Francis turbine

About the sound

The Francis turbine is a water turbine which was developed in the USA by the engineer James B. Francis (1815-1892). It is mainly used to generate electricity through hydropower. During the era of industrialisation it was also used to drive transmission machines.
The Francis turbine heard here has been powering the wood processing machines in the Sawmill Remblinghausen since 1917. The turbine converts the potential and kinetic energy of the water that is directed through the turbine from a water reservoir into rotational energy.
A (spiral shaped) pipe leads the water through the turbine and sets the wheels (guide wheel and impeller wheel) in motion. The turbine shaft transfers the circular motion to the line shafts. The Power was distributed from the line shafts to the machinery by a flat belt system.
The inflowing water and the “humming” of the rotating wheels produce the sound of the Francis-turbine.

The Sawmill Remblinghausen is a heritage-protected building in Meschede (Germany, North Rhine-Westphalia). The oldest part of the sawmill still standing today was built in 1809. Up until its shutdown in 1983 the sawmill threshed clover and it manufactured lumber, boards, wooden wheels and wooden tools.
Today the sawmill still has its system of line shafts and belts for power transmission, which extends throughout the entire building, as well as an ensemble of historical machines from the wood processing business and threshing equipment of the 19th and 20th centuries.
In 1987 the sawmill was placed under heritage-protection. In 1994 the Sawmill-Association of Remblinghausen took over the sawmill and restored it.

Sound recordist: Konrad Gutkowski/Julian Blaschke
Photographer: Konrad Gutkowski/Julian Blaschke
Video recordist: Konrad Gutkowski/Julian Blaschke