N. TESLA. FLUID PROPULSION. APPLIOATION FI.LED OOT.21, 1909.

Patented May 6, 1913.

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UNITED

S~rAT]£~ NI~OLA

PATENT OFFICE.

TESLA, OF NEW YORK, N. Y. FLUID PROPULSION.

1,061,142.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed October 21, 1909.

Patented May 6,1913.

Serial No. 523',832.

To all whom it may concern: in the dire~tion of movement. These effects, 55 Be it known that I, NtKoLA TESLA, a citi- in themselves, are of daily observation, but zen of the Uni~, d States, residing at New I believe that I am the first to apply them in York, in the cOUl~ty and State of New York, a practical and economical manner for im~ 5 have invented certain new and useful Im- parting energy to or deriving It from a fluid. provements in Fluid Propulsion, of which The subject of this application is an in- 60 the following is a full, clear, and exact de- ventioI! pertaining to the art of imparting " "energy to fluids, and I shall now proceed to scription. In the practical application of mechanical describe its nature and the principles of con10 power based on the use of a fluid as the ve- struction of the apparatus which I have dehicle of energy, it has been demonstrated vised for carrying it out by reference to the 65 that, in order to attain the highest economy, accompanying drawings which illustrate an the changes in, velocity and direction of 'operative and efficient embodiment of the .movement of the fluid should be as gradual same. 15 as possible. In the present forms of such Figure 1 is a partial end view, and Fig. apparatus more or less sudden changes, 2 is a vertical cross section- of a pump or 70 shocks and vibrations are unavoidable. Be- compressor constructed and adapted to be sides, the employment of the usual devices operated in accordance with my invention. In these drawings the device illustrated for imparting energy to a fluid, as pistons, 20 paddles, vanes and blades, necessarily in- contains a runner composed of'a plurality troduces numerous defects and limitations of flat rigid disks 1 of a suitable diameter, 75 and adds to the complication" cost of pro- keyed to a shaft 2, and held in position by a threaded nut 3, a shoulder 4 and washers 5, duction and maintenance" of the machine. The object of my present invention is to of the requisite thickness. Each disk has a 2,5 o,vercome these deficien~ies in aPI?aratus de- number of central openings 6, the solid porslgned for the propulSIOn of flUIds and to 'tions between which form spokes 7, prefer- 80 effect thereby the transmission and trans- ably curved" as shown, for the purpose of formation of mechanical energy through the reducing the loss of energy due to the impact age,ncyof fluids in a more perfect manner, of the fluid. The runner is mounted m a ,80 and by means simpler and more economical two part volute casing 8, haying stuffing ·than those heretofore employed. I accom- boxes 9, and inlets 10 leading to its central 85 , plish' this by causing the propelled fluid to portion. In addition a gradually widening move in natural paths or stream lines of and rounding outlet 11 is llrovided, formed least resistance, free from constraint and dis-' with a flange for 'connection to a pipe as 85 turbance such as occasioned by vanes or, usuaL The casing 8 rests upon a Ease 12, kindred devices, and to change its velocity . shown only in part, and supporting the bear- 90 and direction of movement by imperceptible ings for the shaft 2; which, being of ordinary degrees, thus avoiding the losses due to sud- construction, are omitted from the drawings. An understanding of the principle emden variations while the fluid is receiving 40 energy. bodied in this device will be ga,ined from It is well known that a fluid possesses, the following description of its lli,)de of 96 among others, two salient properties: ad- operation. Power being applied to the hesion and vi.scosity. Owing to these a body shaft and the runner set in rotation in the propelled through such a medium encoUD- 'direction of the solid arrow the fluid by 45 ters a peculiar impedim6nt known as." lat- reason 'of its properties of· adherence and eraI" or "skin resistance",' which is two-viscosity, upon entering, thro\lgh, the inlets 100 fold; one arising from the shock of the fluid. 10 and coming in contact with the disks 1 against the asperities of the solid substance, is taken hold of by the same ILnd, subje;~ted the other from internal forces opposing -to two forces, one acting tangentially in the 50 molecular separation. As an inevitable COIl- \lirection of rotation, and the other radially sequence, a certain amount of the fluid is outward. The combined effect of the.se tan- 105 dragged along by tm moving body. Con: gential and centrifugal forces is to propel versely, if the body be placed in a fluid in the fluid with continuously increasing ve- '." motion, f,or the same reasons, it is impelled locits. in a spiral path until it reaches the

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outlet 11 from which it is eject~d. This i:lg, preferably, mounted on the ~I\me ~hl\ft. spiral movement, free and undisturbed and It should be added that the same end mav essentially dependent on the :properties of be attained with one single rUllnel' by suitthe fluid, permitting it to adJust itself to able deflection of the flmd through rotative natural paths or stream lines and to change or stationary passages. 70 its velocity ani direction by :me1l':lihle aeThe principles underlying the invention grees, is characteristic of this method of are capable of embodiment also in that propulsion and advantageous in its applica- field of mechanical engineering which is tion. 'While traversing the chamber inclos-, concerned in the use of fluids HS motive ing the rumWj·, the particles of the finid agents, for while in some respects the nc- 75 may complete one or more turns, or hut [l tions in the latter case are directlv opposite part of one turn. In any given case their to those met with in the propulsion of fl'-1ids, path can be closely calculated and grltph~- the fundamental laws applicable in the two cally represented, but fairly accurate c",h- cases are the same. In other words, the mate C?f turns can be obtained simply' by rie- operation above described is reversible, for 80 termining the number of revolutIOns re- if water or air under pressure he admitted quired to renew the fluid passing through to the opening 11 the runner is set ill rotathe chHmber and multiplying it by the rati(; tion in the direction of the dotted arrow by hetween the mean speed of the fluid and Feason of the peculiar propertie.,;of the fluid that of the disks. I have found that the which traveling in a spiral path and with 85 quantity of fluid propelled in this manner continuously diminishing velocity, reaehes is, other conditions being equal, approxi- the orifices (j and 10 through which it is matelyproportionate to the active surface of discharged. When apparatus of the general character· the runner and to its effective speed. For this reason, the performance of such ma- above described is employed for the trans- 90 chines augments at an exceedingly high rate mission of power, however, certain deparwith the increase of their size and speed of tures from structural similarity between revolution. transmitter and receiver may be necessary The dimensions of the device as a whole, for securing the best result. I have, thereand the spacing of the disks in any given fore, included that part of my invention ~6 machine will be determined by the condi- which is directly applicable to the' use of tions and requirements of special cases. It fluids as motive agents in a separate applimay be stated that the intervening distance cation filed January 17, 1911, Serial No. should be the greater, the larger the diam- 603,049. It may be here pointed out, howeter of the disks, the longer the spiral path ever, as is eviden~ from the above consid- 100 of the fluid and the greater its viscosity. In .erations, that when transmitting power from general, the spa~ing should be such that the one shaft to another by such machines, any entire mass of the fluid, before leavin,g: the desired ratio between the speeds of rotarunner, is accelerated to a nearly umform tion may be obtained by propel' selection of . velocity, not much below that of the periph- the diameters of the disks, or by suitably 106 ery of the disks under normal working con- staging the transmitter, the receiver, or both. ditions and almost equal to it when the out- But it may be stated that in one respec~ let is closed and the particles move in con- at least,the two machines are essentially difcentric circles. It ma.y also be pointed out ferent. In the pump) the radial ?r static that such a pump can be made without open- pressure, due to centnfugal foroe, IS added 110 ings and spokes in the runner, as by using to the tangential or dynamic, thus increasone or more solid disks, each in its own CRS- ing the effective head and assisting in the ex- . ing, in which form. the machine will be pulsion of the fluid. In the motor, on the eminently adapted for sewage, dredgingnnd contrary, the first named pressure, being the like, when the water IS charged with opposed to that of supply, reduces the ef- 116 foreign bodies and spokes or vanes espe- fective head and velOCIty of radial flow .tocially objectionable. .ward the center. Again, in the pro~ed Another application of this principle machine a great torque is always desirable, which I have discovered to be not oruy this calling for an increased number of feasible, but thoroughly practicabl-e and effi- disks and smaller distance of separation, 120 cient, is the u~ilizationof machines such as while in the propelling machine, for numerabove d~ribed for the compression or rare- oUB economic reasons, the rotary e.ort faction of' air, or gases in generaL In' S\lch should be the smallest and the speed the cases it will be found that most of the gen- greatest practicable. Many other ooosideral considerations obtaining in the case of. erations, which will naturaHy ~ them- 126 liquids, properly interpreted, hold true. selves; may ailed the d~ign &D.a- construe~en, i~pective of th~ character of. the tiC?n, but the p~ing is ~ought ~ conflmd, conslderable l~es are desJ.red. tam all necessary information mthis restaging or compoun may be resorted to gard... . in the usual way the in ·vidual runners beIt will be understood that the principles 130

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of construction and operation above set forth, t~re capable (f embodiment in m~chines of the most widely di:fferent forms, and adapt. ed for the greatest vanety of purposes. Iil 5 the above, I have sought to describe and explain only the general and typical applicatiOllS of the principle which I believe I am the first· to realize and turn to useful account. 10 I do not claim in this application the method herein descrihed of imparting energy to a fluid, having made that discovery 1he subject of a cQpending applicat.ion Serial So. 735,D14. 15 What r claim is: _ 1. A machine for propelling or imparting energy to fluids comprising in comhination a plul'ality of spaced disks rotatably mounted and having plane surfaces, un inclosing cas~'Ij ing-, ports of inlet at the central portion of sai