Build a 15,000 rpm Tesla Turbine using hard drive platters

Step 2: Make or reuse spacers

The ideal spacing between the platters depends on several variables including the fluid viscosity, velocity, and temperature. You could go through the calculations (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navier-Stokes_equations) and make a set of spacers, or be lazy and just reuse the spacers from the disassembled hard drives.

I was lazy and reused the spacers that were originally in between the platters. The advantage to this is that they'll have the same inside diameter as the platters. They're about .050" thick where the ideal spacing is closer to .012" but the increased distance doesn't make that big a difference in this case.

Comments

[DehLeprechaun]

could i simply use a few magnets or rubber o rings?

[dellmang187]

i can use this turbine to power some small experiments right

[LonleyExperiments]

where all a little lazy no worry's