Invented in 1912 by Victor Kaplan in Brno, the second largest Czech city, the Kaplan turbine gained widespread popularity due to its high efficiency over a wide range of site conditions. In the 100 years since its creation, a variety of turbine configurations have been developed. The Kaplan turbine automatically adjusts its runner blades and wicket gates to suit changing water conditions. This unique adaptability enables consistently high efficiency over a range of flow and head conditions.

Mavel’s Kaplan turbines are optimal for run-of-river projects with low heads from 1.5 to 35 meters (5 to 115 feet) Mavel produces five different configurations of the Kaplan turbine. Mavel’s Kaplan turbines have three to six runner blades and can be single or double regulated.  Mavel has over 260 Kaplan turbines installed at sites around the world.