Gilbert Gilkes & Gordon Ltd products

The Turgo impulse turbine was first developed by Gilkes in 1919 and remains a widely used hydropower solution. Designed as a side-entry impulse turbine, it typically operates at twice the speed of a Pelton turbine when working under the same head. This design was patented by Eric Crewdson, Grandfather of the current Gilkes chairman, and over a century later the Turgo continues to deliver reliable performance in a range of hydropower applications.

The Pelton impulse turbine is suited to sites with high head and low flow. It operates by directing high-velocity water jets onto the runner, converting water energy into rotational force. Available in single or multi-jet configurations, with horizontal or vertical arrangements, the Pelton is designed to deliver high energy transfer and efficient performance.

The Francis turbine is suited to sites with low to medium head and high flow. Water enters through a pressurised spiral casing and is directed by adjustable guide vanes onto the runner blades. The resulting water pressure drives rotation, delivering efficient power generation across a broad operating range.

The Gilkes compact turbine range consists of Pelton and Turgo turbines, engineered specifically for sub-150kW hydropower applications. These turbines feature a compact case design, electric actuation, and precision-engineered runners and spear valves, ensuring a cost-effective, durable, and efficient solution for a broad range of hydraulic conditions. Designed for easy integration, the compact range offers flexibility while maintaining high performance.

Our involvement in steam turbine lubrication systems began in the early 1960s, when Gilkes was asked to develop a solution to support the suction of main oil pumps (MOPs) on turbines rated above 120MW. This led to the development of the Booster Pump Turbine (BPT), designed to improve oil flow during start-up and low rotational speeds. From 1963, we expanded our scope to include the MOPs themselves, as well as AC and DC motor-driven flushing pumps.

Gilkes has a long-standing history in gas turbine support, beginning in 1970 with the supply of fuel forwarding pumps. This was followed by the development of complete AC and DC vertical shaft lubricating oil pumps for gas turbine platforms and the supply of purifying lubricating oil, demineralised water, and compressor washing modules, as well as GE Frame 7 Gas Turbines.