The Red Cloud chief., 1912-02-01

ease and rapidty of repairs, and small ratio OF
weight and space occupied to the power delivered
on the shaft. Mr., Tesla maintains that in the t,,r
bne which forms the subject of this article he
has carried the steam and gas motor n long step
forward toward the maximum attainabe eiicien
cy. both theoretical and mechanical That these
claims are well founded Is shown by the fact that
In tho plant where Mr.. Tesla carried out his ex.
periments. he Is securing an output Of 200 HIP.
from n singe-stage steam turbine with atmos-
pheric exhaust Weighing less than pounds per
HIP which is contained within space measuring
feet by 3 feet, by feet In height and which
accomplishes these results with a thermal fall OF
only 1870 BTU, that is about onethrd of the to-
tai drop available. Furthermore. considered
from the mechanical standpoint. the turbine is
astonishingy simple and economical In construc-
tion. and by the very nature OF Its construction
should prove to possess such durability and
freedom from wear and breakdown as to place II
IN these respects far in advance of any type OF
steam or gas motor Of the present day
Briefly stated. Tcsla's steam motor consists OF
n set OF fiat steel disks mounted n shaft and
rotating within casing the steam entering with
high velocity at the periphery Of the disks flow
Ing between them in free spiral paths and finally
escaping through exhaust ports at their center
Instead of developing the energy Of the steam
by pressure. reaction, or impact on series of
blades or vanes, Tesla depends upon the fluid
properties of adhesion and viscosty--the attrac
tion of the steam to the faces of the disks and
the resistance of its particles to molecular sepa.
ration combining in transmitting the velocity en-.
ergy of the motive fluid to the plates and tho
shaft
by reference to the accompanying photographs
II will be seen that the turbine has rotor which
in the present consists of % FIAT steel disks.
one one thirty.seCond Of an inch in thickness. OF
hardened and carefully tempered steel The
rotor as assembled Is az 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
10000 lbs. per square inch The rotor Is mounted
In a casing which Is provided with two inlet noz.
zles for in running direct and for reversing
Openings are cut out at the central portion OF
the disks and these communicate directly with
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 noz2les (Which may be dverging
straight or converging) where more or less of It's
expansive energy Is converted into velocity en-
ergy. When the machine Is at rest the radia
and tangential forces due to the pressure and yeo
city of the steam cause 1t to travel in a rather
short curved path toward the central eXhaus
opening, but the disks commence to rotat,
and their speed increases. the steam travels n
spiral paths the length of which increases unit
In the case of the present turbine, the particle
OF the fluid complete number OF turns aroun
the shaft before reaching the exhaust, covering
in the meantime lneai path some II to l6 fee
in length During It's progress from inlet to es
haust. the velocity and pressure OF the steam ar