Tesla Turbine

A disk type turbine was built and tested using a parametric model to predict fluid momentum transfer to the disks. That means a series of flat parallel disks are placed close enough together that friction in the working fluid (in this case air) is enough to drive the disks producing shaft power. The testing consisted of a thermo-dynamic metering of the airflow input using rotometers and k type thermo couples (volume of the air in and temperature of the air). The power out used a brake type dynamometer with a strain gauge to measure the deflection in the brake holder assembly. From data gathered from the strain gauges and airflow, the efficiency and power out are compared to the prediction from the model. Key words: turbine, built, tested, model, momentum