Froude has been designing, manufacturing and supplying engine test equipment since William Froude invented the water brake dynamometer in 1877 at the request of the British Admiralty to produce a machine capable of absorbing and measuring the power of large naval engines.
The group we have today has evolved from the original business named Heenan & Froude. “Froude” originates from the renowned English engineer, William Froude (1810-1879). An Oxford University graduate, his initial experience was in railway building before he turned his attention to Naval Engineering. Isambard Kingdom Brunel was a colleague and friend who frequently consulted Froude about the design of the Great Eastern. From his extensive research on ship hulls, Froude established the Froude Number, which is still used today in the development of marine vessels as the hydrodynamic equivalent of the Mach Number. It is during this period that he invented the hydraulic (water brake) dynamometer to test engines for large naval ships. His son, Richard Froude, joined forces with Hammersley Heenan to form Heenan & Froude in 1881 and the Froude dynamometer was introduced on a commercial basis. The company gradually extended its product portfolio to include tests on ship engines, cars and aircraft.
Froude's experience spans over 145 years. The corporate headquarters and manufacturing center is based in Novi, Michigan USA, with a manufacturing and support center located in Worcester, UK. The worldwide company focuses on the design, manufacture and supply of AC dynamometers, eddy current dynamometers, hydraulic dynamometers, low & high-speed dynamometers, controllers & data acquisition software, as well as ancillary equipment.