Tesla turbine question !!

Hello!


Here is a small Tesla turbine:


[URL="http://www.epicphysics.com/model-engine-kits/tesla-turbine-kit/"]L[/URL]ink removed....


First of all, for some reason, he doesn't say how many PSI he puts in, to reach that 80-100K RPM goal.


Does anyone have a crude estimation of the PSI? Would it be in the area of 1-10 PSI or 10-20 PSI ? I saw other DIY style Tesla turbines on the web, that claim they use 20-40 PSI, so i guess that would be the range in this case as well, although somewhat a smaller turbine here?


Secondly, just from looking at the design and understanding the underlying principles of the Tesla turbine, does anyone know if it's possible to connect a small CD DC motor to the shaft and create the reverse operation? e.g. make the turbine act as a compressor?


If this is what will happen, when attaching a motor to the turbine, as is, with no changes at all, it will become a compressor, then my question is this:


Say the motor attached is as mentioned, a 50K RPM CD DC small motor. If he needed, say, 15 PSI, to create 50K RPM, does it mean that when i connect the 50K RPM motor, i will get back somewhere close to 15 PSI or much less?


Thanks a lot!

You need to contact the seller of the kit with these questions...

In theory, one of the basic flow principles of the Tesla turbine is that conformal flow equations show that the natural source to sink (high pressure to low pressure, ie high density state to low density state) flow configuration is a vortex and the resulting torque on the discs due to that vortex flow. Based upon that, what you want do violates that principle. But, this is the theoretical answer and is no substitute for experimentation. So, as Kelly states you would be best to contact those who have actual experience with the turbines.

Just as a note, I am a great fan of the Telsa turbine because many years ago while at Georgia Tech I was encouraged by Dr. Armstrong, a professor there at that time, to investigate the design of a gas turbine engine based upon the Tesla turbine design. Dr. Armstrong had done his Masters paper investigating the issue of the spinning disc stresses and cracking resulting from the exhaust holes near the inner the discs' inside diameter and his Doctorate investigating a disc design that eliminated a wave form that can occur on the spinning discs at high rotational speeds.
Ultimately, I did a theoretical design for a 250 HP automotive gas turbine and the toughest part of that project was developing the theoretical equation to convert the aerodynamic surface drag on the spinning discs into the resulting output shaft torque and I have always wondered how that equation would compare to an actual application.