Diagram of a Tesla Turbine¹
| Industry | Energy Generation |
|---|---|
| Title | Research & Development Student Intern |
| Dates Active | Jan 2010 – Dec 2011 (12 months) |
| Location | Boulder, CO |
The Tesla Turbine
Turbines can be used to transform the energy of a fluid (such as steam or compressed air), into mechanical energy. Tesla turbines (also known as “bladeless turbines”) rely on the friction of the fluid on plates rather than vanes. This is called the boundary layer effect.
Boundary Layer Effect as fluid passes over a plate.²
As the fluid drags over the plates, it loses a little bit of energy and gets pushed towards the exhaust ports in the center.
Tesla turbines boast very high efficiency (up to 95%) and are much smaller than equivalent power rated turbines.
Research & Development
Toucan Design Inc. has provided many CU students with real-world engineering experience through internships and university sponsored projects. I helped maintain one of the turbine fixtures on the CU campus, modifying various parts. I also assisted the graduate design team with a seal design trade study. I gained a new perception on the engineering design process.
Summary:
- Worked independently and remotely on research and development of micro steam turbine
- Communicated designs via SolidWorks and drawings
- Assisted graduate design team with trade study
- Modified, set up, and troubleshot test fixtures
Resources:
- Harris, William. “How the Tesla Turbine Works” 14 July 2008. HowStuffWorks.com. <http://auto.howstuffworks.com/tesla-turbine.htm> 13 April 2011.
- “Boundarylayer.png”. Original Image courtesy of Symscape <http://www.symscape.com/>. Source: <http://www.symscape.com/node/447>. 13 July 2007.
