The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1912-02-01

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 efficien-
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 single-stage steam turbine with atmos
pheric exhaust, weighing less than pounds per
H p which is contained within space measuring
feet by feet, by feet in height and which
accomplishes these results with thermal fall Of
only 100 BTU, that is about one-third 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 it's construction
should prove to possess such durability and
freedom from wear and breakdown as to place it
in these respects far in advance of any type of
steam gas motor of the present day.
Briefly stated, Tesla's steam motor consists of
set of fiat steel disks mounted on a 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 a series OF
blades or vanes, Tesla depends upon the fluid
properties of adhesion and vscosity-the attrac-
ton or the steam to the races or the DISKS ana
the resistance of it's particles to molecular sepa-
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
h the present case consists of rs fiat steel disks,
one one thirty-second Of an inch in thickness, OF
hardened and carefully tempered steel. The
rotor as assembled is 31A inches wide on the face,
by 18 inches in diameter and when the turbine
is running at it's maximum working velocity, the
so 900 lbs. per square inch. The rotor is mounted
in casing which is provided with two inlet noz'
zles for use 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 gas as the case may
be, is directed the periphery of the disks
through the nozzes (Which may be diverging,
straight or converging) where more or less of its
expansive energy is converted into velocity en-
ergy. When the machine is at rest the radlal
and tangential forces due to the and velo
city of the steam cause it to travel in a rather
short curved path toward the central exhaust
opening. 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 particles
of the fluid complete number OF turns around
the shaft before reaching the exhaust, covering
in the meantime lineal path some - to 16 feet
in length During its progress from inlet TO ex-
haust the velocity and pressure OF the steam are