Energy & Industry / Energy

Steam Turbine

Parsons' steam turbine (1884) spins fast and smooth, driving generators and ships far more efficiently than piston engines.

Charles Parsons built a compound steam turbine and coupled it to a generator in 1884; in 1897 his Turbinia reached about 34 knots. At large sizes turbines are lighter, smoother and more efficient than piston engines, so they took over power stations and warships. Coal, gas and nuclear plants still mostly work by boiling water to spin a turbine.