PHYSICS PROJECT

Name : Kavy Gajera

Class : 12TH SCIENCE
School : SHREE NEELKANTH VIDYA
PEETH INTERNATIONL
SCHOOL
 INDEX
S.NO. TOPIC
1. INTRODUCTION
2. COMPONENTS
3. PRINCIPAL
4. CONSTRUCTION
5. WORKING
6. DIAGRAM
7. ADAN./DISADVANTAGE
8. APPLICATIONS
9. Efficiency and calculations
10. CONCLUSION
 TESLA TURBIN
• The Tesla turbine is a bladeless centripetal flow turbine invented by Nikola Tesla in 1913. It
functions as nozzles apply a moving fluid to the edges of a set of discs. The engine uses
smooth discs rotating in a chamber to generate rotational movement due to the momentum
exchange between the fluid and the discs. The discs are arranged in an orientation similar to
a stack of CDs on a pole.

• The Tesla turbine uses the boundary-layer effect, instead of the method employed by more
conventional turbines, wherein a fluid acts on blades. The Tesla turbine is also referred to as
the bladeless turbine, boundary-layer turbine, cohesion-type turbine, and Prandtl-layer
turbine. The latter is named for Ludwig Prandtl. Bioengineering researchers have
additionally referred to the Tesla turbine as a multiple-disk centrifugal pump.
• The guiding principle for developing the Tesla turbine is the idea that, to obtain the highest
efficiency, the changes in the velocity and direction of movement of fluid should be as
gradual as possible.[1] Therefore, the propelling fluid of the Tesla turbine moves in natural
paths, or streamlines, of least resistance
.
 COMPONENTS

• The Parts of Tesla turbine 1. casing, 2. discs, 3. outlet port, 4. inlet port, 5. nozzle, 6.
clearance, 7. center shaft. The main two components of the Tesla turbine are the
stator and rotor. The rotor is a rotating disc and the stator is the casing of the turbine.
The clearance is the distance between the stator inlet diameter and the rotor outer
diameter. The outer diameter of the rotor is represented as Do, the inlet diameter of
the rotor is represented as Di and the plate thickness is represented as t. The
efficiency and power output are depending upon the various parameters such as
diameter, inlet velocity, rpm, the mass flow rate of inlet fluid, number of discs, the
position of nozzle, clearance and number of nozzles.
• Stator and rotor
 ROTOR

• In traditional turbines, the rotor consists of a shaft adorned with blades. However, Tesla's
innovation discards these blades in favour of a series of discs. The size and quantity of these
discs may vary based on specific application requirements. Tesla's patent documentation
does not specify an exact number but rather employs a more general term, stipulating that
the rotor should comprise a "multiplicity" of discs with "appropriate diameters." As we will
later explore, Tesla himself conducted extensive experimentation to determine the ideal disc
size and number.
 STATOR

• The rotor assembly resides within the stationary portion of a cylindrical stator or turbine. To
accommodate the rotor, the inner chamber diameters of the cylinder must be slightly larger
than those of the rotor discs. Bearings for the shaft are positioned at each end of the stator.
Furthermore, the stator incorporates one or two inlets into which nozzles are inserted. Tesla's
initial design featured two inlets, enabling the turbine to rotate in either a clockwise or
counterclockwise direction.
 PRINCIPAL

• The innovative design hinged on two fundamental fluid properties: viscosity and adhesion.
Several closely arranged flat steel discs positioned on a shaft formed the core of the turbine.
When utilised as a turbine, the rotor and discs resided within a housing, and fluid was
injected through a side nozzle onto the disc. Due to the interplay of viscosity and adhesion,
the injected fluid drove the disc into rotation, ultimately exiting through segments around the
shaft.
• For applications as a pump or compressor, fluid was pumped through holes near the shaft,
spiralling upward on the disc and exiting through diffusers akin to volute scrolls
 CONSTRUCTION

A Tesla turbine consists of a set of smooth disks, with nozzles applying a

moving fluid to the edge of the disk. The fluid drags on the disk through
viscosity and the adhesion of the surface layer of the fluid. As the fluid
slows and adds energy to the disks, it spirals into the center exhaust .
 WORKING

• In a conventional steam turbine, steam exerts pressure on the rotor's blades to extract
kinetic energy from the steam. In contrast, the Tesla turbine operates without blades and features
a unique mechanism for harnessing energy from steam. In this turbine, the careful orientation of
the blades is essential to operate in the optimal speed range and minimise the angle of attack on
the blade surface. This optimisation aims to create a smooth flow of steam and reduce turbulence
caused by eddies formed when steam impacts the blade surfaces. These eddies have two
detrimental effects: they result in a loss of useful energy that could otherwise be extracted from
the system, and because they occur in opposite directions, they subtract from the energy of the
incoming steam flow.
• The Tesla turbine, however, operates differently due to the absence of blades. In this design, the
mechanics of the reaction forces are distinctive. The reaction force generated by the steam head
pressure builds up rapidly, forming a dense and pressurised steam "belt" around the turbine's
periphery. When the rotor is not under load, the pressure in this peripheral belt is nearly
equivalent to the incoming steam pressure. During normal operation, this peripheral pressure, as
observed by Tesla, acts as a Back Electromotive Force (BEMF), regulating the flow of incoming
DIAGRAM
 ADVANTAGES OF TESLA
TURBINE
• Simplicity: It has fewer moving parts, reducing maintenance and manufacturing costs.
• High Efficiency: It can operate at high efficiencies, making it energy-efficient.
• Compact Design: It's compact and lightweight, ideal for small spaces.
• Smooth Operation: It produces less noise and vibration compared to traditional turbines.
• Multi-Fuel Compatibility: It can run on a variety of fuels or even compressed air.
• Minimal Lubrication: It requires minimal lubrication due to low friction.
 DISADVANTAGES OF TESLA
TURBINE
• While the Tesla turbine offers various advantages, it also has some disadvantages:

• Lower Torque: Tesla turbines tend to have lower torque compared to conventional turbines, limiting
their use in high-torque applications.
• Complex Manufacturing: Achieving the tight tolerances required for efficient operation can be
challenging and costly.
• Lower Power Output: They may not be as suitable for high-power applications as traditional
turbines.
• Limited in High-Pressure Applications: Tesla turbines are often better suited for low to moderate
pressure environments.
• Inefficiency at Low Speeds: They may not perform efficiently at low rotational speeds, requiring
higher speeds for optimal operation.
 APPLICATIONS

• Tesla's patents state that the device was intended for the use of fluids as motive agents, as
distinguished from the propulsion or compression of fluids (though it can also be used for
those purposes). As of 2016, the Tesla turbine has not seen widespread commercial use. The
Tesla pump, however, has been commercially available since 1982 and is used to pump
fluids that are abrasive, viscous, shear-sensitive, loaded with solids, or are otherwise difficult
to handle with other pumps. Tesla himself did not procure a large contract for production.
The main disadvantage was poor knowledge of material characteristics and behaviors at high
temperatures. The best metallurgy of the day could not prevent the turbine disks from
moving and warping unacceptably during operation.
 EFFICIENCY AND
CALCULATIONS
• In Tesla's time, the efficiency of conventional turbines was low because turbines used a
direct-drive system that severely limited the potential usable output speed of a turbine. At the
time of introduction, ship turbines were massive, and included dozens, or even hundreds, of
stages of turbines, yet produced extremely low efficiency due to their low speed. For
example, the turbine on both the Olympic and Titanic weighed over 400 tons, ran at only
165 rpm, and used steam at a pressure of only 6 psi. This limited it to harvesting waste steam
from the main power plants, a pair of reciprocating steam engines. The Tesla turbine could
run on higher-temperature gases than bladed turbines of the time, which contributed to its
greater efficiency. Eventually, axial turbines were given gearing to allow them to operate at
higher speeds, but the efficiency of axial turbines remained very low in comparison to the
Tesla turbine.
 CONCLUSION
• The Tesla turbine uses the boundary layer of the working fluid
to transfer momentum between the fluid and the discs.
Therefore, it relies on the frictional and viscous forces, which
are the factors that cause losses in conventional turbines. It is
also known as a Prandtl or a boundary layer turbine.