OT: Tesla Turbines

[evildrome]

Hi All,

I've been trying to design a Tesla Turbine that can be made, on the cheap, with limited tools for the purpose of fun and serious experimentation.


http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=5ujnj3GwEUI


http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=eh7CjvB_C8Y


The turbine is designed to be buildable by the amateur.

Many operational parameters e.g. air injector angle, hole size, hole shape, number of holes, number of discs and disc gap are all user modifiable so that the turbine can be used for serious research.

A primary consideration in the design is to keep the cost down. For this reason the discs are made from standard CDs, the body is acrylic and the bearings are standard skate bearings.

Using acrylic for the body allows it to be made using a paper pattern, a fretsaw and a drill. The turbine housing is a 3" section of off-the-shelf 127mm OD acrylic tube. A plastics merchant will sell you the 5mm acrylic sheet and will sell you the tube cut to size.

Alternatively the end plates could be made from 5mm plywood.

Cheers,

Wilson.