Pioneers
Lester Allan Pelton
United States
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Lester Allan Pelton (1829-1908) was an American inventor and millwright who developed the Pelton wheel, an impulse turbine, while working in California gold country in the late 1870s. Observing that a waterwheel running slightly out of true turned faster than one running perfectly aligned, he redesigned the wheel bucket into a split, spoon-shaped form that turns an incoming jet of water back on itself for a more complete transfer of energy, and he patented the design in 1880.
Facts
Defining ContributionDeveloped the Pelton wheel impulse turbine in California gold country in the late 1870s and patented the design in 1880, establishing the standard impulse-turbine form still used at high-head hydropower sites. 3 Cross-Tradition Connections
Sources
1. Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc.Lester A. PeltonQuote, Lester A. Pelton
Died March 14, 1908, Oakland, California, U.S.
2. Wikipedia
Wikimedia FoundationLester Allan Pelton, openingQuote, Lester Allan Pelton, opening
Lester Allan Pelton (September 5, 1829 - March 14, 1908) was an American inventor who contributed significantly to the development of hydroelectricity and hydropower.
3. United States Department of Energy Official Site
US Department of EnergyWater Power Technologies Office, Types of Hydropower TurbinesQuote, Water Power Technologies Office, Types of Hydropower Turbines
The Pelton wheel is an impulse turbine developed in the late 1870s by American inventor Lester Allan Pelton, who patented his design in 1880.
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