A hobbyist built a functional bladeless Tesla turbine generator using Lego and 3D-printed discs. The project involved testing multiple disc materials (PLA, PLA Tough, PETG, PC, TPU), with PLA Tough yielding the best RPM performance. A custom generator was designed to overcome low torque at startup, and a CVT was eventually replaced with metal gears. The final build achieves roughly 14W at 30V using 85 PSI air input — enough to charge a phone or power an LED panel. Design files are available on MakerWorld.
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