William Unwin
Encyclopedia
William Cawthorne Unwin FRS
(12 December 1838 – 17 March 1933) was a British
civil
and mechanical engineer. He is noted for his extensive work on hydraulics
and engine
s as well as his close association with William Fairbairn
. He is one of only a few men who have served as president of both the Institution of Civil Engineers
and the Institution of Mechanical Engineers
. Unwin served as an engineering advisor to the government during the First World War and was the first recipient of the Kelvin Gold Medal
awarded by the Institution of Civil Engineers.
, Essex
. He received an education from the City of London School
and studied for a year at New College
, St John’s Wood
, many of the universities being closed to him due to his congregational roots. Having finished his studies he began work for William Fairbairn
as a clerk in February 1856. Initially he worked in the Fairbairn Engineering Company testing department carrying out and documenting various structural and material tests.
In 1862 he was appointed to be works manager of the Williamson Brothers engineering works in Kendal
where he manufactured water turbine
s for use in industrial mills. He returned to Fairbairn’s as manager of the engine department in 1856, studying in his spare time to gain a bachelor of science
degree by 1861. In 1868 he lectured at the school of Marine Engineering and Naval Architecture in London
and began a series of five courses on civil engineering for Royal Engineers
officers at Brompton Barracks
in Kent
. Having finished his lectures at Brompton he was appointed to the chair
of hydraulic and mechanical engineering at the Royal Indian Engineering College
in Coopers Hill, Surrey
in 1872. He remained there for twelve years, also serving as dean
of the college.
He published Elements of Machine Design in 1877, one of his most famous articles. He also wrote the hydraulics
entry for the Encyclopædia Britannica
in 1881, an article that was much in demand by engineers of the time and resulted in that part of the Encyclopaedia being much sought after. In 1885 he was appointed professor of civil and mechanical engineering to the City and Guilds College, becoming the first professor of engineering at the University of London
when the college was incorporated in 1900, he retired from academic life in 1904. Upon his retirement, W. Ernest Dalby
replaced him in the vacated professorial chair.
Between 1890 and 1893 Unwin served as secretary of the commission to install hydroelectric power generators at Niagara Falls
for the Niagara Falls Power Company, a scheme which would result in over 75 megawatts of electricity being generated for the town of Buffalo
. He was retained by the company as a consulting engineer for the construction phase of the project. In this period he also acted as a consultant on various hydraulic schemes, including projects for the Government of Western Australia
, the New Jersey Water Company, Derwent Valley Water Board
, the Birmingham reservoirs and Lake Vyrnwy
in Powys
.
Much of Unwin’s work in the 1890s was the testing of engines and boilers initially for coal-fired steam systems
but later on internal combustion engine
s. He also investigated the tensile strength
of various alloys using the 100 ton testing equipment at the college. Between 1896 and 1900 he was a member of the Departmental Committee of the Board of Trade
investigating the loss of strength in steel rails performing many experiments on behalf of the committee.
He was elected as President of the Institution of Civil Engineers
in November 1911 and served a one year term. In 1913 he was made chairman of an Institution of Civil Engineers committee investigating the training of engineers, his professional development scheme remains an integral part of the training program. During the First World War Unwin volunteered his services to the government and served on the Gauge Committee of the Ministry of Munitions; the Metropolitan Munitions Committee and the Munitions Management Board. He served as Presidential Chair of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers
between 1915 and 1916.
In 1921 he was the first recipient of the Kelvin Gold Medal
. He was regarded by Sir Alexander Kennedy
as one of the few professors with a full knowledge of the practical aspects of the profession. Late into his life he remained dedicated to the profession, attending a discussion on impact testing hosted by the Institution of Civil Engineers when he was 82. Unwin died, unmarried, at his home in Kensington on 17 March 1933.
of the Royal Society
1886 Honorary Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects
1890 Honorary Member of the American Philosophical Society
1890 Honorary Member of the Franklin Institute
1892 President of the Engineering Section of the British Association
1894 Member of the Council of the Royal Society
1896 James Watt Memorial Lecture (topic chosen by Unwin: the life of Gustave-Adolphe Hirn
)
1905 Honorary Doctor of Laws from Edinburgh University
Honorary Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers
Honorary Member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
(12 December 1838 – 17 March 1933) was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
civil
Civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
and mechanical engineer. He is noted for his extensive work on hydraulics
Hydraulic engineering
This article is about civil engineering. For the mechanical engineering discipline see Hydraulic machineryHydraulic engineering as a sub-discipline of civil engineering is concerned with the flow and conveyance of fluids, principally water and sewage. One feature of these systems is the extensive...
and engine
Engine
An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert energy into useful mechanical motion. Heat engines, including internal combustion engines and external combustion engines burn a fuel to create heat which is then used to create motion...
s as well as his close association with William Fairbairn
William Fairbairn
Sir William Fairbairn, 1st Baronet was a Scottish civil engineer, structural engineer and shipbuilder.-Early career:...
. He is one of only a few men who have served as president of both the Institution of Civil Engineers
Institution of Civil Engineers
Founded on 2 January 1818, the Institution of Civil Engineers is an independent professional association, based in central London, representing civil engineering. Like its early membership, the majority of its current members are British engineers, but it also has members in more than 150...
and the Institution of Mechanical Engineers
Institution of Mechanical Engineers
The Institution of Mechanical Engineers is the British engineering society based in central London, representing mechanical engineering. It is licensed by the Engineering Council UK to assess candidates for inclusion on ECUK's Register of professional Engineers...
. Unwin served as an engineering advisor to the government during the First World War and was the first recipient of the Kelvin Gold Medal
Kelvin Gold Medal
The Kelvin Gold Medal is a British engineering prize.It has been given annually since 1920 for "distinguished service in the application of science to engineering". The prize is administered by the Institution of Civil Engineers . The first recipient was William Unwin....
awarded by the Institution of Civil Engineers.
Biography
William was born to the Reverend William Jordon Unwin and his wife, Eliza, at CoggeshallCoggeshall
Coggeshall is a small market town of 3,919 residents in Essex, England, situated between Colchester and Braintree on the Roman road of Stane Street , and intersected by the River Blackwater. It is known for its almost 300 listed buildings and formerly extensive antique trade...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
. He received an education from the City of London School
City of London School
The City of London School is a boys' independent day school on the banks of the River Thames in the City of London, England. It is the brother school of the City of London School for Girls and the co-educational City of London Freemen's School...
and studied for a year at New College
New College London
New College London was founded as a Congregationalist college in 1850.-Predecessor institutions:...
, St John’s Wood
St John's Wood
St John's Wood is a district of north-west London, England, in the City of Westminster, and at the north-west end of Regent's Park. It is approximately 2.5 miles north-west of Charing Cross. Once part of the Great Middlesex Forest, it was later owned by the Knights of St John of Jerusalem...
, many of the universities being closed to him due to his congregational roots. Having finished his studies he began work for William Fairbairn
William Fairbairn
Sir William Fairbairn, 1st Baronet was a Scottish civil engineer, structural engineer and shipbuilder.-Early career:...
as a clerk in February 1856. Initially he worked in the Fairbairn Engineering Company testing department carrying out and documenting various structural and material tests.
In 1862 he was appointed to be works manager of the Williamson Brothers engineering works in Kendal
Kendal
Kendal, anciently known as Kirkby in Kendal or Kirkby Kendal, is a market town and civil parish within the South Lakeland District of Cumbria, England...
where he manufactured water turbine
Water turbine
A water turbine is a rotary engine that takes energy from moving water.Water turbines were developed in the 19th century and were widely used for industrial power prior to electrical grids. Now they are mostly used for electric power generation. They harness a clean and renewable energy...
s for use in industrial mills. He returned to Fairbairn’s as manager of the engine department in 1856, studying in his spare time to gain a bachelor of science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree by 1861. In 1868 he lectured at the school of Marine Engineering and Naval Architecture in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and began a series of five courses on civil engineering for Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
officers at Brompton Barracks
Brompton, Kent
Brompton is an ancient village near Chatham, in Medway, England. Its name means 'a farmstead where broom grows´. Today Brompton is a small residential area between Chatham Dockyard and Gillingham....
in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
. Having finished his lectures at Brompton he was appointed to the chair
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of hydraulic and mechanical engineering at the Royal Indian Engineering College
Royal Indian Engineering College
The Royal Indian Engineering College was a British college of Civil Engineering founded by Sir George Tomkyns Chesney in 1870. It was intended to train engineers for the Indian Public Works department. The work of the college was transferred to India in 1906....
in Coopers Hill, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
in 1872. He remained there for twelve years, also serving as dean
Dean (education)
In academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit, or over a specific area of concern, or both...
of the college.
He published Elements of Machine Design in 1877, one of his most famous articles. He also wrote the hydraulics
Hydraulics
Hydraulics is a topic in applied science and engineering dealing with the mechanical properties of liquids. Fluid mechanics provides the theoretical foundation for hydraulics, which focuses on the engineering uses of fluid properties. In fluid power, hydraulics is used for the generation, control,...
entry for the Encyclopædia Britannica
Encyclopædia Britannica
The Encyclopædia Britannica , published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia that is available in print, as a DVD, and on the Internet. It is written and continuously updated by about 100 full-time editors and more than 4,000 expert...
in 1881, an article that was much in demand by engineers of the time and resulted in that part of the Encyclopaedia being much sought after. In 1885 he was appointed professor of civil and mechanical engineering to the City and Guilds College, becoming the first professor of engineering at the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
when the college was incorporated in 1900, he retired from academic life in 1904. Upon his retirement, W. Ernest Dalby
William Dalby (engineer)
Professor William Ernest Dalby, FRS was a British engineer.At the age of 14 he started work in the Stratford Locomotive Works of the Great Eastern Railway. In 1884 he moved to work in the Crewe Works of the London and North Western Railway as Chief Assistant in the Permanent Way Department...
replaced him in the vacated professorial chair.
Between 1890 and 1893 Unwin served as secretary of the commission to install hydroelectric power generators at Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls
The Niagara Falls, located on the Niagara River draining Lake Erie into Lake Ontario, is the collective name for the Horseshoe Falls and the adjacent American Falls along with the comparatively small Bridal Veil Falls, which combined form the highest flow rate of any waterfalls in the world and has...
for the Niagara Falls Power Company, a scheme which would result in over 75 megawatts of electricity being generated for the town of Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
. He was retained by the company as a consulting engineer for the construction phase of the project. In this period he also acted as a consultant on various hydraulic schemes, including projects for the Government of Western Australia
Government of Western Australia
The formation of the Government of Western Australia is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1890, although it has been amended many times since then...
, the New Jersey Water Company, Derwent Valley Water Board
Severn Trent
Severn Trent plc is a British public utility. It is traded on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.Severn Trent is a group of companies employing more than 15,000 people across the UK, US and mainland Europe, with some involvement in the Middle East.The main...
, the Birmingham reservoirs and Lake Vyrnwy
Lake Vyrnwy
Lake Vyrnwy Nature Reserve and Estate is an area of land in Montgomeryshire, Powys, Wales, surrounding the Victorian reservoir of Lake Vyrnwy. Its stone-built dam, built in the 1880s, was the first of its kind in the world. The Nature Reserve and the area around it are jointly managed by the Royal...
in Powys
Powys
Powys is a local-government county and preserved county in Wales.-Geography:Powys covers the historic counties of Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire, most of Brecknockshire , and a small part of Denbighshire — an area of 5,179 km², making it the largest county in Wales by land area.It is...
.
Much of Unwin’s work in the 1890s was the testing of engines and boilers initially for coal-fired steam systems
Steam engine
A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid.Steam engines are external combustion engines, where the working fluid is separate from the combustion products. Non-combustion heat sources such as solar power, nuclear power or geothermal energy may be...
but later on internal combustion engine
Internal combustion engine
The internal combustion engine is an engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer in a combustion chamber. In an internal combustion engine, the expansion of the high-temperature and high -pressure gases produced by combustion apply direct force to some component of the engine...
s. He also investigated the tensile strength
Tensile strength
Ultimate tensile strength , often shortened to tensile strength or ultimate strength, is the maximum stress that a material can withstand while being stretched or pulled before necking, which is when the specimen's cross-section starts to significantly contract...
of various alloys using the 100 ton testing equipment at the college. Between 1896 and 1900 he was a member of the Departmental Committee of the Board of Trade
Board of Trade
The Board of Trade is a committee of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom, originating as a committee of inquiry in the 17th century and evolving gradually into a government department with a diverse range of functions...
investigating the loss of strength in steel rails performing many experiments on behalf of the committee.
He was elected as President of the Institution of Civil Engineers
Institution of Civil Engineers
Founded on 2 January 1818, the Institution of Civil Engineers is an independent professional association, based in central London, representing civil engineering. Like its early membership, the majority of its current members are British engineers, but it also has members in more than 150...
in November 1911 and served a one year term. In 1913 he was made chairman of an Institution of Civil Engineers committee investigating the training of engineers, his professional development scheme remains an integral part of the training program. During the First World War Unwin volunteered his services to the government and served on the Gauge Committee of the Ministry of Munitions; the Metropolitan Munitions Committee and the Munitions Management Board. He served as Presidential Chair of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers
Institution of Mechanical Engineers
The Institution of Mechanical Engineers is the British engineering society based in central London, representing mechanical engineering. It is licensed by the Engineering Council UK to assess candidates for inclusion on ECUK's Register of professional Engineers...
between 1915 and 1916.
In 1921 he was the first recipient of the Kelvin Gold Medal
Kelvin Gold Medal
The Kelvin Gold Medal is a British engineering prize.It has been given annually since 1920 for "distinguished service in the application of science to engineering". The prize is administered by the Institution of Civil Engineers . The first recipient was William Unwin....
. He was regarded by Sir Alexander Kennedy
Alexander Kennedy
Sir Alexander Blackie William Kennedy, LLD, FRS, FRGS , better known as Alexander Kennedy, was a leading British civil and electrical engineer and academic...
as one of the few professors with a full knowledge of the practical aspects of the profession. Late into his life he remained dedicated to the profession, attending a discussion on impact testing hosted by the Institution of Civil Engineers when he was 82. Unwin died, unmarried, at his home in Kensington on 17 March 1933.
Honours
1886 FellowFellow
A fellow in the broadest sense is someone who is an equal or a comrade. The term fellow is also used to describe a person, particularly by those in the upper social classes. It is most often used in an academic context: a fellow is often part of an elite group of learned people who are awarded...
of the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
1886 Honorary Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects
Royal Institute of British Architects
The Royal Institute of British Architects is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally.-History:...
1890 Honorary Member of the American Philosophical Society
American Philosophical Society
The American Philosophical Society, founded in 1743, and located in Philadelphia, Pa., is an eminent scholarly organization of international reputation, that promotes useful knowledge in the sciences and humanities through excellence in scholarly research, professional meetings, publications,...
1890 Honorary Member of the Franklin Institute
Franklin Institute
The Franklin Institute is a museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and one of the oldest centers of science education and development in the United States, dating to 1824. The Institute also houses the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial.-History:On February 5, 1824, Samuel Vaughn Merrick and...
1892 President of the Engineering Section of the British Association
1894 Member of the Council of the Royal Society
1896 James Watt Memorial Lecture (topic chosen by Unwin: the life of Gustave-Adolphe Hirn
Gustave-Adolphe Hirn
Gustave-Adolphe Hirn was a French physicist, astronomer. mathematician and engineer who made important measurements of the mechanical equivalent of heat and contributions to the early development of thermodynamics...
)
1905 Honorary Doctor of Laws from Edinburgh University
Honorary Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers
American Society of Civil Engineers
The American Society of Civil Engineers is a professional body founded in 1852 to represent members of the civil engineering profession worldwide. It is the oldest national engineering society in the United States. ASCE's vision is to have engineers positioned as global leaders who strive toward...
Honorary Member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers
American Society of Mechanical Engineers
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers is a professional body, specifically an engineering society, focused on mechanical engineering....