Build an Amazing Tesla CD Turbine

Step 9 Fun Things To Do With The Basic Tesla CD Turbine

Well now that you built it, what can you do with this basic version of the Tesla CD Turbine?

1.) Put on your favourite old (scratched?) CD on top for the world to see. Call it the Worlds First Turbine-Powered CD Player!

2.) Paint on a Hypno-Disc and watch it intently for a few hours...

3.) Attach a water pressure gage and find out how water pressure affects speed of the discs. Get a digital laser Tach and make a graph of pressure vs RPM. Use the CD Turbine as a lawn sprinkler at the same time.

4.) Try altering the Nozzle to get better speed. Is it better with smaller or larger diameter nozzle? Flat or round outlet? What angle? E-mail me when you find out!

5.) OK, maybe you find all of the above too boring.

Well then, think of the awesome possibilities when I tell you how to get power out of this same CD Turbine, with a Magnetic Disc Pack and Magnetic Coupler.

Check out new videos in the new SinkScience series showing the CD Turbine in action, running at the kitchen sinkl on water faucet pressure...First movie below, check for latest at my YouTube/MrfixitRick

Also, check out pics of the awesome new model below; the Steampunk Parlour Room Tabletop version of the CD Turbine.

Also, see a wild CD Turbine-powered Skilsaw in my next Instructable!

Comments

[sUroJAPAN]

Hi, I'd like to ask you some question because I'm gonna make a Tesla CD turbine for my school fair like the one you did in one of your videos.
First of all, what's the right measure for magnets? In the video you said 1/32" thick x 1/4" and 1/2" thick x 1/2" on the top but here I see 1/32" x 3/8" and 1/2" x 1/2 on top.. So what's the right choose?
Second, do I have to put something on the bottom of the CD case? I don't know something to reduce friction or whatever..
Third, do I have to sigillate th CD case at the bottom?
Fourth, I'm trying to emulate your experiment so is the result the same if I use the "10CD's" option with bigger magnets on top?
Last question, to have a quite good pressure, (I need only to spin the turbine and to make the ball spin), what kind of pump do I have to buy?

Thank you very much in advance for answers
Keep going on with your experiments! They're really cool

R.

[mrfixitrick]

Hi R,
Thanks for your interest in the Tesla CD Turbine. It's really a worthwhile project!

It's simple, but not necessarily easy, as you will see.

You can use either of the 1/4 inch or the 3/8 inch magnets. 3/8 is better for more gluing surface, and better bottom-end torque and performance.

Sometimes I add a couple of loose cd's on the bottom for less friction, but what happens as the pressure and rpms rise, is that the CD's lift off the bottom anyway. It's more likely that a bearing is needed on the top, as the discs will rub at their outer edges on the top of the case. I've used shim washers for such a purpose, but my ultimate goal is a bearing-less turbine. Just fluid and magnetic bearings.

Sigillate is a new word for me! and yes, the case must be sealed at the bottom. Otherwise, the water will squirt out, and the internal pressure needed to run will not be there. I used a premium grade hot-glue. Most glues won't work. The thick-based Memorex cases work best for gluing and holding shut under pressure.

The result will be close with only 10 cd's instead of the 20-something I used originally. Lesser numbers CD's means you may have to use more pressure or flow to get the same torque. However, one nozzle can only really power 8-10 CD's efficiently.

Many pumps are only up to 20 psi. Try to find one with more than 20 psi (30 - 50 psi is good) and more than 20 litres per minute flow.

Good luck with it, and welcome to the Turbine Builder's Club!

Cheers,
Rick

[tomascivinod]

Is it better to have several layers of small magnets or One set of large ones on the top layer?

[mrfixitrick]

Good question!
The answer depends partly on what purpose you have in mind for the Tesla Turbine.

If extremely high speeds are involved, such as when running on 120 psi compressed air, then thin magnets between each disc layer is preferred. Omit the large top ones because they could fly off and do harm.

The large magnets are used when using water pressure as the driving medium for the turbine. For the best magnetic coupling for heavy-duty use (for example to mate with a blender), 6 of the 1/2 x1/2 inch N52 neodymium magnets on the top disc are best.

For my wonderful and tough "SinkScience" Tesla CD Turbine, I used both the thin 1/32 " magnets between discs and the 1/2 inch big ones on top.

[sivaramakrishnaiah]

for step9: 4.) Try altering the Nasal to get better speed. Is it better with smaller or larger diameter nasal? Flat or round outlet? What angle? Ans:5 deg. better position

[sp33dstix]

I would feel really unsafe knowing that in the event of the CD's exploding at those RPM's that the only thing saving me is that CD cover...

[mrfixitrick]

That' why I highly recommend a protective safety enclosure! Folks should never be beside or near a CD turbine at high rpm on air pressure. It can definitely explode at any moment, with CD shrapnel and broken magnets smashing through the CD case easily. I use a 6 inch diameter 1/8 wall thickness polycarbonate tube as a cover. It's the same material as bulletproof glass and is almost as strong as steel. I furthermore use a steel enclosure around that when running the turbine on compressed air. On water pressure, the rpm's are much less and there is little chance of injury from an explosion, but a bigger chance of a watery mess!