Making the Turbine Wheel for the Kamps Jet Engine

This is how I made the turbine wheel for my model jet engine based on the method in Thomas Kamps' book.
Some of the video was taken when I made the original wheel, and some was taken afterwards, using a scrapped turbine wheel blank to demonstrate the techniques I used. Both the turbine used in the engine and the scrapped blank are made from 'Hastelloy X'; a high temperature nickel alloy.
There are a lot more photos and information about the rest of the build on my website: misterg.org.uk/turbine-html/
Apologies for the slightly ropey audio in a couple of places.
00:00 - Introduction
00:28 - The setup
03:41 - Setting the first cut
05:03 - The first grinding operation (noisy!)
05:24 - Indexing
05:41 - More grinding (noisy)
06:32 - Setting the second cut
09:15 - Making the second cut (noisy)
09:40 - Making subsequent cuts
10:04 - Trimming the blades
10:50 - Narrow belt sander setup
11:19 - Refining the shape of the blades
13:00 - Shaping the concave faces
13:22 - Grinding the concave faces (noisy)
13:39 - The start of the correct profile
14:06 - The completed turbine wheel
15:16 - Last steps
15:54 - Turbine in operation (noisy)

[@MrCzarnm]

Great tutorial for all RC turbine enthusiast. My turbine wheel was milled on cnc mill using cheap end mill for aluminium each could work up to 2 blades in inconell.

[@Mister_G]

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.

[@joemgj]

Thanks for sharing. I am also building the kamps turbine. 😀

[@Mister_G]

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/

[@joemgj]

@@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. kzbin.info/www/bejne/bHa5lJ-lbpd7gc0si=P2j6GOYhVTZgdWqo

[@shewagdhanush1391]

I wish I had as much patience as you.

[@Mister_G]

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

[@mmmhi9906]

​@@Mister_G😊

[@merxellus1456]

That is really awesome.... Do u make the Impeller/compressor from ur old Jet engine video as well? If yes and u ever make one again.. A video of the process would be exciting!

[@Mister_G]

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.

[@Cybernetic_Systems]

Very nice! I don’t hand that kind of patience and would have built some sort of CNC jig.

[@Mister_G]

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...

[@Cybernetic_Systems]

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

[@synth1002]

Nice improvisations. Can you upload some video with exact this turbine to show that it runs? Are stator blades made exactly the same? Why can't this be also used as compressor?

[@Mister_G]

Hi - there are two other videos on my channel that show the engine with this turbine wheel in action: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gWLIqqxti56ml9U and kzbin.info/www/bejne/mXamdpKOhrSlmrM 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.

[@synth1002]

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

[@Leonardo_de_Brito_Soares]

The compression wheel needs to be lighter than those in exhaust?? Or it doesn't make difference?

[@Mister_G]

The engine has been designed (by Thomas Kamps) for a certain mass flow rate and pressure rise based on the characteristics of the compressor wheel (a commercial turbocharger part). The turbine wheel needs to fit in with that design.

[@brambo4776]

Great work! I build more the 40 turbine engines..Fd3 kamps artres....Goodluck.

[@Mister_G]

Thank you! 😃

[@user-gp9kb7tv3u]

مدهش 👋🇰🇼

[@user-ym3ub7dm7e]

How do you balance it? I’m confused how people balance their home made jet engines

[@Mister_G]

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.

[@ahmddeb2001]

Great job my friend what kind of metal is this

[@Mister_G]

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

[@PenninkJacob]

👍❤👍

[@Mister_G]

Thanks :)

[@user-yq1tf2jh9j]

how much could you get all the equipment for?

[@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.

[@user-fz8ic2mp6x]

can you do a video on balancing please im building an fd3 atm

[@Mister_G]

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.

[@ahmddeb2001]

Can i use chrome instead of nickel?

[@Mister_G]

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.

[@Quatuux]

Good job but at this point just buy a CNC lathe/mill or ask someone to do it for you 😂

[@Mister_G]

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

[@Quatuux]

@@Mister_G Have you considered SLS 3D printing?

[@Mister_G]

@@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.)

[@YOUTUBE.COM.EZEQUIELRF32CNC]

I am also building a project like this I am assembling a 5 axis cnc to build the turbine 🤝

[@Mister_G]

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