William Froude

William Froude
William Froude
Born28 November 1810
Devon, England
Died4 May 1879 (1879-05-05) (aged 68)
NationalityEnglish
EducationWestminster School
SpouseCatherine Henrietta Elizabeth Holdsworth
ChildrenRobert Edmund Froude, Eliza Margaret Froude
Parent(s)Robert Froude, Margaret Spedding
Engineering career
DisciplineHydrodynamics
InstitutionsAdmiralty Experiment Works
ProjectsFirst ship test tank
Significant designWater brake dynamometer
Significant advanceHydrodynamics, Froude number, blade element theory
AwardsRoyal Medal (1876)

William Froude (/frd/; 28 November 1810 – 4 May 1879) was an English engineer, hydrodynamicist and naval architect. He was the first to formulate reliable laws for the resistance that water offers to ships (such as the hull speed equation) and for predicting their stability.