Joseph Frizell (13 March 1832 – 4 May 1910) was an American engineer. He is notable for having independently derived the fundamental equations to describe the velocity of a

shock wave In physics, a shock wave (also spelled shockwave), or shock, is a type of propagating disturbance that moves faster than the local speed of sound in the medium. Like an ordinary wave, a shock wave carries energy and can propagate through a me ...

(

Water hammer Hydraulic shock (colloquial: water hammer; fluid hammer) is a pressure surge or wave caused when a fluid in motion, usually a liquid but sometimes also a gas is forced to stop or change direction suddenly; a momentum change. This phenomenon com ...

equations) in 1898, and for his book Water-Power published in 1901. Water-power was the first practical book on

hydraulics Hydraulics (from Greek: Υδραυλική) is a technology and applied science using engineering, chemistry, and other sciences involving the mechanical properties and use of liquids. At a very basic level, hydraulics is the liquid counte ...

in the USA. This was a major milestone in propagation of engineering knowledge in USA, as Schutze wrote ″As an hydraulic engineer, Frizell was prominent, and his book, Waterpower, filled a definitive need in the technology of that day.″ Nevertheless, Frizell's description of the Water hammer was criticized by American contemporaries and his contribution to the field is under-recognised.

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1832 births 1910 deaths American engineers {{engineering-stub