Tesla turbine (bladeless disc turbine)
Turbina de Tesla (turbina de discos sin álabes)
- Date
- 1913 · confidence high
- Place
- New York, United States
- Credited to
- Nikola Tesla
- Field
- Matter & energy
What it is
A turbine patented in 1913 in which the fluid drives a stack of smooth discs by viscosity and boundary layer rather than pushing blades. It works as a pump or turbine, although its practical efficiency was limited.
US patent 1,061,206 (1913). It remains the subject of research for niche applications; it did not replace bladed turbines.
What it led to
- boundary-layer turbomachines
- disc pumps for viscous and abrasive fluids