A turbine wheel used in a turbine flow meter includes a hub configured to be freely rotatably fixed in position inside a fluid pipe section. A first cylindrical rim is centered about the hub and the longitudinal axis and spaced a distance apart from the hub. A first vane set extends outwardly from the hub to the first cylindrical rim, wherein a root of each vane of the first vane set is attached to the hub and a tip of each vane of the first vane set is attached to the first cylindrical rim. The first vane set may consist of one or two individual vanes. An external vane set may extend outwardly from the first cylindrical rim, wherein a root of each vane is attached to the first cylindrical rim and a tip of each vane is not attached to any cylindrical rim.