160,000rpm

[Fricke]

Hi Horace -

I mean the X-150 turbine wheel... As I´m beginning to make a freepower turbine for one of my gasturbines...

//Fredrik

[skyfrog]

Thanks Ben and Fricke for your warm support, No one could predict what will happen 5 years later, maybe we'll be 100times larger or just disappeared from the earth. One thing for sure, next year will be a juicy year with enlarged cash flow.

Fricke, X-150 is based on a 128mm wheel.

[Mike Everman]

Man, I missed this thread. Congratulations on all fronts, Horace. 170K, whew! That is wild. I witnessed a generator I worked on grenade in a 120K over-speed test. Exciting. Oh yeah that one was for in-flight power on the early Tomohawks.
Good luck with your venture, you're living the dream for an engineer!

[Bruno Ogorelec]

I witnessed a generator I worked on grenade in a 120K over-speed test. Exciting.

Horace, you'll need strong zen to hear the sound of my hands clapping in Croatia, but rest assured that applause there was! Congratulations. You have embarked on a tough and exciting journey. I must say I envy you. Few things are more exciting than this.

----

Mike, some 20 years ago or so, a local company here was testing a generator rotor for a hydroelectric power plant. Offhand, I have no idea how big those things are, but they are HUGE and weigh tons and tons. They are tested for mechanical integrity in enormous, deep silos lined thickly with steel and reinforced concrete. Anyway, one of the rotors disintegrated and it actually shook the entire city. The boom was heard for a great number of miles, but we felt it quite distinctly as a minor quake on the opposite side of the city from the plant, some 15 miles away. Scary.

[skyfrog]

Thanks Mike and Bruno, for your warm support.

Bruno, thanks for your warning, we knew that all turbines are dangerous when in high speed so we are extremely careful in manufacturing processes and testing procedures. Our wheels have accumulated many hours of run time, flawlessly, I know it is not of luck.

On the other hands, we are extremely alert not to step on some industrial giants' toes, or 5 years later we will be vaporized, gone for good. :-)

[howard]

Don't turbochargers spin at about 170,000 rpm or so?

[skyfrog]

I guess so, if their OD is similar to ours. But remember, turbochargers use radial flow turbine wheels which are machanically more robust than axial flow ones, and besides, the turbine inlet temperature is not so high as what was experienced in turbojet engines.

I am surpirsed this thread come up again, thanks.

[Johansson]

Horace, how are things going with your engine? It was a while since you updated your website and I know that there are many of us who are eagerly awaiting the first video of the running engine.

//Anders

[skyfrog]

Hi Anders,

Sorry for getting you guys waiting this long, I promise you guys X150 has shinny future. There's not a bank standing behind us supporting the project, it was insufficient funds that made us stop the development of X150 and turned to OEM business. In other words, I have to make parts for other engine companies for survival. We love to do things in this very conservative way to minmize the risks involved.

As to technical issue, currently the fadec is on the critical path, and we have found a source that could put to use in short period of time, so it will not be a problem in the near future, I think.

[Arman_awn]

hello, as you know Im building a gas turbine engine with axial comp. and axial turbine. I have made the axial comp, but Im interested in finding out how I can build such a nice looking (and aslo nice workin'!) turbine. Up to 160,000 RPMs????WOW.... What material did you use for that piece of nice work?


Thanks,


Arman.

[skyfrog]

Hi Arman,

My turbine is made from inconel 713, a nickel based heat-resistant super alloy. We had tested them up to 170K rpm flawlessly. It was vacuum melt and vacuum cast, fully X rayed.

Yes I just saw your thread, congrats your nice piece of work, the axial compressor looks great, I'd like to ask too how did you make it ? casting or other methods ? How big is it, what thrust figure you are aiming at ?