Kaplan Turbine

Turbine · 1913

Year: 1913
Kind: Turbine
Materials: Stainless steel blades on an oil-filled hub with the pitch mechanism inside.
Efficiency: Over 90 % across a wide load range.
Used In: Run-of-river plants on the Danube, Rhine and Columbia.
Power Density: Suited to big, slow rivers.
Cycle: None

How It Works

A propeller in a pipe, with blades whose pitch adjusts to the flow — so it stays efficient across a wide range of river conditions. For low heads and huge volumes.

Inventors

Viktor Kaplan

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

Viktor Kaplan

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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.