PELTON WHEEL (TURBINE)

The Pelton Wheel is an impulse turbine with tangential flow (the water hits its wheel at a tangent). It is good for applications with high pressure (head) and low flow. It has a large wheel or ‘runner’ that has ‘buckets’ (turbine blades) that absorb the energy in the water. The buckets are in pairs to correctly balance the wheel and to work efficiently.

The Pelton Wheel has a variable spear jet at its inlet. This allows students to understand the effect of changing the velocity of the water that hits the buckets. A clear viewing window on the side of the turbine allows students to see how the turbine works.