A paddle wheel is a form of waterwheel or impeller in which a number of paddles are set around the periphery of the wheel. It has several uses, of which some are:
- Very low-lift water pumping, such as flooding paddy fields at no more than about 0.5 m (20 in) height above the water source.[1]
- To move and mix algae culture in the raceway ponds used for algaculture.
- Propulsion of watercraft (as a paddlewheel)
- Low head hydro power (as a waterwheel)
- Flow sensors
- Aerators
The paddle wheel is an ancient invention but is still used today in a wide range of industrial and agriculture applications.