TESLA TURBINE

EXAMINING THE FORM AND FUNCTION OF HARD-DRIVE DISCS IT BECOMES APPARANT THAT THEY ARE ALMOST IDEALLY SUITED FOR USE AS ROTORS IN A 'TESLA' TURBINE

THEY ARE:
1. DESIGNED TO WITHSTAND HIGH ROTATIONAL SPEEDS.
2. THEY ARE VERY WELL BALANCED.
3. THEY ARE HIGHLY POLISHED. THIS IS IMPORTANT AS IT REDUCES TURBULENCE AND INCREASES THE THICKNESS OF THE BOUNDARY LAYER IMPROVING THE EFFICIENCY OF THE TURBINE.

THE ONLY PROBLEM WITH THE HARD DRIVE DISCS IS THAT LARGE HOLE IN THE CENTER.
AFTER MANY SLEEPLESS NIGHTS AND ENGINEERING DAYDREAMS I DECIDED ON A SPIDER/SPACER APPROACH, THUS AVOIDING ANY MACHINING OPERATIONS ON THE DISCS.
A QUICK SEARCH TURNED UP ALUMINUM 6061-T6 SHEET THAT MATCHED (AS NEAR AS MADE NO NEVERMIND) THE THICKNESS OF THE DISCS.
IN THE SHOP THE SHEET AL WAS SAWED INTO SQUARES. THOSE SQUARES WERE CENTER-DRILLED 1/4 INCH AND THEN TURNED TO 'PRECISION WASHERS' ON THE LATHE ON A PURPOSE BUILT MANDREL.
THERE WERE TWO SIZES OF WASHERS. ONE (SET) OF WASHERS WAS TURNED TO A LIGHT PRESS FIT IN THE DISC HOLE.
THE OTHER SET OF WASHERS WAS TURNED TO A 1/4 INCH OVER THE DIAMETER OF THE DISC HOLE.

ALL THE WASHERS WERE THEN STACKED ON A ROTARY TABLE AND THE EXHAUST CUTOUTS WERE MILLED.

ANOTHER VEXING PROBLEM IS THE DESIGN OF THE NOZZLES.
IDEALLY THE DRIVING FLUID SHOULD BE INTRODUCED PRECISELY TANGENICAL TO THE ROTOR CASE
WITH AS LITTLE TURBULANCE AS POSSIBLE.

THE SOLUTION CAN BE SEEN IN THE PHOTOS BELOW.
THE CASE WAS MACHINED FROM SOLID 1" AL. (ALL ALUMINUM USED IN THIS PROJECT IS 6061-T6)
TWO PRECISION-MILLED 1/2" X 1" BARS WERE FASTENED TO A 6" X 4" CHUNK OF 1" AL PLATE.

LETS CALL THE LOWER BAR THE NOZZLE BAR.
AND THE SECOND BAR WILL BE CALLED THE 'MANIFOLD BAR'. THE TURBINE CHAMBER WAS THEN LAID OUT TO JUST INTERSECT THE SECOND BAR.
THE CHAMBER WAS THEN BORED ON THE LATHE EFFCTIVELY CUTTING THE NOZZLE BAR IN HALF.
IT WS THEN A SIMPLE MILLING OPERATION TO CREATE THE NOZZLE AS SEEN BELOW.
NOTE THE TWO DOWEL PIN HOLES IN THE CASE FOR PRECISION LOCATING OF THE END PLATES.

CASING BEING BORED ON LATHE FACEPLATE

THE ROTOR ASSEMBLY AND ONE END PLATE.

THE ROTOR SHAFT.
THE BITS ABOVE THE SHAFT (FROM LEFT TO RIGHT) ARE ;
END FLOAT ADJUSTER NUT.
SPACER - LOCATES THE DISCS IN THE CHAMBER AXIALLY.
SPECIAL NUT - FASTENS THE ROTOR COMPONENTS AND THE SMALL BEARING ON THE SHAFT.
THE LEFT END OF THE SHAFT IS MACHINED THE SAME AS THE SHAFT ON MY DUMORE TOOL POST GRINDER
NOTE THE WRENCH FLATS, NECESSARY WHEN TIGHTENING THE SPECIAL NUT.
ALL MACHINING OPERATIONS EXCEPT THESE FLATS WAS DONE BETWEEN CENTERS ON THE LATHE.
AS THIS SHAFT IS STAINLESS STEEL THE THREAD (1/4-20) ON THE RIGHT WAS CHASED ON THE LATHE AND THEN FINISHED WITH A DIE IN THE BENCH VICE.

THIS DESIGN ALLOWS FOR AN EXHAUST PORT BEHIND THE BEARING

TESTING IS NOW IN PROGRESS AND IN TIME I WILL ADD RESULTS TO THIS PAGE.