase my knowledge.

From this time on I worked in a broad variety of fields applying my engineering skills and also

constantly keeping up with the newest technology including 2D and 3D Computer Aided Design (CAD)

The Story continues when you read my Portfolio < Click here

Chicago

Email: DKconsulting@mindspring.com

Because I have

loved life, I shall

have no sorrow

to die.

It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light.

In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.