Francis Turbine

Turbine · 1849

Year: 1849
Kind: Turbine
Materials: Stainless-steel runners, often over 8 m across; concrete spiral casings.
Efficiency: 90–95 %.
Used In: Most large dams, from Hoover to Itaipu to the Three Gorges.
Power Density: The bulk of the world's hydro capacity.
Cycle: None

How It Works

Water enters a spiral casing, is turned inward by guide vanes and flows through the runner radially in and axially out, dropping in pressure as it goes. A reaction turbine, running full of water under pressure — the opposite of a Pelton wheel.

Inventors

James B. Francis

Equations

Continuity Equation Bernoulli's Equation Gravitational Potential Energy Hydrostatic Pressure Hydraulic Power Angular Momentum

Elements

Iron Chromium

Referenced by

element

Chromium Iron

equation

Angular Momentum Bernoulli's Equation Continuity Equation Gravitational Potential Energy Hydraulic Power Hydrostatic Pressure

researcher

James B. Francis

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From the Machines database in Notion, last edited 2026-08-18. This page is the row, rendered by the build; nothing on it is written by hand.