ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a brief history of turbomachinery. It starts with the general definition of a turbomachine and shows the distinction between a turbomachine and a positive displacement machine. The common classification is based on the nature of the fluid, namely, incompressible machines such as hydraulic turbines and pumps versus compressible machines such as gas turbines and compressors. The history of hydraulic machines goes back to Roman times, when grinding mills, for example, were used in food processing. Pumps were used mainly in lifting water for irrigation. In contrast, gas and steam turbines are more recent technologies, having been developed over the last 200 years. Aviation science has driven a greater interest in gas turbines more recently due to the engineering requirement to maximize thrust to weight ratios.
