trNITED STATES, PATENT OFFICE.

l!1IXOLA TEStA., OF JTEW yoP.x, IT. Y.

V .A.L~ CO:NDt11'l.

1,329,559.

IpeClUlcatiCln ot Letter. Patent.

\ .

Patented Feb. 3, 1920 -.

Application !led ~ebruary 21, 1818, leriallio. 78,703.' Benewed h17 8, 1918. lerial,)fo. 8OB,482.

To au wll..o'/n it may concern:'·. direction, other than surface friction, 'con-

Be it known thn.t I, NIKOLA T,f!:Hr.A, a oiti- Rtitnte an ulmost impassable barrier to its, zen 9f the United States, residing at New flow in the opposite ~nHeby l'~lI,son of the York, in the county and State of New York, more 0.1' less' sudden eX'pafl!liol!~' contractions} have invented certain new and useful Im- .deflectiona, reversala of direction, stops ana provements in Valvular Conduits, of which, Htarts and attendant < ru,pidlysucceeding the following is' a full, clear, and exact de- transformationsof the pressure and velocity

scription. . ' . energies,

In Jn2st of the machinery universall¥ em- For the full and complete disclosure of

ployed for the development, .transmission . the device and of its mode of action referand transformation of mechanical energy, ence is made to the accompanying drawings

fluid impulses are made to pass, more or in which- . . . ,

less freely, through suitable channels or-con- '. ,Figure 1 is a hOl'izontill projection of such 'dnits in one direction while their return is Ii. valvular conduit with the top plate re-

effectively 'checked or entirely prevented. moved. , ' . .

This function is generally performed by de- Fig. 2 is side view of the same in eleva-

vices designated as valves, comprising care- tion. ", ,

'fully fitted me~bel's the precise relapve ~ Fig. 3 is 1\ diagram. illustrative of the ,apmovements of which nre essential to the effi. plication of the device to n fluid propelling. cient and reliable operation of the appa· machine such ns, a reciprocating' pump or

ratus, The necessit;y of, and absolute d~ compressor,..3nd .

pendence on these, limits the machine in . F'ig, 4 is 11 plan showing the manner in many respectsi detracting from its practical which the inyention is/or may be .~,to value and-adding greatly to its post of man- operate a fluid propelled rotary engine or

ufacture and maintenance, As a rule the turbine. ',.'

valve is II. delicate contrivance, very liable Referring to Fig. 1,.1 is n casi'ng of, metal to wear and get out of order and thereby 01' , other' suitable material which may be imperil' ponderous, complex and costly cast, milled or pressed ·from sheet in the mechanism and, moreover, it fails to .meet desired form. From its side-walls extend althe requirements when th~ impulsea are. ex- .tel.'nlltivel,Y projections terminating in bucktremel.r s!ldd~n. 01' rapid in sif"cc~onandets 2 whicli, to facilitate man~f&Ctlire' are the fluid IS highly heated or, corrosive, . congruent and spac~ ~t equal distances, but

Though these' and . other correlated facts need not be. In addition to these there are were known: to thevetj earliestpioneers in independent, palti~ions 3 which are deemed the science and art. of mechanics, no remedy .0£. advantage and the purpose 'of which will has as yet been found or prop~Sed to date .be made clear. Nipples 4 and 15, .one at each so far as I' am aware,' and I believe that I ' end, are provided for pipe connection. 'The 'am the first to discover or invent any means, bottom is solid and the upper' or open side which permit the 'performance of the above is closed, by a. fitting plate 6 as' shown in functionwith,out the use of, moving~ parts, Fig. 2. When desired any number ofsuch and which it is the object of this appIicationpiecea may be joined in 'series, thus maJring to d~ribe! ., ' "). ..' . ,uJ> a vo.lvular~conduit o~ such length as the

,Br.Iefly,'expl'essed, the advance' I have circumstances may require, " ,

a.chiev~ 'consists in, the employment of ,a ' . In elucidation of th.e mode of operation peculiaf channel orconduit charactized by let it be. assumed that the, medium under valvular action. .' " '. ' ': pressure be 'admitted ,at 5 •. Evidently its

The inyeIilion c~ be e~bo9ied in.many _approxima~ path wi]l ~ as indicate~ by COnstructlo~ greatly varied. m 'detall, ,but'the dotted lirie .1, which ,18 nearly straIght, for the eXplanation of the underlying prin-: , that is to 8&Y, if the channel be' of adequate ciple it may be brondl,. stated that the in- cross-Section, the flliidwill encounter a very terior of tlie conduit IS provided. with en- small resistance,and pass through freely largements, recesses, proJectionsl baftles or and undisturbed, at least to a degree. Not buckets -whieh, .while offering VIrtually no so if the entrance be at the opposite end 4. l'esista~ce to the piUJSl\ge of ~he llUid, in one In ,this case t.beftow.wi11 not be smooth

"

an~ cont!nuous1, but intermittent, the. fluid cyclic processes in a given length is an be~ quickly deflected and reversed lJl di- obvious conclusion, but there is no direct' rection, set in whirling motion, brought to proportionality because the successive "Mrest and again accelerated" theseprocesses tions diminish in intensity, Definitelimits, following one another in rapid .succeasion, however, are set constructively 'and otherThe partitions, 3 serve to direct the str~m- wise to the number of elements per unit u;>on the buckets and to intensify the ac- length of the channel, and the most eeonominona "causing violent surges and eddies cal design can only. be evolved through long,

which interfere very materially with the ' eXE8rience., - ;.

flow through-the conduit, It will be readily Quite apart from any mechanical features observed that the resistance ofered to . the of the device the character of the impulses pQ$S8.~ of the inedium will be considerable has a decided influence on its porformance even If it be under constant pressure, but, and the bestresults- will be secured, when the impediments will be of full effect only there are produced at 4, sudden variations when it is supplied in pulses and, more es- of pressure in relatively long intervals, pecia.llYl when the same are extremely sud- while a. constant pressure ismaintainedat den' and of high frequency.' In order to . 5. Such is the case in one of its most valub~ the fluid ~asses to rest and to high able industria.l applications which will, be

velo~ty in short intervals of time energy specifically described. , ' ,

must be furnished at arste which is unat- In order to conduce to a better undertainable, the result being that the impulse .standing, reference may first be made to Fig. cannot penetrate very far before it, sub- 3 which illustrates another special use and sides a.nd~ives rise to movement in the in which 8 is a piston fixed to a shaft 9 and opposite directlon. 'The device not. only fitting freely in a cylinder 10. ,The latter is acts as a. hinderment to tve bodily return . closed at both ends by flanged heads 11 and' of particles but -also, in a' measure,as a' 12 having sleeves or stuffing boxes 13 and ,14: check to the propagation of a. disturbance for the shaft. Connection between the two through the medium, 'Its effica.cy i'i chiefly compartments, 15 and 16, of the cylinder is determined; first, by the magnitude of the established through a. valvularconduit and ratio 'Of the two resistances offered .to dis- each of' the heads is similarly equipped. turbed and toundisturbed flow,respeQ.tively, For the sake of simplicity these devices are in ~e directions .from 4 to 5 and from 5 to ~i~r~matical~y s~own, the. solid arrows 4; m each individual element 6f the con- indicating the direction of undisturbed flow. duit ; second, by the number of complete Anextension of the shaft 9 carries a second

'cycles of action taking place in a given ,piston 17 accurately ground to and sliding length of the valvular channel and, third, ea;siIy in-n cylinder 18 'Closed at the ends by by the character of the impulses themselves. ' plates and sleeves as usual. Both piston A fa.iridea may be, gained from simple and cylinder are provided with inlet and theoretical considerations. outlet 'portsmarked, respectively, 19 and ~O. , . Examining more closely the mode of op- This arrangement is familiar, being repreeration it will be seen that, in passing from sentative of a prime r,nover of myinvention. one to the next bucket in the direction of termed "mechanical oscillator", with which disturbed flow, the fiuidundergoes two it is practicable to vibrate asystem of concomplete reversals or deflections through 180 siderable weight many thousand times per

. degrees while it suffers only two small de- minute. ,,' , , '

,via.tions from -about 10 to 20 degrees when' Suppose now that such rapid oscillations' moving in the opposite sense. ' In each case are imparted by this or other means to the the loss of head will be proportionate to a, piston' R Bearing in mind the proceedin-g, hydraulic ~coefficient dependent on the angle th~ operation of theappa~tus wjll be unof deflection from which It follows that, derstood at a glance. While-'movmg In the for the same velocity,t,he ratio of the two direction of the solid arrow, from 12 to 11. ~sistanceS will be as that of the two coeffi- the' piston 8 will compress the air or other cients, The theoretical value of this ratio medium in the compartment 16 and expel it ' maybe 200 or -more, but must be taken as from the same, the devices in the piston and appreciably less although the surface fric- head 11 acting, reSpectively, as closed and 'bon too is greater in the direction of dis- open valves. 'During the movement of the turbed flow. In order to keep it 8.8 large piston in the opposite direction, from 11 to as possible,aharp bonds should be avoided, 12, the medium which has meanwhile filled for these will add to both resistances and re- the chamber 15 will be transferred to comduce ~e efficiency. ~~never practicable, partment 16, egress being p'reven~ by the the piece should be straight ; the next best device In head 12 and that In the piston alis the circular form. lowing free passage. These processes will

, That the, peculiar -function of such a con- ~ repeated in very ouick succession. ' If the duit is enhanced by increasing the number nipples 4 and 5 are',put in communication .of buckets or elem~ts. and, consequently, with independent reservoirs, the oscilla-

1,329,15159.

a·

r. .

t!orid of thepiston 8 will result in ~ ~omfi'e&o. these is, normally, open. to the 'atmosphere sion of the 1\.11' l\t 4 and l'IU"efu.ctlOn 0 tho while the other connects to II. source of fuel R\\IIIC Itt 5. . Obviously, thQ valvular chlm-supply" I\S a gns main 28; The bottom of uel",. hcinJt turned tho other way, as inell- . the combustion chamberterminatesin II- suiteated .by dotted lines in the lowerpal'tof oble nozzle 29 which' consists of separate the figure, the opposite will take place. The . piece. of heu.t.l"eSisting matel'iall. To regulate (hwk't'H in the piston have been shuwllJllel'sly the influx of the explosion cOTlHtituents and by wily of- sl1JtgestiQn and can be dispensed secure the propel' mixture the nil' and ~ns with. l~l\ch of the chambers 15 and 16 be- conduits IU"e equipped, respectively; with ing connected to two -eonduita IlB illustrnted, valves .ao and 31, The exhaust openings the vilnutions of I\. solid-piston ns 8 will 32.of the rotor should be in communication have the same effect and the machine will with ,,' ventilator, preferably carried on the then be 1\ double l\Cting pump 01' compressor, . same shaft and of lUly suitable construction, It. is likewise unessential that the medium Its use, however, while advantllgeoust is' not should be admitted to the cylinder throngh indispensable the suction J;ll'Odnced by the such devices for in certain instances llQl"ts, turbine l'OtOl' itself being, m some cases. l\t Il-lt.ernntely· closed and opened by the piston least, . 8Ufficientto insure pl'operwol'king~ lU"y serve the purpose. AF. " matter of This detail is omitted from the'dmwing as, . course, this novel method. of propelling fluids unessential to the undel'standing, .. ' '. .

can be extended to multistage working in' .But 1\. few words will be needed to' .make which case a. number of pistons will be .. em- clear the mode.of operation. The air valve 30 ployed, preferably on the same shaft and of heinJt. open and: SPIll"lcin. g .established acrosS cliH:erent diameters inconformity with well terminals 27, the glUl iiturned on slowly unestablished principles of mechanical design, til the mixture in the chl\'1riher 241'etlchesthe In this way any desired-ratio of eompres- critical state and is ignited. Both the consion or degree of". ra.refaction may be at- duits belmvirlg,' with respect to efflux, I\S tained, " . '. . . closed' valves, the products of .combustion . " ~i~ .. 4, exempJifiE':'i.1\. pft;rticull\.rly, valuable rush out' through the nozzle .29aCquir!llg still o.pphcatl"on of the. invention to which refer-. gren.ter velocity by expansion and, impartenee baabeen made I\bove.· .The drawing mg their momentumtothe roto1'21,Rbnt it shows in -vertical Cl'OSS section a. turbine from rest.. Upon: the subsidenceof the ex-

which . may be of any tyPe but.is in this in- plosion the pressure in .the. chamber sinks stance one invented.ll;rid described 'by me and below the annospheric owing. to .the· pump-

. supposed to be famlhar to 'engtneers, Suffice· mg action of the rotor or ventilator and new itto state that the rotor 21 of the sRnie is COIII- . ail' andgas ispeuuitted to enter, cleaning , 'posed of fll\tplateswhich are set in motion' ·the cavity' and channels-and making up a through. the adhesive andviscous lictioriof fresh mixture which is detonated as.before, the wOl'kingflllid, enteringthe'system·tl\oll- and so on.1 the-successive impulses of the gentially atthe.periphery andleaving it at. working nuidproducing an i.lmostoonthe ce~ter, Such II; machine.is. '.1\. thermo- . t!nuous rotlll'yeffol"t. After" sholt lapse of dynamIC transformer of.a.nnctl"vlty .surpass- time the chamber becomes heated to such iL ing by fl\1' 'that 'of any other prime mover, . degree that the iWlitioJi device .rulty be shut it being demonstrated in pl;a.Ctice that each off without disturbing theesta.blishCd regime, singl~ disk of. the r~ iscapable of per- This manner ofstn~tinJt the turbine involves fonmng I\S ,much· work ass. whole bucket- t~e. employment !>f ~ unduly lll-l'gecolllbllswheel. Besides, a number· of other advan- tion chamber which IS not eommendahle from ta~, eqwilly important,' make it especially the economic point of view, for not only does a.dapted foropel"lltionasan'internaloombus- . it entail increased beat losses but the' extion motor, This rriaybedone in 'many plosionscarinotbe made to follow one an. wnys, but the simplest and.m~ direct plan other with such rapidity ns wouldbe desirof\vhicll I I\.m aware iii! the one illustrated able to insure the best vnlvlllar action, here, Refen·in~n~a.iI} to ~edrlLwing,.theW1wn the chnJ~hcr ill small I\.n auxiliary upper part of the turbine casing 22 has bolt- means for 'stlntmg, RS compressed air, mll,y ed !'<> it I\. separl~te casting' 23, the, central 1)(\ l'(~"olie~ to .nnd a very quick succession Cl\vltY'24 of wInch forms the combustion . of explosions carr then he obtained, The c!U\mbel',. To .J?l"event inj ury throughexees- freqlleru:y will be the greater the. stl'on~,:r srve helltmg a.Jacket 25 mny be used, ()l' else the suction, and may, under certain -eondiWlttel' injected, and when' these means are tiona, renchhllruireds and even thousands objectionable recourse may 'be had to air 1)(11' second. It scarcely need liestated that cooling, this all thamore l"endily IlS very instead of one several explosion chambers high ~mperl\t~res are practicable. Th~top lHRJ be used for cooling purposesand also of c~tmg 23 is closed by fI, pl,nte, 2~ wl~h I\. to increase the. number. o-f active pulses and

spR.l'kmJt or hot wire J>lug 27 and In Its Sides . the output of the machine, ' .

are. Sc'''ev.:ed two valvular conduits communi- . Apparatus as illustrated in Fig. 4 preeating' WIth the central chamber 24, One of sents the advantages orextl'emesimplicity,

eheupno .... "l UIH} reliability, t1WI'C bcillg' 110

'C(llII}>I'l'.H,·IOJ', IJlII'I{(!ts OJ' tr-ollhlt·.·;(lIIW val VlI mecluurism. )t also permits, with thn uddition of eertuiu well-known Iwcc'.."lsoriclH, till! use of any kind of fuel und thu« IImcts tho 1'1'c."''1ill~ IIllc~'.ssit,'y of IL self-eontuincd, powerful, 1tg'lIt and compact internul . COlli II II 1'1- tion motor for gelUll'al work. 'Vlum the uttninment of tIm hig\.l''..'lt (!Ili(~imw'y ,is the ehief object, IlS III 1I11l.('IIIIWI'I of IUI'g'll 1'I1lf,(I, th(\ (IX.

J)Jm;i\'ll constituentswill 11(', .HIIJlI)Ii'~d under li~h lll'(\."''llll'll 11I\(1 provision uuu e for maintluning IL VIIC11l1ll1 ut the exlnutst, Such RI'rungements IU'eClllito. fumiliur uml lend themselves /i() easily to this illlp,'ovelllClllt thut an enlargement on th is su II jnj't . is c leeined unnecessary.

The foregoing- description will reudily Hllgg'~t to experts ·111 odification» both lUi r't\g'I~l'c1s construction und upplicution of tho device nnd r do not wish to limit myself in t.lm"ill 1't!SI)(I(:b;, The br'c)acl nnc}(\l'lying idea of the invention is to permit tho free pasSllglI of It fluid tlll'olll!h It channel ill 'the direction of tlltl flow unrl to prevent its return thl'Clllf!h friction und HUlSS resistance, ~hus enabling tire performnnce of valve functions without Imy moving parts and thereby ,extending the scopeund usefulness of an JIIlmense variety of mechanicul uppliunces. .

I do not claim the methods of and npparatns for the propulsion of fluids and thermodynamic transformation of enerl--ry heroin disclosed, as these will be mude suhjC'.cts of

separate applications. " ,

. I am aware thnt asymmetrical conduits have been constructed und their usc proposed in connection with engines, hut these have no similarity either in their construc-: tion or manner of employment with my valvular conduit, They wore incnpnhle of n.ctin~ as valves proper, for tho flllid wns merely arrested m pockets und deflected through 900, this result having ILt best only 21i% of the efficiency attained in the construetion herein described, In the conduit I have designed the fluid, ns stn.ted Move, is deflected in en.ch cycle through 8GO°, and nco-efficient approximating 200 can be obtained so thntthe device nets ns a slightly leaking valve, and for thnt reason the term "vILlvulnr" has been given to it in contrast to asymmetrical conduits, ILS heretofore proposed, which were not valvular i,n action, but merely asymmetrical. as to resistance.

Furthermore, the conduit!'! heretofore constructed were intended to be used in connection with slowly reciprocating machines, in which case enormous conduit-length would be necessary, nIl this rendering them devoid of practical value, By the use of an effective valvular conduit, as herein described, [mel the employment of pulses of very hig-h frequency, I am able to condense I?Y n.ppILratus and secure such perfect action as to

1,329,669

clisH(JIlSH slIce(lss(lIl1y with vulves ill numerous forms of l'tl(:ipl'O(:lltill~ 1~1Ic1 I"OtlLI''y C'lIgines,

The high elllcieuoy of. tIm device, iJ'I'Cspective of the character of the pulses, is <1U6 to two causes: fin;t, rapid reversal of direction of flow and, second, great relutive velocity of the colliding fluid col limns, As will be reudily seen each bucket ClUlSll.<; IL deviation through an angle-of 1800, and another change of 1800 occurs in ··onch of the spaces: between two adjacent buckets, That is to say, from the time the fluid enters or JClWC.'! OnG of thB l'CCCSSCS to it'l PiL"i.<.;:tg-(! into, or exit from, the one following n conipleto cycle, or deflection tlu'ough 3000, is effm:t(!tl. Observe now that tho velocity is hilt sl igMI V reduced in the reversal HO that tho inemning and deflected fluid columns meet with a relative speed, twice that of the flow, and the cnerl."Y of their impact is four times grel~tel' than with I.L deflection of only !l0°, as might be obtained with pockets slich :\S

. have been employed in nsymmetricnl conduits for vnrious p11l'P()~' The filet is, however, thut in these such deflection is not. secured, tlw pocketsuemuining fil1(\(l with eompuruti vely quiescent flnid nnd the latter following- IL winding puth of Ienst resist- 11Il(:<I between the .obstacles interposed, In such conduits the action cannot be churnctt'i'ilf,(lcl as "vILlvltlILr" because some of tho Huirl tan puss almost unimpeded in 1\ direction opposite to the normal flow, In rny construction, IL'I above indicated, th" rcsist- 1llH!(~ in the reVCl'HC may be 200 times thnt in UIO normal direction, Owing to this It compurati vely very small number of buckets 01' elements .is required for checking the fluid. To give 1\ concrete idea, suppose that the ]H.I\k from the first element is represented

by the fra.ction *' then aftor thn· n.th bucket

is traversed,only a.quantit'y (~y will (\8- cape and it is evident that X need not he IL lnrge number to secure 1\ nearly perfect valvular action,

Whilt I clnim is:

1. A . valvular conduit' hnving interior walls of such conformation as to permit tho ·fl~(''(1 pl~s.'Iage of fluid through it in the direction of flow but to ~mhjoct it to rapid roversuls of direction when impelled Tn the opposite sense nnd tllClrehy to pro vent its return by friction and mMS resistunce. .

2, A vnlvular vconduit composed of IL

. dosed passageway hnving recesses in its walls so formed IL.~ to permit IL fluid to pass fl,(lel'y through it· in tho direction of now. but to subject it to rnpirl reversals of dircotion when impelled in an opposite sem,(\ unr] thereby interpose friction and mass ]'(\<;ist.unco to the return plL<;sage of thosnme.

3, A valvular conduit composed of n tube

1,UO,060

01' pnssageway with·. rigid·~teriorwalls . v.ersals of directiOn: thrOugh 360°· and therefonnC"d with 0. series of·receIJSes or pockets by check. their·.progi'ess when impelled in

with surfaces that reverse a fluid tending the OPPOSIte sense. ... .. .. .•... . .

to flow in one direction therein and thereby .. r , A valvular: conduit With rigid interior ('~eck . 01' prevent flow of the lluid in that· walls w~ich~t fluid. im.~ to flow direction. . through It freeIym one direetlon, formed at

... , .\ valvular conduit-with rigid interior .~. plurality 'of points to. reverse suo.~· flui~ wulls of such character as to offer substan- . impulseswhen-impelled ui theopposite di-

tiallvno obstacle tothe passage through it rection andchecs' their flow. . .'

of flnid impulses in one direction, but to . 7. A valvularcondw. 't with rigid interior subject the fluid to rapid reversals of direc- walls hllV~ ~ets orreOOsses, and trana-. tion nnd thereby oppose and eheck impulses ·versely inchnediritermedia.te bafiles to perin the opposite sense, '.. mit the free passage of fluid impulses in one

ii . .A valvular conduit with rigid interior direction but to deflect and check the.ni. when

walls formed-to permit fluid impulses UD.der impelled in the opposite direction. .

pressure to pass freely through it in. one In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

direction, but to subject them to rapid re- .. NIKOLA TESLA. .

N. TESlA.

VALVULAR CONDUIT.

APPLICATION fiLED fEB. z i, 1916. RENEWED JULY 8,1919.

Patented Feb. 3, 1920.

INVENTOR

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