De Laval's patent steam turbine

De Laval's patent steam turbine, 5 bhp and accessories

This remarkable steam engine, invented and developed by Dr. C. Gustav P. de Laval, owes its success to the discovery by him, in 1889, of the fact that the velocity of the particles of an escaping jet of steam is increased by discharging through an expanding orifice, the conversion of the energy of the steam into momentum being so complete that, when applied to a form of Pelton wheel or impulse turbine, a high efficiency is obtained. Without the expanding orifice, a simple steam jet turbine is one of the earliest forms of steam engine, and very uneconomical, but by the use of many such turbines in series an efficient engine is also obtained.