Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1912-02-02

ease and rapidity of repairs, and small ratio of
weight and space occupied to the power delivered
on the shaft. Mr.. Tesla maintains that in the tur
bine which forms the subject of this article he
has carried the steam and gas motor long step
forward toward the maximum attainable efhcien
cy, both theoretical and mechanical That these
claims are we'll founded is shown by the fact that
in the plant where Mr.. Tesla carried out his ex-
periments, he is securing output of 200 HIP
from singe-stage steam turbine with atmos-
pherc exhaust weighing less than pounds per
HIP which is contained within space measuring
3 feet by 8 feet, by feet in height and which
accomplishes these results with a thermal fall OF
only 100 BTU. that is about onethtrd of the to-
tai drop available. Furthermore, considered
from the mechanical standpoint, the turbine is
astonishngly simple and economical In construc-
ton, and by the very nature Of its construction
should prove to possess such durability and
freedom from and breakdown as to place 1t
in these respects far In advance of any type OF
steam or gas motor of the present day.
Briefly stated, Teslas steam motor consists of
a set of fat steel disks mounted on shaft and
rotating within a casing, the stear1 entering With
high velocity at the periphery OF the DISKS, now
ing between them in free spiral paths and hnaIly
escaping through exhaust ports at their center.
Instead of developing the energy OF the steam
by pressure, reaction. or impact on series OF
blades vanes, Tesla depends upon the nulo
properties of adhesion and vscosfty-the attrac-
ton of the steam to the faces OF the disks and
ration combining in transmitting the velocity en-
ergy of the motive fluid to the plates and the
shaft
BY reference to the accompanying photographs
it will be seen that the turbine has rotor which
In the present case consists of 25 fiat steel DISKS
one one thirty-second of an inch IN thickness, OF
hardened and carefully tempered steel Inc
rotor as assembled is 31a inches wide on the face
by IS inches in diameter and when the turbine
is running at its maximum working velocity the
material is never under tensile stress exceeding
so 900 lbs per square inch. The rotor is mounted
In a casing which is provided with two inlet noz'
gles for use in running direct and for reversing
Openings are cut out at the central portlon Oh
the disks and these communicate d1recuy Win
exhaust ports formed in the side OF the casing.
In operation, the steam or gas as the case may
be- is directed on the periphery of the disks
through the nozzes (Which may be d1verg1ng,
straight or converging) where more or less OF its
expansive energy is converted into velocity en-
ergy When the machine is at rest the radial
and tangential forces due to the pressure ana veo
ritv of tho steam cause it to travel In rather
short curved path toward the central exhaust
openng but as the disks commence to rotate
and their speed increases, the steam travels In
spiral paths the length of which increases until
in the case of the present turbine, the part1cleS
of the fluid complete a number of turns around
the shaft before reaching the exhaust covering
In the meantime lineal path some IL to 16 feet
in length. During its progress from inlet TO ex-
haust the velocity and pressure OF the steam are