axial-flow turbine

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Last updated

June 18, 2026

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An axial-flow turbine is a type of turbine where the fluid or gas flows parallel to the axis of the machine. In these turbines, the driving forces are generated by the reaction of an accelerating fluid flow within the runner, causing a drop in pressure.12

Axial-flow machines, such as propeller-type turbines, are often used for large units with low heads of water. The runner of a propeller turbine resembles a ship's propeller but functions in reverse, extracting power from the fluid flow. Kaplan turbines are a variation with adjustable blades that can be swiveled to optimize performance across different flow rates and heads, thereby improving energy conversion efficiency.2

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turbine
Axial-flow machines
Fixed propeller-type turbines are generally used for large units at low heads, resulting in large diameters and slow rotational speeds. As the name suggests, a propeller-type turbine runner looks like the very large propeller of a ship except that it serves the opposite…
Read More
Fixed propeller-type turbines are generally used for large units at low heads, resulting in large diameters and slow rotational speeds. As the name suggests, a propeller-type turbine runner looks like the very large propeller of a ship except that it serves the opposite…
Read More