Robert Edmund Froude CB FRS (/ˈfruːd/; 22 December 1846 – 19 March 1924) (frequently styled in publication as R. E. Froude) was an English engineer, hydrodynamicist and naval architect who described momentum theory,[1] both used in the systematic evaluation of propeller design efficiency and as components of blade element momentum theory.
Robert became assistant to his father William Froude in 1871, whose research into hydrodynamics resulted in regular commissions issued by the Admiralty.
Robert was given the position of Superintendent following his father's death in 1879, this appointment continuing when the tank division of the Experiment Works was moved to an expanded facility at Haslar.
[4] Robert Froude also furthered his father's published theoretical work, such as his description of blade element theory, in papers authored to the Royal Institution of Naval Architects.
His contributions included a description of momentum theory, methods by which quantified propeller screw geometry could be examined, the main parameters which govern the efficiency of propeller screw designs including the relationship between the propeller and the geometry of the boat's hull, and the formulae by which this data could be used to optimise designs predictively.