This is not exactly news, since Nikola Tesla has discovered the Tesla Turbine some 100 years ago. Basically, the turbine uses viscosity and fluid adhesion to convert fluid energy into mechanical energy (torque). Unlike traditional turbines, which have blades and are either "reaction" or "action" turbines, the Tesla Turbine works completely differently. Latest research has shown that it would be the best machine for harnessing geothermal energy. Underground salt-brine is found in many locations all over the world, and if tapped, using the Tesla Turbine, can represent a significant resource for future energy needs on the global scale. The method has been refined, after early unsuccessful developments, by oil companies who needed a way to harness underground heat-energy. For example, currently the Salton Sea in California, US, has enough geothermal energy stored in salt-brine to meet 20 times the electrical needs of the whole United States.

Only the Tesla Turbine is durable enough to take on this challenge – there are no blades, the principle is not pressure energy, it's viscosity and adhesive forces, which altogether allows the turbine to work with fluids containing solid particles, which would simply be too abrasive for traditional turbines. Jeffrey Hayes, former Rockwell engineer, discusses the ins and outs of the Tesla Turbine in this video:

Even though this is two years old, with the recent renewable energy research boom, we thought it wouldn't be a bad idea to remind ourselves. If you're interested in finding out a bit more about the subject, check out this page.