Energy · 1827
Water turbine
Fourneyron's enclosed turbine extracts far more energy than an open wheel.
Benoit Fourneyron built a 6 hp outward-flow turbine in 1827, reaching about 80% efficiency. Turbines ran faster and smaller than wheels, powering textile mills and later every hydroelectric station.
What it built on 2
What it led to 3
Related measurements
The dashed line marks when it first worked.
Energy sources in England & Wales since 1800 Latest: 99.9 % of primary energy (2008) Source: Our World in Data
World electricity generation Latest: 31.8k TWh (2025) Source: Our World in Data