<p>Waste energy recovery from mechanical systems represents a promising approach for improving energy utilization in transportation applications. In air brake systems used in heavy-duty vehicles and railway trains, a considerable amount of compressed air is released without being utilized for useful energy conversion. This study presents the design, fabrication, and experimental evaluation of a cost-effective Tesla turbine intended for recovering compressed air energy from such systems. A bladeless Tesla turbine prototype was manufactured using CNC machining and consisted of ten coaxially arranged discs. Two disc materials, aluminum and steel, were investigated in order to examine the influence of material type on turbine performance characteristics. The turbine was integrated into a compressed air system and experimentally tested under inlet pressures ranging from 2 to 10&#xa0;bar under both no-load and electrical load conditions. The rotational speed of the turbine and the generated electrical parameters, including voltage, current, and electrical power output, were measured and analyzed. The experimental results indicate that increasing inlet pressure leads to a noticeable increase in turbine rotational speed and electrical power output for both disc materials. However, the turbine equipped with steel discs consistently produced higher rotational speeds and greater electrical power output compared with the aluminum configuration under the tested operating conditions. In addition, at lower inlet pressures, the turbine with aluminum discs was unable to generate measurable electrical output, whereas the turbine with steel discs maintained stable operation. Overall, the findings demonstrate the feasibility of using a low-cost Tesla turbine to recover compressed air energy that would otherwise be wasted in air brake systems. The proposed approach may contribute to improved energy utilization in transportation systems where low-pressure compressed air sources are available.</p>