---
title: "History of water wheels and turbines"
subject: "Fluid Machines"
chapter: 1
key: "semester_5/fluid_machines:water-wheel-turbine-history"
source: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_5/fluid_machines/water-wheel-turbine-history
site: BCT Engineering
---

# History of water wheels and turbines

Fluid Machines · Chapter 1: Introduction of Turbomachime and Dynamic Action of Fluid

- Asked in: year not given, 5 marks
- Video: [Technology, History of water power (300 BC) Archimedes Screw to hydrodynamic screw 1990](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPtPNo-1cZ4) — Brian White
- Answer checked by Claude Sonnet 5.5 on 2026-10-14
- Page: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_5/fluid_machines/water-wheel-turbine-history
- Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_5/fluid_machines/chapter-1

## Question

Write short notes on the historical development of water wheels and water turbines.

## Short answer

Water wheels evolved from horizontal Norse wheels (low efficiency) to vertical undershot, breast, and overshot wheels. Smeaton's tests led to scientific design. Turbines began with Segner's reaction wheel, Euler's theory, Fourneyron's outward-flow turbine, Francis's inward-flow reaction turbine, Pelton's impulse wheel, and Kaplan's axial-flow turbine, achieving over 90% efficiency.

## Answer

Water power is one of the oldest sources of mechanical energy. The development went from simple wheels to the high-efficiency turbines used today.

#### Water wheels

- **Horizontal (Norse or Greek) wheel:** earliest form, with a vertical shaft; the stream strikes paddles directly. Low efficiency (below 15%), but no gearing needed to drive millstones.
- **Vertical wheels (Roman, about 1st century BC):** a horizontal shaft driven through gears.
  - *Undershot wheel:* water flows under the wheel, striking the lower blades. Used on low heads; efficiency about 20 to 30%.
  - *Breast wheel:* water enters at about the shaft level. Efficiency about 40 to 60%.
  - *Overshot wheel:* water falls into buckets at the top; works by weight of water. Efficiency up to 60 to 70%.
- Smeaton (1750s) tested wheels with models and showed that overshot wheels were better than undershot, starting scientific design.

#### Water turbines

| Year (approx.) | Contributor | Development |
|---|---|---|
| 1750 | Segner | Reaction wheel (Segner wheel) |
| 1754 | Euler | Theory of turbomachines, the Euler equation |
| 1827 | Fourneyron | First practical outward-flow reaction turbine |
| 1849 | James B. Francis | Inward-flow reaction turbine (Francis turbine) |
| 1880 | Lester A. Pelton | Pelton wheel with double-hemispherical buckets, for high heads |
| 1913 | Viktor Kaplan | Axial-flow turbine with adjustable runner blades, for low heads and large flows |

Later improvements include the Banki (cross-flow) turbine for small plants, draft tubes, automatic governors and better materials. Modern turbines reach efficiencies of 90 to 95%, much higher than the early wheels.

## Check yourself

The answer's key points as multiple-choice questions, with the correct option and why.

1. Which water wheel works mainly by the weight of water in buckets and has the highest efficiency?
   A. Breast wheel
   B. Overshot wheel
   C. Horizontal Norse wheel
   D. Undershot wheel
   Answer: B. The overshot wheel receives water at the top in buckets; its efficiency reaches 60 to 70%. (Key point: Overshot wheel)

2. The inward-flow reaction turbine of 1849 is credited to:
   A. James B. Francis
   B. Fourneyron
   C. Lester Pelton
   D. Viktor Kaplan
   Answer: A. James B. Francis developed the inward-flow reaction turbine in 1849. Fourneyron's was outward flow. (Key point: Francis turbine)

3. Kaplan's 1913 turbine is suited to:
   A. Low head with large flow, using adjustable runner blades
   B. High head with small flow
   C. Very high head using buckets
   D. Small plants using cross-flow
   Answer: A. The Kaplan is an axial-flow turbine with adjustable blades for low heads and large flows. (Key point: Kaplan turbine)

4. Pelton's 1880 wheel was designed for:
   A. Low heads
   B. Variable flow using adjustable blades
   C. Outward flow reaction
   D. High heads using double-hemispherical buckets
   Answer: D. The Pelton wheel with double-hemispherical buckets is for high heads. (Key point: Pelton)

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