158 Mr J. G. Stuart on the Turbine Water-Wheel. 



mitted to make the wheel in France, to bring it here, and to 

 fit it up at my works, all at my sole expense ; and as this, I 

 calculated, would cost me nearly double of what it could be 

 done for on the spot, I was under the necessity of breaking 

 off the negotiation. I then resolved to execute the whole 

 myself, availing myself of the valuable assistance of Profes- 

 sor Gordon, and his partner Mr Hill, so far as the calcula- 

 tions of size, speed, &c., were involved. 



The fundamental principle upon which the construction of 

 the turbine is based, is that by which the maximum of useful 

 effect i» obtained from a given fall of water, depending upon 

 the relative velocity of the water and its recipient, which 

 ought to be such that the water enters the wheel without 

 shock, and quits it again without velocity. A notion of its 

 construction may readily be formed, by supposing an ordi- 

 nary water-wheel laid on its side, wrought at the bottom of 

 the fall, and the water being made to enter from the interior 

 of the wheel by the inner circumference of the crown, flowing 

 along the buckets, and escaping at the outer circumference. 

 The turbine consists essentially of, 1, a reservoir, the bottom 

 of which is divided into radial compartments, by covered 

 plates, serving to guide the water to take a particular direc- 

 tion of efflux ; 2, a cylindrical sluice, capable of nicety of ad- 

 justment ; 3, the wheel itself, a disc with covered buckets, in- 

 to which, when the sluice is raised, the water enters at every 

 point of the inner circumference, and escapes at every point 

 of the outer circumference. 



It will be readily seen, that the effective power of the 

 wheel must depend greatly upon the curvature of the fixed 

 partitions and buckets being such as to realize the philoso- 

 phical principle of its construction, viz., that the water enters 

 it without shock, and quits it again without velocity. This 

 is^ no doubt, a delicate problem, but practically, it has been 

 completely solved. 



My works at Balgonie are situate on the river Leven, and 

 have right to the use of the whole water contained in it. The 

 river issues from Lochleven ; the discharge is there regu- 

 lated by sluices, so as to afford, as nearly as possible, during 

 the whole year, a regular flow of about 6000 cubic feet per 



