The largest waterwheel ever built at the Trilbardou waterlift

The waterlift of Trilbardou, built in 1865, was part of a plan to improve navigation on the canal. The facility was equipped with a hydraulic motor known as the système Sagebien. This technique allowed for an energy yield of 85% to 90%.

The waterlift is situated at the site of a former rolling mill and used a 1.20-meter drop from the Marne. The Sagebien hydraulic wheel has a diameter of 11 meters and a width of 6 meters, making it the largest ever constructed. It features 70 blades made of Lorraine fir and a 17-tonne forged iron shaft that rotates at 1.5 turns per minute.

On the motor shaft is a 100-tooth pinion that drives two smaller wheels. These wheels power four stroke pumps designed by Sagebien. While the hydraulic motor produces only 150 ch (approximately 110 kW), it is sufficient to power the four pumps, which can discharge about 320 liters per second into the canal, situated 15 meters above the Marne.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikimedia Commons