Nikola Tesla's valvular conduit is another one of his forgotten inventions. Invented in 1920 it has largely been overlooked. What is it? In simple terms it is a one-way valve. That in itself is not special. What makes it special is the fact it has NO moving parts. Think about that for a moment.

How does a valvular conduit work? The design uses a particular shape. When the gas/fluid flows in one direction it changes direction slightly, in a zigzag way but is relatively unrestricted and does not find much resistance. However, when it flows in the other direction because of the design the gas/fluid gets spilt into two. These flows then end up meeting almost head on. This causes some resistance. This is repeated numerous times, each time reducing in pressure/flow. This type of valve is never going to work as a seal for your wine bottle, it simply does not work that well at low pressures. However, when high pressures are used it comes into its own and the ratio between two directional flows gets higher and higher.

Why did Tesla invent it? Tesla invented the valvular conduit around the time he was doing work with Tesla turbines. It seems to compliment his work with Tesla turbines rather than being a separate invention. Tesla turbines are primarily concerned with laminar flows (steady flows) and work better at higher pressures. Experiments I have conducted show that the Tesla valve on the other hand works best with pulsed flow. In fact it becomes highly effective with high pressure pulsed flows.

When is most effective?

At high pressures. Experiments with an air compressor and higher pressures. Blowing into the valve will only produce a few psi at most and so leaks won't be an issue. Using compressed air at higher pressures (100psi or higher) you may find the odd leak. This probably won't be a huge issue for most experiments. The metal version can have the torx screws done up much tighter and hence only tiny leaks will be present, again this should be fine for 99% of applications. If you need a perfect seal a thin gasket could be cut to size to provide a better seal. Pressures up to 150psi have been tested for both plastic and metal versions. We don't recommend long term use at these pressures with the plastic version.

PLEASE NOTE - this metal version of the Tesla Valve is made of machined aluminium. It comes with TWO top plates. One is made of clear plastic, so the inside of the valve is visible. The other is made of aluminium, which allows the valve to work at higher pressures.

-Nikola Tesla invention
-One way valve (restricted flow) with no moving parts
-Air and fluids pass freely one way but are slowed/stopped the other way
-You can blow in the holes and tell the difference
-At higher pressures it become very effective
-M6 female thread at each end (adapters can be sourced for most air systems)
-Comes with 22 x T10 torx screws for maximum holding force
-CNC machined aluminium base
-M6 threaded connections
-Adaptors are easily obtainable to other air connectors
-T10 torx screwdriver required (fairly common)
-18mm H x 225mm W x 22mm D
-Based on US patent 1329559 dated 3rd Feb 1920