What are the similarities and differences between a windmill and a Boeing 747? This question is not at all absurd, and the main difference is that the mill does not fly and the plane does not grind grain. And the basic principle of their work is the same - the conversion of air energy into mechanical work. And the main mechanism of these different devices is the turbine - a system of wheels with blades.Immediately after the invention of the wheel, people began to think that it was possible to make wind and water do the work. Millennia of development of this idea have led humanity to power plants, turbojet engines and a huge leap in development.Turbines of different configurations and designs set in motion mechanisms, generate electricity, extract minerals, help us warm in the cold and refresh in the heat. Therefore, we can rightfully consider this invention one of the main results of the technical thinking of mankind.