The document summarizes a student project analyzing the Tesla turbine, an alternative energy device that extracts energy from fluid flowing tangentially between flat disks. The students tested a prototype turbine, measuring its rotational speed, power output, and efficiency. Initial tests found issues with disk flatness, which were addressed. Flow and RPM tests showed a maximum speed of 4000 RPM and flow of 5 pounds per minute. Power calculations were done using kinetic energy equations from sensor data. Modifications to decrease gaps and internal space were made, and further power testing showed performance improvements.

1. Tesla Turbine ME 191 Fall 2010 Raj Basuta Beau Camaren Monty Dhimmar Frank Keefer Lo Saetern

2. Review the Tesla Turbine What is it? Turbine with flat, encased, co-rotating disks Extract energy from a fluid inserted tangentially Converts kinetic energy of fluid into mechanical energy of a rotating shaft through frictional energy transfer Why study it? To explore why such a potentially green energy conversion device has not made it to wide-spread industrial use today

4. Early Difficulties Flatness of disks was out of specification with 10 gage 1018 steel sheet being warped Tested 13 disks with dial indicator after having fabricated 20, and selected the best 10 for use Using a lathe, flats were machined on the jam nuts to match the lightly ground and polished disks all relative to shaft to maintain uniformity of system

5. Test Setup

6. Sensor Calibration Speed Sensor – Honeywell 3010AN Pressure Diff. Transducer – PX771100WDI Inlet Pressure Transducer – Honeywell Thermocouples – J Type from Omega

7. Flow Testing Used campus energy lab, compressor, and 9 ft3 tank charged to 200 psi and discharged into the turbine An orifice plate, thermocouples, and pressure transducers with Labtech software, were used to find inches of water After running calculations to convert, a flow of approximately 5 lb/minute was found

8. RPM Testing With the same tank and compressor set-up and charging to 300 psi and discharged into the turbine over a span of about 4.5 minutes A speed sensor was mounted on the turbine endplate to count the 60 teeth of a sprocket fixed to the shaft as it spun Maximum RPM was calculated as 4000 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zxp_ML1kO0

9. Power Testing Could not use Dyno, so Power found through Kinetic Energy calculations using inertia of system and LabView LabView sensors: RPM Time Pressure Inlet and Outlet Temp Flow Rate

10. Power Testing Using this information the fallowing graph was produced

13. Power Testing Equations for power Equations for Efficiency

14. Fin Thank You Mechanical Engineering Department Faculty and Students, your efforts are truly appreciated Questions?