Experimental Characterization of A Bladeless Air Compressor

Abstract The Tesla compressor is an innovative technology that offers a unique approach to fluid compression. Unlike traditional compressors that use rotating blades, bladeless compressors utilize closely spaced disks to create compression. The purpose of this article is to design a prototype Tesla air compressor with optimal design parameters and investigate the performance and loss characteristics based on numerical analysis and experimental demonstration. The prototype was tested at various speeds, with CFD simulations showing over 90% rotor-only efficiency at low mass flow rates. Coupling the rotor with the volute yields a 58% total-to-static efficiency at 14 g/s. At 4 g/s, the highest total-to-static pressure ratio is around 1.27. Experimental results show that leakage losses significantly reduce net mass flow, though pressure ratios match CFD predictions. A maximum isentropic efficiency of 32.4% was recorded, despite ventilation and leakage losses not modeled in the CFD. The compressor remained stable even at zero mass flow, with consistent pressure ratios in both CFD and experiments. Increasing radial clearance raises leakage and end wall power loss, primarily driven by unchanged axial clearance with the casing. To minimize leakage, a Teflon ring has been used as a first measure. Numerical calculations have indicated that the leakage rate is approximately 6 g/s at design speed. A brush seal-type solution can improve the sealing system to reduce leakage.