It was elegant. Simple—Just smooth disks stacked together—spinning from the force of steam or air flowing between them.

Not one fancy blade to break. Not one complicated component—The type of machine that begs questions about why no one thought of it sooner.

Efficiency is a mean one, though. Lovely as they are, those smooth disks cannot capture the fluid flow as effectively as standard turbine blades can—Tesla was depending on the boundary layer effect; it simply does not have the same force.

On its best day, Tesla’s design in tests hit perhaps 40% efficiency. The blades on modern turbines will provide you 90% or better—That’s the difference between making power and making excuses to your shareholders.

Yes, there were occasional flashes of success in Tesla’s turbine. Worked effectively with viscous fluids—such as oil or some industrial operations—The numbers simply do not add up, though, for producing significant power.

Also, lacking validity is the maintenance claim. Designed to last—Modern turbines, they’re built to last.—The blades might look delicate, but they’re tough as old boots. When they do need fixing, we know how to fix them.