James B. Francis
Videos
Page
James Bicheno Francis was a British-American civil engineer, who invented the Francis turbine.
The Great Gate, also known as Francis' Folly
A Francis turbine runner, rated at nearly one million hp (750 MW), being installed at the Grand Coulee Dam, United States
Francis turbine
Videos
Page
The Francis turbine is a type of water turbine. It is an inward-flow reaction turbine that combines radial and axial flow concepts. Francis turbines are the most common water turbine in use today, and can achieve over 95% efficiency.
Francis inlet scroll at the Grand Coulee Dam
Side-view cutaway of a vertical Francis turbine. Here water enters horizontally in a spiral-shaped pipe (spiral case) wrapped around the outside of the turbine's rotating runner and exits vertically down through the center of the turbine.
Pawtucket Gatehouse in Lowell, Massachusetts; site of the first Francis turbine
Francis Runner, Grand Coulee Dam