Pelton Wheel
From ETHW
In 1880, Lester Allan Pelton patented the Pelton Wheel, an impulse turbine which draws energy from moving water. Previous impulse turbines were extremely inefficient; the Pelton Wheel is able to extract nearly all of the energy from a moving water stream and is still the preferred turbine for hydroelectric power generation in cases where the water source has a high hydraulic head and low flow.