Making the Turbine Wheel for the Kamps Jet Engine 

Hi - Thanks very much! The finished turbine wheel is the one inside the jet engine running in my other videos. The compressor wheel is a commercial turbocharger spare part.

Hi - there are two other videos on my channel that show the engine with this turbine wheel in action: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-K1eyy7V9sas.html and ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-cECE_XQOrdQ.html The stator (NGV) blades are fabricated from stainless steel (as they don't experience the same stresses as the rotating turbine wheel) - there are pictures on my website (see description for link). You would need several such wheels with stators in between to make a multi stage axial compressor that would have a high enough pressure ratio for a jet engine (they wouldn't need to be high temperature alloy though). Far easier to use a single stage radial compressor (i.e. turbocharger wheel) - they're readily available and comparatively cheap. Thanks for watching, and for taking the time to comment.

@@Mister_GThen, it's really fascinating. Thanks for the info!

I would love to see that when it's finished. 👍

My turbine was only statically balanced as an assembly with the shaft. The shaft is straight and true; the compressor wheel is dynamically balanced by the manufacturer, and a shrink fit on the shaft, so the only thing that should be out of balance is the turbine wheel. Getting this in static balance should mean that the assembly has reasonable dynamic balance. Stage 1 - with the turbine mounted on the shaft, and bearings installed, you gently rock it to and fro, and the turbine settles with its heavy spot at the bottom. Remove a bit of metal from the heavy spot and try again, until it doesn't have any bias towards a particular position. Step 2 - hold the assembly by one of the bearings between finger and thumb and use a gently stream of compressed air to spin the turbine. Add a small piece of tape (about 5mm x 5mm) and move it around on the turbine until you feel the least vibration through your fingers. Remove a small amount of metal opposite the tape and try again. You eventually get to the point where you can't feel any vibration, and adding the tape anywhere makes things worse. I think that's OK for this engine, as it 'only' revs to ~100k RPM. For faster speeds, dynamic balancing is probably required, and people have built various machines using piezo transducers under each bearing to do that.

Hi, I don't plan on making a balancing video - it's easier to do than it sounds if you follow the instructions in the book.

Thanks :) CNC would be great, but machining these nickel super-alloys can be tricky - they work harden easily and they're really tough on tools (much worse than stainless). If you've got the facilities though...

@@Mister_G good point, my CNC machine couldnt cope with that type of alloy.

Thanks very much! I can well believe the tool life - it took three, good quality, hacksaw blades to slit the turbine disc, and I think Hastelloy X is probably a bit easier than inconel.

Good luck with your build - I've put a lot more info about my build on my website if you are interested: misterg.org.uk/turbine-html/

@@Mister_G again - thank you Mister G for sharing this video. I have made my turbine wheel using your wisdom. Your video explained and showed me everything I needed to know besides what thomas kamps wrote in his book. Today I had my first successful run on propane. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-6EVclo92HKk.htmlsi=P2j6GOYhVTZgdWqo

Thank you! It is 'Hastelloy X' - a nickel alloy intended for high temperature use.

Thank you! 😃

Thank you! 😁 - it really doesn't take as long as you might expect.

​@@Mister_G😊

It would be cheaper to buy a cast wheel than to buy all the equipment just for this, but if you already have a lathe it's just normal workshop tools.

Thanks :)

Hi - You would need to choose something that was intended for high temperature use in a fairly aggressive environment. Pure nickel or chrome won't be suitable, it has to be an alloy of some sort to get the necessary properties. Hastelloy X is 47% Ni, 22% Cr, 18% Fe, 9% Mo, 1.5% Co & 0.6% W.... So not a simple material. Most suitable materials will be nickel alloys.

Thank you - I don't think I'd get many volunteers for CNC machining nickel super alloy 😉

@@Mister_G Have you considered SLS 3D printing?

@@Quatuux I haven't, but it would seem to be a realistic proposition for complex parts in inconel 718. No idea of the cost involved. (I have seen rocket motor components being SLS printed at very well known rocket and electric car manufacturing company in California.)