Kaplan turbines: the history and future prospects

The prototype of the Kaplan turbine was developed in 1912. Despite the fact that the first installation of a Kaplan machine was affected by technical and commercial issues, it became one of the most frequently used types of turbines, and has been installed thousands of times since the patent was granted 99 years ago. This paper will explore the original development of the Kaplan turbine, as well as state-of-the-art technology used at recent installations in the Czech Republic.