Pelton Wheel
The Pelton wheel is an impulse type water turbine: extracting energy from the impulse of moving water, as opposed to water's weight. The design extracts almost all of the impulse energy, allowing for a very efficient turbine. It was invented by Lester Allan Pelton in the 1870s.
Pelton wheels are the preferred turbine for hydro-power, when the available water source has relatively high hydraulic head at low flow rates, where the Pelton wheel geometry is most suitable. Pelton wheels are made in all sizes: the largest units can be over 400 megawatts, while the smallest ones are only a few inches across.
Gallery
Pelton wheel hydro-electric turbine. Retired from service and now displayed as public sculpture at an old power station site, Barcelona
Pelton turbine in St. Anton am Arlberg
Individual paddles, seen in: Nevada City Downtown Historic District
Pelton wheel water turbine, nozzle and bucket (Rankin Kennedy, Electrical Installations, Vol III, 1903).jpgFig. 28 Nozzle and Bucket of Pelton Wheel
Sectional view of a Pelton turbine installation
Small hydro power plant
Links
- other OSE Wiki pages: Pumped Hydroelectric Storage
- Wikipedia: Pelton Wheel
- Mother Earth News (1972) "Water Power: Building a Pelton Wheel"
- "DoradoVista - Small Hydro Power Project"
- "Pelton and Turgo Turbines"