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After discovery of gold in Califor- various types of buckets. He spent experiments had failed. Another
nia, the mining industry flour- the following two years testing version, as experiments were
ished. Related industries also thirty to forty different bucket being made, a wheel being tested
grew, such as: stampmills, crush- designs. Close examination became off-centered on the shaft
ers, logging operations, saw mills; showed water splashing back causing the water to impinge on
there were blacksmith shops, against the next bucket impeding one-half of the bucket and deflect
machine shops and foundries. it. Many experiments were made to one side. This resulted in
Water was the main source of to overcome this problem. increased speed of the wheel. This
power. also caused an end thrust to one
Different stories have been told bearing. To eliminate the new
Water wheels of various types how Pelton solved the impeding problem, Pelton then alternated
were used, some more efficient problem. One as told by his friend, the buckets as shown by his sketch
than others. Crude jets were used Jim Hutchinson, while Pelton was Figure 12 the next step was obvi-
to increase the power and speed of visiting a neighbor and shooting ous, the buckets were joined and
the wheel. Later, new nozzles the breeze. His neighbor used a centered to split the steam as
were made of brass utilizing a garden hose to drive a stray cow shown by his sketch 13. The tests
higher head of water. Changes in away. He noticed the steam of of the joined buckets were so
bucket designs brought the effi- water coming from the hose hit the surprising that Pelton took
ciency of the wheel to steps to obtain his patent.
approximately 40 per- With the help of James H.
cent. The equipment in Hutchinson, an employee of
the mines were increas- Allen Foundry, the wheel
ing in size and demanded was perfected and became a
more power, and soon huge success.
found the wheel was
inadequate as a power Business began to boom at
source. the Allen Foundry, later
known as the Miner’s
During this period, Foundry and Supply Com-
Lester A. Pelton of pany, which became over
Camptonville, Yuba burdened with orders, that
County, California, a were coming from every-
carpenter and a mill- where. Transportation was
wright familiar with also becoming a problem.
PIGS. 11, 12, 13 PELTON’S SKETCHES
water wheels and the
overshot and undershot Pelton went to San Francisco
methods of driving them, and worked an arrangement
began looking for another way to cow directly on the sharp bone of with Brayton, one of the owners of
increase their speed and power. its nose. The water divided as it Rankine, Brayton and Company
struck, half to one side and half to machine shop, and organized the
In early 1878 he obtained the the other side and none deflected Pelton Water Wheel Company.
necessary equipment to test the back. He then realized why his
PELTON WATER WHEEL
WORLDS LARGEST
TANGENTIAL WATER WHEEL
The North Star Mining Company at a maximum of 120 revolutions However, this wheel was short
had acquired additional mining per minute, and not raise the air lived. More air was needed as
properties and realized the need pressure above 105 psi. more machinery was added. The
for more power to work the Board of Directors authorized an
additional area. After some inves- Foot calculated that a wheel of a enlargement of the plant.
tigation and studies, the decision 30-foot diameter was also practi-
was made to develop a com- cal but was unable to convince the Experience at the plant confirmed
pressed air plant. Pelton people, so the 18-foot 6- Foote’s earlier thinking and the
inch wheel was built (Figure 1). new 30-foot diameter wheel was
On May 4, 1895, a contract was The pit where the wheel operated constructed. It became the largest
signed with Fulton Engineering still exists in the museum. in the world.
and Shipbuilding Works of San
Francisco. This provided for the Edward S. Cobb, mechanical The water wheel was built by
manufacturer of a water wheel engineer of San Francisco, de- Cobb and Hesselmeyer of San
with the choice of either the signed the wheel which was Francisco. The construction of the
Knight, a competitor, who also delivered to be the largest tangen- wheel was similar to the 18-foot
designed water wheels, or the tial wheel ever made. There were 6-inch wheel built by the Pelton
Pelton water wheel. The Pelton 64 buckets attached to the rim. Company. It is constructed of
people had con- steel except of
cerns about a wheel cast iron, and the
larger than fifteen Risdon patented
feet in diameter. buckets, which
were made of
Further studies by bronze. Later, the
A.D. Foote, a civil buckets were
engineer, hired to replaced with cast
design and con- iron. (Pelton
struct the plant, buckets are
E.S. Cobb, E. A. presently on the
Rix and the Pelton
wheel). The
Company deter-
normal speed of
mined that a wheel
with a maximum the wheel is 65
diameter of 18 feet rpm, with pressure
6 inches could be of 350 psi and a
safely operated. single jet of
The Pelton Com- 1 ¾ inches in
pany guaranteed an diameter which
efficiency of 85 can produce 1000
percent at full load, horsepower. This
an average of 75 wheel is in its
percent from half to original position,
full load of theo- less the com-
retical power of pressor and related
water, to govern the Figure 1
equipment.
speed of the wheel
PELTON WATER WHEEL
LESTER A. PELTON
(1829-1908)
The Pelton wheel uses the momentum of a water jet impinging on buckets
attached to the periphery of a wheel to produce power. It is a development
of the primitive, so called “hurdy gurdy” wheel used in the California gold
fields in the nineteenth century. Various inventors contributed to this
type of water turbine, including Lester A. Pelton (1831 - 1908), who in 1880
patented the characteristic split bucket form. Subsequent important
contributions to the Pelton-wheel technology were made by W.A. Doble.
This collection illustrates the origins and the development of the Pelton
Water Wheel.
The ASME History and Heritage Recognition Program began in 1971 as part of the Society’s
effort to note, document and acknowledge mechanical engineering achievements of particular
significance.
The National History and Heritage Committee includes mechanical engineers, historians of
technology and the immediate past curator of mechanical and civil engineering of the
Smithsonian Institution.
An ASME Landmark represents a step in the evolution of mechanical engineering and reflects its
influence on society here and abroad. This landmark is one of many throughout the world that are
a part of our engineering technical heritage.
The Pelton Water Wheel Collection is the third Collection to be recognized by ASME. In addi-
tion, 34 international, 12 regional and 100 national landmarks and sites have been recognized.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
“The Pelton Water Wheel” by W. F. Durand, Stanford University, California. Paper published in
Mechanical Engineering, Vol. 61, No. 6 and 7, June and July 1939, California State Library,
Sacramento, CA
“The Pelton Water Wheel” by Elza J. Kilroy, Vol. 15, No. 2, April 1961, Nevada County Histori-
cal Society, CA
“The North Star Power Plant” by William E. Carmen, Vol. 17 No. 4 Nevada County Historical
Society, CA
P.G. and E. Progress, Articles, P.G.&E. Co., San Francisco, CA
C. Glen Crawford, P.E., Winlock, WA, furnished some articles from his files. Carmichael Public
Library, Articles on file, Carmichael, CA
H157