Hi Frank
I don't know what it is called all I know is that it was an old saw mill and the turbine was fed from a pool about 30ft or so above the point where the turbine was mounted, beneath the turbine they had dug a sump some 20ft deep and the water passed through the turbine blades into the center and exhausted through two 90deg elbows about 4 ins. dia and dropped down 10 ft of pipe into the sump, there was enough water in the sump to reduce erosion and the surface was a couple of ft below the exhaust outlets. this created enough of a differential pressure to scavenge the water from the turbine fast enough to double the power output. the power went up into the workshop on flat leather belts and the machines had one fixed one freewheeling pulley on the drop from the overhead shaft. The machines were selected with a big piece of wood sliding the belt from the free pulley to the fixed one. For the test they power fed a complete tree trunk, 18in plus oak, into the circular saw and it happily cut the thing without slowing down, there was a band saw and radial driller, plus several less demanding machines.
I would think when you look at the cost of electricity and the messing about with star delta starters and the installation costs, in the right circumstances something like that could be financially viable. Health and safety would have a field day with bits of wood to engage the shafts... Well they would in the UK I don't know what the states are like, but the legatious culture you have over there could be the only problem I could see if you employ people.
I will try to find if there is a you tube link.
Brian
