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How does a turbine work?

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Quick answer

A turbine works by letting a moving fluid — wind, water, steam, or hot gas — push against angled blades mounted on a shaft. The flow spins the blades, the shaft turns, and that rotation is used to generate electricity or drive machinery.

Step by step

  1. A fluid such as steam, water, wind, or combustion gas flows over curved blades shaped to capture its energy.
  2. The blades convert the fluid's kinetic or pressure energy into rotation of a central shaft.
  3. The spinning shaft drives a generator or other machinery to produce useful power.
  4. Most power plants boil water into steam to spin turbines — only the heat source (coal, gas, nuclear) differs.

People also ask

How does a turbine generate electricity?
Its spinning shaft turns a generator, where rotating magnets induce an electric current in coils of wire.
Do most power plants use turbines?
Yes. Coal, gas, and nuclear plants mostly boil water into steam that spins a turbine — they differ mainly in how they make the heat.
How is a turbine different from a piston engine?
A turbine spins continuously from steadily flowing fluid, while a piston engine produces power in repeated discrete strokes.

Part of the guide: Energy & Electricity at Home →