mixed-flow turbine

machine

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

June 30, 2026

Quick Summary

A mixed-flow turbine is a type of reaction turbine that combines axial and radial flow. In these turbines, water enters radially inward and discharges axially. This design allows them to operate efficiently over a wide range of heads and flow rates, making them suitable for various hydraulic conditions.12

Francis turbines are a common example of mixed-flow turbines, widely used for heads ranging from three to 600 meters. They are particularly effective in the medium-head range of 120 to 300 meters. These turbines can have either horizontal or vertical shafts and feature spiral inlet casings with adjustable gates to control water flow.21

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

4 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

turbine
Mixed-flow turbines
Francis turbines are probably used most extensively because of their wider range of suitable heads, characteristically from three to 600 metres. At the high-head range, the flow rate and the output must be large; otherwise the runner becomes too small for reasonable fabrication.…
Read More
Francis turbines are probably used most extensively because of their wider range of suitable heads, characteristically from three to 600 metres. At the high-head range, the flow rate and the output must be large; otherwise the runner becomes too small for reasonable fabrication.…
Read More