The Kaplan turbine is a propeller-type hydropower turbine whose blades and wicket gates are both adjustable, which the U.S. Department of Energy credits with allowing a wider range of operation than a fixed-blade design. Water spirals through the adjustable gates onto the propeller-shaped runner, recovering energy from both the site's head and the water's own motion, which is why Kaplan turbines suit the low-head, high-flow rivers where a Pelton wheel would be the wrong tool entirely. It was developed in 1913 by the Austrian professor Viktor Kaplan, who combined the adjustable blades with adjustable wicket gates specifically to hold efficiency across a wide range of flow and water level.
Facts
Classification
MaturityTRL 9: Actual System Proven in Operational Environment 1 Technology Type Invented Year Connections
Associated With
Developed By
Source United States Department of Energy Official Site
Uses Source
Source United States Department of Energy Official Site
Sources
1. Kaplan turbine - Wikipedia
Technology maturity, Wikipedia introduction extract fetched 2026-09-25Quote, Technology maturity, Wikipedia introduction extract fetched 2026-09-25
Kaplan turbines are now widely used throughout the world in high-flow, low-head power production.
2. United States Department of Energy Official Site
US Department of EnergyTypes of Hydropower Turbines
Both the blades and the wicket gates are adjustable, allowing for a wider range of operation.
- Developed By: Viktor Kaplan, Water Power Technologies Office, Types of Hydropower Turbines
View the Source 3. Wikipedia
Wikimedia FoundationKaplan turbine, developmentQuote, Kaplan turbine, development
It was developed in 1913 by Austrian professor Viktor Kaplan, who combined automatically adjusted propeller blades with automatically adjusted wicket gates to achieve efficiency over a wide range of flow and water level.
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