Pelton, Lester Allan
Published: August 21, 2008, 9:01 pm
Updated: August 21, 2008, 9:01 pm
This article has been reviewed by the following Topic Editor:
Peter Saundry
The Pelton Wheel
Lester Allan Pelton (1829-1908), an American inventor who created the impulse water turbine, key to the commercial development of hydroelectric power. The Pelton wheel introduced an entirely new physical concept to water turbine design—impulse as opposed to reaction. In Pelton’s impulse wheel, water pressure is turned into kinetic energy by pushing the water through a nozzle. The resulting water jet impacts the curved turbine blades, reversing the water's flow and causing the runner to spin. This proved to be a more effective design for converting the energy in water flow to useful work than previous convertors. The impulse turbine was especially well-adapted for high head sites. The first Pelton wheel was used at the Mayflower Mine in Nevada City, California in 1878. In 1887, a miner attached Pelton's wheel to a dynamo and produced the first hydroelectric power in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California.
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Citation
Cutler J. Cleveland (Lead Author);Peter Saundry (Topic Editor) "Pelton, Lester Allan". In: Encyclopedia of Earth. Eds. Cutler J. Cleveland (Washington, D.C.: Environmental Information Coalition, National Council for Science and the Environment). [First published in the Encyclopedia of Earth August 21, 2008; Last revised Date August 21, 2008; Retrieved June 19, 2013 <http://www.eoearth.org/article/Pelton,_Lester_Allan>
The Author
Cutler J. Cleveland is Professor of Earth and Environment at Boston University, where he also is on the faculty of the Center for Energy and Environmental Studies. Professor Cleveland is Editor-in-Chief of the Encyclopedia of Energy (Elsevier, 2004), winner of an American Library Association award, the Dictionary of Energy (Elsevier, 2005), Handbook of Energy (Elsevier, forthcoming), and is the Founding Editor-in-Chief of the Encyclopedia of Earth. He is the recipient of the Adelma ... (Full Bio)
The Pelton Wheel
Lester Allan Pelton (1829-1908), an American inventor who created the impulse water turbine, key to the commercial development of hydroelectric power. The Pelton wheel introduced an entirely new physical concept to water turbine design—impulse as opposed to reaction. In Pelton’s impulse wheel, water pressure is turned into kinetic energy by pushing the water through a nozzle. The resulting water jet impacts the curved turbine blades, reversing the water's flow and causing the runner to spin. This proved to be a more effective design for converting the energy in water flow to useful work than previous convertors. The impulse turbine was especially well-adapted for high head sites. The first Pelton wheel was used at the Mayflower Mine in Nevada City, California in 1878. In 1887, a miner attached Pelton's wheel to a dynamo and produced the first hydroelectric power in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California.
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