Steam Turbines
The invention of the water turbine was so successful that eventually, the idea came about
for extracting power from steam. Steam has one great advantage over water-it expands in
volume with tremendous velocity. To be the most effective, a steam turbine must run at a very
high speed. No wheel made can revolve at any speed approaching the velocity that a steam
turbine can. By utilizing the kinetic energy of steam flow, the turbine could achieve a higher
efficiency. As a result, the steam turbine has supplanted the reciprocating engine as a prime
mover in large electricit…