Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-12-06
GAS TURBiN
Tesla's Invention Now Ready to In.
stall In Automobiles.

Gas turbines of practical and eff
eient construction, light, flexible and
in every way suitable for automobile
propulsion. are not a dream of the flu
ture only but a probability of only a
very few years hence. At least such
is the conviction OF DR. Nikola Tesla,
whose newly developed method of
fluid propulsion, as he calls il, is at
tracing so much attention in seienti-
hc circles. DR.. Tesla himself consid-
ers it the greatest of all his inven-
tions
BY his own statement the scientist
already has built, run and carefully
tested internal combustion engines
operating on the new turbine principle
and so confident is he of the thorough
practicability of the idea, he states he
can build and install turbines for auto
mobiles; but readily admits. however,
that he would like to have more time,
considerable more time probably, in
which TO develop a method of combus-
ton entirely suited to the turbine.
Automobile motors, as a matter of
fact. play a distinct part in the in
ventor's plans for the future. So do
airships motors, pumps of various
sorts, steam engines in every con-
ceivable size, shape and capacity, and
apparatus of other and varied uses.
II in steam engines and pumps. Won
derful results already have been OBJ
tanned, it is his expectation later to
accomplish equally wonderful results
with internal combustion engines.
Bearing in mind that 1l0-horse-
power steam engine already has been
built so diminutive that its rotor or
active part would drop into an ordi-
nary water bucket. 1t would seem
that the part of the program which
might be supposed to concern the
automobile industry would be well
worth investigating. 1t was the
tempting prospect of pocket-siZe
motor therefore, which led a repre-
sentative of the Motor World to seek
the famous scientist in his offices high
up in the Metropolitan tower in New
York
We understand that you are doing
remarkable things with steam, but
how far has your confidence been eX-
tended to the gas turbine?' the sci
enlist was asked.
He laughed
why, 1 am working with them all
the time" he answered.
You mean to say that you already
have built and operated internal COM
bustion turbines employing your prin-
| ciple of fluid propulsion?
Yes. But am not satisfed-not
| yet. You see there are many things
| to be considered The turbine, that is
one thing; it is complete in itself and
! there is no question of it's applicable
lily. But when you come to the COM
bustion of the gas you have new
difficulty. | am not satisfied with the
present methods of Justification.
| have tried one of my turbines dis
charging the gas into a chamber and
then spraying water into it. You see
lin that way you get an intermittent
| flow through the nozzle, but you also
| have better thermal action because
YOU get your adiabatic expansion
| (meaning that in which theoretically
there is no loss of heaD. And then,
| have tried with gasoline using con-
slant jet, in which you get less eff
eient thermal action but better action
flor the turbine. But ! am not yet
satisfied. / think that some day we
shall get better processes of combus-
ton that will enable me to work to
more advantage with my turbine.
"You take, for instance, the ordi-
nary turbine, a bucket turbine. Here
You have around the outside of the
wheel n row of little jets, and within,
on the periphery of wheel, a row of
Ibuekets-many of them and very
small, even on a large wheel. But
don't you see that in that entire wheel
/
perhaps three or four inches wide that
lis really useful--that is really active?
I'm my invention practically the
twhoe surface is active. In the bucket
turbine the action does not even ex-
ltend all the way around; you must
have a series of Jets. But in my tur-
bine you have the gas travelling all
1.-THE way around in free spirals-always