--- title: "Pelton turbine System Erlach: Research and who cites Erlach" description: "Pelton turbine research: the model test in Lucerne, own publications and the papers and patents of others that cite Erlach." author: "Erlach & Erlach GmbH" language: en canonical: https://www.erlach-erlach.com/en/pelton-turbine/research/ translation: de: https://www.erlach-erlach.com/pelton-turbine/forschung/ license: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) source: Generated at build time from the HTML page; same text, same sources. --- # Pelton turbine System Erlach: Research and who cites Erlach The Pelton System Erlach has been measured on the model, and others refer to it: universities in their work, manufacturers in their patents. This page names every source. This page is about **System Erlach**: the horizontal Pelton turbine with up to six nozzles designed by Josef Erlach. What holds for every Pelton turbine is marked “Pelton turbine” in the heading. The difference is explained in the overview [Pelton turbine](https://www.erlach-erlach.com/en/pelton-turbine/) System Erlach. ## System Erlach in the model test: Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, from 2008 *[Photo: Josef Erlach in a checked shirt and Prof. Thomas Staubli in a black shirt stand at the test rig in front of a horizontal Pelton turbine with six feed pipes.]* *Josef Erlach and Prof. Thomas Staubli at the test rig in Lucerne, 2009* From 2008 the horizontal Pelton turbine with six nozzles according to the concept of Josef Erlach ran as a model on the test rig of Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, under Prof. Thomas Staubli. It was the first model test according to the standard. The comparison was made with a known vertical model turbine with six nozzles, which was turned into the horizontal. The laboratory demonstrated an overall accuracy of 0.25 per cent and a repeatability of 0.1 per cent. What was measured is explained under [Pelton turbine efficiency](https://www.erlach-erlach.com/en/pelton-turbine/design/efficiency/). **Source:** [J. M. Erlach, New Pelton Concept, Viennahydro 2012, full paper](https://www.erlach-erlach.com/downloads/2012_Viennahydro_Erlach_New-Pelton-Concept_Full-Paper.pdf), sections [2.5](https://www.erlach-erlach.com/downloads/2012_Viennahydro_Erlach_New-Pelton-Concept_Full-Paper.pdf#page=6) and [5](https://www.erlach-erlach.com/downloads/2012_Viennahydro_Erlach_New-Pelton-Concept_Full-Paper.pdf#page=9); [Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Pelton turbine test rig (horizontal shaft)](https://www.hslu.ch/de-ch/technik-architektur/ueber-uns/organisation-und-themen/organisation/kompetenzzentren-und-forschungsgruppen/technik/fluidmechanik-numerische-methoden/experimentelle-analyse/pruefstaende-forschung-lehre/peltonturbinen-prufstand/). ## System Erlach, preliminary tests: University of Stuttgart Before Lucerne there were preliminary tests at the University of Stuttgart with Prof. E. Göde. The Institute of Fluid Mechanics and Hydraulic Machinery there is co-applicant of the first document of 2004. **Source:** [Viennahydro 2012, full paper](https://www.erlach-erlach.com/downloads/2012_Viennahydro_Erlach_New-Pelton-Concept_Full-Paper.pdf), section [5](https://www.erlach-erlach.com/downloads/2012_Viennahydro_Erlach_New-Pelton-Concept_Full-Paper.pdf#page=9); [WO 2006/066691 A1](https://patents.google.com/patent/WO2006066691A1/). ## System Erlach, own publications: presentation 2012, presentation 2014, article 2016 - **2012**: J. Erlach: New Pelton Concept, up to six nozzles horizontal. (Source: 17th International Seminar on Hydropower Plants (Viennahydro), Vienna, 22 November 2012) - **2014**: J. Erlach, P. Erlach: We proudly present the first up to Six Jets Horizontal Pelton Turbine. (Source: Hidroenergia 2014, congress of the ESHA, Istanbul, 21–23 May 2014) - **2016**: J. Erlach, P. Erlach: Neues Pelton-Konzept, bis zu sechs Düsen in horizontaler Anordnung. (Source: WasserWirtschaft 106 (2016), issue 10, pp. 18–24 · [DOI 10.1007/s35147-016-0148-z](https://doi.org/10.1007/s35147-016-0148-z)) - **2026**: J. Erlach, P. Erlach: Paper on the distributor of the Pelton turbine. (Source: Viennahydro 2026, paper 157, presentation on 20 November 2026) ## System Erlach in research: TU Wien, Voith - **2022**: R. Mack, B. List (Voith Hydro): Multijet Horizontal Pelton Turbine Concept, Development and Prototype. (Source: 21st International Seminar on Hydropower Plants (Viennahydro), Vienna 2022. Names the development by Erlach and lists the presentation of 2012 as reference \[4\].) - **2023**: F. Hahn, A. Maly, B. Semlitsch, C. Bauer (TU Wien): Numerical Investigation of Pelton Turbine Distributor Systems with Axial Inflow. (Source: Energies 16 (2023) 2737 · [DOI 10.3390/en16062737](https://doi.org/10.3390/en16062737), open access. Names Erlach and Staubli as well as Erlach and Erlach as originators of the axial inlet.) - **2024**: F. Hahn: doctoral thesis, TU Wien. (Source: [reposiTUm 20.500.12708/205154](https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12708/205154). Lists four sources by Erlach.) - **2025**: J. Puchhammer: diploma thesis, TU Wien. (Source: [reposiTUm 20.500.12708/220487](https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12708/220487). Builds on the preliminary work of Erlach.) The TU Wien paper of 2023 is the clearest attribution by a third party. Verbatim: “A possible design approach for such Pelton turbine distributors has been shown by Erlach and Staubli \[7\], as well as Erlach and Erlach \[8,9\].” It calls the distributor system with axial inflow “AxFeeder”, “first described in a patent from 2008 \[7\]”. The three sources \[7\] to \[9\] are the patent WO 2008/003390 A1 by Erlach and Staubli, the Hidroenergia 2014 presentation and the WasserWirtschaft article of 2016. **Source:** Hahn et al., Energies 16 (2023) 2737, sections 1 and 2.1, references \[7\] to \[9\]; read at the original on 11 October 2026. ## System Erlach in patents of others: manufacturers name Erlach as prior art Later patents of others cite the documents of Erlach as prior art. Citing does not mean using: a citation shows that the document is known and that the new application has to be measured against it. - **Water drain**: Voith, GE Energy (Norway), Andritz Hydro, South China University of Technology (Source: among others [DE 10 2010 024 475 A1](https://patents.google.com/patent/DE102010024475A1/), [EP 2 582 963 B1](https://patents.google.com/patent/EP2582963B1/), [WO 2008/035979 A1](https://patents.google.com/patent/WO2008035979A1/), [AT 525 077 B1](https://patents.google.com/patent/AT525077B1/), [CN 101915195 A](https://patents.google.com/patent/CN101915195A/)) - **Inlet**: Voith, Global Hydro Energy, Alstom Hydro France, Harbin Electric (Source: among others [DE 10 2024 115 903 B3](https://patents.google.com/patent/DE102024115903B3/) (2025), [WO 2024/173974 A1](https://patents.google.com/patent/WO2024173974A1/), [FR 2 970 529 B1](https://patents.google.com/patent/FR2970529B1/), [CN 112922764 B](https://patents.google.com/patent/CN112922764B/)) The property rights themselves are listed under [Pelton turbine patents](https://www.erlach-erlach.com/en/pelton-turbine/patents/). **Source:** [EP 2 582 963 B1](https://patents.google.com/patent/EP2582963B1/), paragraph \[0001\]; Google Patents, query of 11 September 2026. ## System Erlach in the press: FAZ 2011, ZfK 2011, zek 2025 - **2011**: Georg Küffner: Wie man mehr Strom aus dem Wasser holen kann. The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung presents Josef Erlach's horizontal Pelton turbine with up to six nozzles, tested at Lucerne University, where Professor Thomas Staubli confirmed its advantages. (Source: [Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, no. 213, 13 September 2011](https://fazarchiv.faz.net/document?id=FAZ__931046366f4a970c29a07b32caef7e0151fa0fe9), p. T 10) - **2011**: Turbine der Moderne. (Source: Zeitung für kommunale Wirtschaft, issue 10/2011, p. 43) - **2025**: Troyer präsentiert die neue Pelton Turbine System „Erlach“ in Flums. (Source: [zek Hydro, October 2025](https://hydro.zek.at/technik/troyer-praesentiert-neue-peltonturbine-system-erlach-in-flums/), pp. 66–67) More on each report under [System Erlach in the press](https://www.erlach-erlach.com/en/pelton-turbine/press/). ## Josef Erlach, awards: IEC 1906 Award and Hidroenergia Innovation Award - **2010**: IEC 1906 Award to Josef Erlach, for his work in the standardisation of water turbines. (Source: [Press release of the VDE, 29 November 2010](https://idw-online.de/de/news399324)) - **2014**: Hidroenergia 2014 Innovation Award of the European Small Hydropower Association, Istanbul. (Source: Plaque in the archive of Erlach & Erlach) More on the person under [Josef Erlach](https://www.erlach-erlach.com/en/pelton-turbine/inventor/). --- Erlach & Erlach GmbH, Ravensburg. Web page: https://www.erlach-erlach.com/en/pelton-turbine/research/ · License for this text: CC BY 4.0 · Overview for assistants: https://www.erlach-erlach.com/llms.txt