New sources of energy had to be found and new machines invented. One such machine, actually the machine of the 18th century, is the steam engine . The double-acting industrial steam engine with rotary motion built by James Watt in 1788 was to have a decisive influence, not just in industry. An accurate reconstruction of this engine, together with the oldest surviving steam engine in Germany, which dates from 1813, and a valve-operated steam engine built by the Sulzer brothers in 1865, are the main attractions in this part of the room. Steam boilers are displayed in the basement, where the related topics of their effect on the environment, and environmental protection measures are also discussed.
Water turbines transform water power to driving energy with nearly no frictional loss.
Alongside historic turbines, there are working models and originals of the Francis, Pelton, and Kaplan turbines, the main types in use today. These turbines can cope with water heads of up to 2000 m and high flow rates of up to 900 m3 per second.