A new turbine has been announced which is claimed to have unprecedented
low cost and ruggedness:

http://www.theengineer.co.uk/Article...n+turbines.htm

http://www.swri.edu/4org/d18/mechflu...rb/radflow.htm

How significant is this announcement? How low-cost is low-cost? How
rugged is rugged?
What is the tradeoff to this design? Lower energy efficiency?

What new applications will it enable or make practical? Turbine
lawn-mowers? Turbine-powered bicycles? New personal aircraft? Moller
SkyCar? Helmet-mounted turbine helicopter blades?

Comments plz?

(Btw, just as an aside -- what is a 'nanotechnology gas turbine'
anyway? Is that one of those experimental dime-sized turbines etched
from a silicon wafer that can be used to power a laptop or PDA?)