Water Wheel Breastshot

A breastshot water wheel is a vertically mounted water wheel typically used on rivers or high-volume water flows with large reservoirs. It is powered by water striking the buckets near or just above the center of its edge. This type of wheel was commonly used in the USA during the early Industrial Revolution to drive machinery. In a breastshot water wheel, water is introduced at approximately halfway up the wheel, usually near the center axis. As the wheel rotates, the water flows in the same direction as the wheel's rotation, exiting through the tail race. With an efficiency of around 50%, breastshot water wheels are more efficient than undershot wheels but less efficient than overshot, backshot, or pitchback wheels. One notable characteristic of breastshot water wheels is that they tend to be wider than other types.