Parsons marine steam turbines. Diagram from above showing the arrangement of Parsons marine steam turbines in a ship's hull. At centre are three turbines, and at right and left are condensors for the steam. High-pressure steam is used to directly drive the turbines, which are connected to the ship's propellers. This design was produced by the Parsons Marine Steam Turbine Company, a British shipbuilding company founded in 1897 by Charles Algernon Parsons (1854-1931). Parsons is credited with inventing the first steam turbine.