Nikola Tesla - The Forgotten Genius

When I was asked to write about Nikola Tesla, I hardly knew the name.
As a child, I remember visiting a local science museum and of being
fascinated by something called a "tesla coil," a large mushroom shaped
apparatus that made sparks and lightening. I assumed that Tesla was
some kind of inventor but I wasn't sure how the machine that made
lightening and sparks was important to anyone outside of the science
museum.
When I learned that Nikola Tesla invented the radio, and not Marconi, I
was shocked. Tesla also invented the electric generator, the electric
motor, fluorescent lighting, alternating current (AC) and devised the
technologies that generate and deliver our electrical power for our homes, schools and
factories. So why didn't I ever learn about Tesla in school -- the same way I learned
about Thomas Edison, Marconi and Einstein?
The story about Nikola Tesla is the story of a genius who was largely disrespected and
abused by other scientists and inventors -- many of whom stole his ideas and took
credit for his discoveries. But how did this happen?
Tesla had a vision of electromagnetic fields that was real and
tangible...
Born to a Serbian family on July 9th, 1856 in Smiljan, Croatia (former
Yugoslavia), Nikola Tesla was a dreamer with a poetic touch. His first
"invention" consisted of a rotary engine, powered by insects that the
young Tesla had glued to a paper wheel. This boyhood fascination with
motors developed a unique mental ability where Tesla could visualize
inventions in his mind, complete to the most minute detail, and
execute these plans without the need for a blueprint or meticulous
calculations.
As an adult, Tesla attended the Technical University at Graz, Austria,
and the University of Prague. At Graz he first saw the Gramme
dynamo, which operated as a generator and, when reversed, became an electric
motor, and from this observation he conceived a way to use alternating current to
advantage. Tesla had a vision of electromagnetic fields that was real and tangible, at a
time when most engineers considered electrical current as an intangible and ethereal
mystery. Later, at Budapest, he visualized the principle of the rotating magnetic field
and developed plans for an induction motor that would become his first step toward
the successful utilization of alternating current.
An eccentric genius, Tesla had few friends and remained reclusive. He never had a
home in America, choosing instead to live in hotels. During the final few decades of his
life he withdrew in a New York hotel, only granting interviews and making annual
public appearances on his birthdays. At these press conferences Tesla proposed future
inventions, but his accounts were frequently distorted by the popular press. After
Tesla's death the Federal Bureau of Investigation
took note of Tesla's proposals for advanced
weapons systems and searched his papers for
information about reports of his death ray
machine as world conflict was impending. Tesla's
discovery of the rotating magnetic field produced
by the interactions of two and three phase
alternating currents in a motor winding was one
of his most significant achievements of the
century, and formed the basis of his induction motor and polyphase system for the
generation and distribution of electricity.
In 1882, before his arrival in America, Tesla went to work in Paris for the
Continental Edison Company, and, while on assignment to Strassburg in
1883, he constructed, in after-work hours, his first induction motor. Tesla
sailed for America in 1884, arriving in New York, with four cents in his
pocket, a few of his own poems, and calculations for a flying machine. He
first found employment with Thomas Edison, who had been his first
employer in Paris, but the two inventors were far apart in background
and methods, and their separation was inevitable.
Tesla continued to work on his inventions, and seizing a momentous opportunity,
George Westinghouse purchased some of Tesla's patents in 1888. For a mere
$60,000($5,000 in cash and 150 shares of stock), Westinghouse acquired the patent
for Tesla's polyphase alternating current technology. Tesla's reputation spread when
Westinghouse won the contract to supply the Chicago World's Fair of 1893 with
electricity. In 1895, the Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company and General
Electric Company joined forces to harness the power of Niagara Falls with electricity,
using Tesla's technology.
Tesla's generation of electricity resulted in what is known as alternating current, or AC.
In alternating current the polarity and strength of the energy is continuously changing
or alternating. Prior to Tesla's innovation, the Edison company was promoting direct
current, or DC, as a safer way to power both homes and factories. In fact, Edison,
despite knowing that Tesla's AC was superior, mounted an ugly publicity stunts
designed to discredit Tesla and to save Edison's own financial investment in DC.
Animals were brutally electrocuted with AC, including an
elephant, which were recorded by Edison and shown at public
gatherings.
Edison embarked on a number of
propaganda campaigns which attempted
to persuade the general public that AC
was dangerous. Nicknamed the "death
current" by Edison, public
demonstrations were staged in which
animals were brutally electrocuted with
AC, including an elephant, which were
recorded by Edison and shown at public
gatherings.
Despite the public's fear of AC, Tesla had
the upper hand. Direct current was good only for short distances. The accumulated
resistance in metallic wires and cables greatly reduced the electrical power as it
traveled through the transmission lines. AC, on the other hand, did not suffer the same
loss and was able to travel great distances with little loss of potential.
Also, because alternating current could react with coils of wire (transformers) to
increase or decrease the voltage, electricity could be produced at high power levels at
the generation stations and then reduced just prior to being distributed locally.
Eventually, Edison lost his battle and alternating current became the electric industry
standard. To this day, the three-phase form of Tesla's polyphase system is still used
for the generation and transmission of most electricity. Moreover, the conversion of
electricity into mechanical power is made possible by updated versions of Tesla's
three-phase and split phase motors.
 Tesla's experiments with high frequency and high potential alternating
currents resulted in the development of the "Tesla coil." This device is a
transformer with an air core that has both its primary and secondary
tuned in resonance. As part of other experiments Tesla also developed
the precursors of modern neon and florescent lights. He constructed
these lights, elongated glass tubes filled with gas and coated with
phosphor, excited in his high voltage experiments. He also discovered
that high voltage current could be made harmless by using an
alternating current scheme at very large frequencies.
Returning to New York in 1900, Tesla began construction on Long
Island of a wireless world broadcasting tower, with $150,000 capital from the American
financier J. Pierpont Morgan. Tesla claimed he secured the loan by assigning 51
percent of his patent rights of telephony and telegraphy to Morgan. He expected to
provide worldwide communication and to furnish facilities for sending pictures,
messages, weather warnings, and stock reports. The project was abandoned because
of a financial panic, labor troubles, and Morgan's withdrawal of support. It was Tesla's
greatest defeat.
The Supreme Court granted full rights to Tesla for the invention
of radio, nullifying the claims of Marchese Gugliemo Marconi
In 1943, the Supreme Court granted full rights to Tesla for the invention of radio,
nullifying the claims of Marchese Gugliemo Marconi who had patented a two-tuned-
circuit design and a more practical four-tuned-circuit modeled after Tesla's. Marconi's
patent on the invention of radio was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court because
Tesla's work predated it (Case #369, 6/21/43). Marconi did succeed in beating Tesla
as the first person to send a wireless telegraph across the Atlantic, which prompted
Tesla to remark, "Let him continue. He is using seventeen of my patents." In addition,
Tesla's 1903 patents 723,188 and 725,605 contain the basic principles of the logical
AND circuit element basic to all computers.
Tesla also envisioned a way to send electricity
through the air and through the Earth so that
electrical power would be available everywhere,
even in remote corners of the planet. This
technology, which was only understood by Tesla
himself, was incorporated in another famous
experiment in 1908, where Tesla attempted to
remotely light up the sky over the North Pole as a
way of demonstrating this wireless power
transmission technology to the world. At the time,
Admiral Peary was leading an expedition to the
Arctic and Tesla hoped that Peary would report on the phenomenon when he returned.
Many believe that Tesla's experiment that evening caused the world's largest man
made explosion in the remote Siberian village of Tungusta. Read more about that
HERE.
If Tesla's power beam really did accidentally cause the Tungusta explosion, then we
witnessed the first experimental use of the same weapon system has been developed
by the US Department of Defense in Alaska's remote Poker Flats area, just North of
Fairbanks..) Although the capacity for destruction in Tesla's primitive prototype (some
estimate equal to a large hydrogen bomb) was huge, this new military system is
almost surely many magnitudes greater. Also, many similar systems have been
deployed in a dozen specific locations around the globe -- presumably to be operated
together for some undisclosed purpose. One can only hope that this new technology
will be used for a peaceful purpose and that it will bring the respect for Tesla that has
so far eluded him.

Alternating Current vs. Direct Current

All the principles of generating electricity had been worked out in the 19th
Century, but by its end these had only just begun to produce electricity on a
large scale. The 20th Century has witnessed a colossal expansion of electrical
power generation and distribution. The general pattern has been toward ever-
larger units of production, using steam from coal- or oil-fired boilers. Economies
of scale and the greater physical efficiency achieved as higher steam
temperatures and pressures were attained both reinforced this tendency. U.S.
experience indicates the trend: in the first decade of the century a generating
unit with a capacity of 25,000 kilowatts with pressures up to 200-300 pounds per
square inch at 400∫-500∫ F (about 200∫-265∫ C) was considered large,
but by 1930 the largest unit was 208,000 kilowatts, with pressures of 1,200
pounds per square inch at a temperature of 725∫ F, while the amount of fuel
necessary to produce a kilowatt-hour of electricity and the price to the consumer
had fallen dramatically.
As the market for electricity increased, so did the distance over which it was
transmitted, and the efficiency of transmission required higher and higher
voltages. The small direct-current generators of early urban power systems
were abandoned in favor of alternating-current systems, which could be adapted
more readily to high voltages. Transmission over a line of 155 miles (250
kilometers) was established in California in 1908 at 110,000 volts; Hoover Dam
in the 1930s used a line of 300 miles (480 kilometers) at 287,000 volts. The
latter case may serve as a reminder that hydroelectric power, using a fall of
water to drive water turbines, has been developed to generate electricity where
the climate and topography make it possible to combine production with
convenient transmission to a market. Remarkable levels of efficiency have been
achieved in modern plants.
One important consequence of the ever-expanding consumption of electricity in
the industrialized countries has been the linking of local systems to provide vast
power grids, or pools, within which power can be shifted easily to meet changing
local needs for current.
AC has other advantages:
 AC generators are simple, cheaper and more reliable than DC generators
 AC can readily be switched by circuit breakers at any voltage, whereas
DC can only be switched at low voltages
 AC motors and other electrical appliances are cheaper, simpler, and
more reliable than those designed to work with DC
 The frequency can be very precisely controlled and so AC is useful in
motors that require accurate speed eg. Clocks, tape recorders, VHS
machines.
So, while Thomas Edison receives the greater part of credit, it is clear that we
owe respect and gratitude for Nikola Tesla's creative and intelligent mind.
At a local radio shop Tesla bought 12 vacuum tubes, some wires and assorted
resistors, and assembled them in a circuit box 24 inches long, 12 inches wide
and 6 inches high, with a pair of 3-inch rods sticking out. Getting into the car
with the circuit box in the front seat beside him, he pushed the rods in,
announced, "We now have power," and proceeded to test drive the car for a
week, often at speeds of up to 90 mph. As it was an alternating-current motor
and there were no batteries involved, where did the power come from?
The Forgotten Art of Electric - Powered Automobiles
by Arthur Abrom
Electric powered automobiles were one of the earliest considerations and this
mode of propulsion enjoyed a brief but short reign. The development of
electricity as a workable source of power for mankind has been studded with
great controversy.
Thomas A. Edison was the first to start to market systems (i.e. electric
generators) of any commercial value. His research and developmental skills
were utilized to market a "direct current" system of electricity. Ships were
equipped with D.C. systems and municipalities began lighting their streets with
this revolutionary D.C. electric system. (At that time) Edison was the sole source
of electricity!
While in the process of commercializing electricity, Thomas Edison hired men
who knew of the new scientific gift to the world and were capable of new
applications for electricity. One such man was a foreigner named Nikola Tesla.
This man, although not known to many of us today, was without a doubt the
greatest scientific mind that has ever lived. His accomplishments dwarfed even
Thomas Edison's! Whereas Mr. Edison was a great experimenter, Mr. Tesla
was a great theoretician. Nikola Tesla became frustrated and very much
annoyed at the procedures Edison followed.
Tesla would rather calculate the possibility of something working (i.e.
mathematical investigation) than the hit and miss technique of constant
experimentation. So in the heat of an argument, he quit one day and stormed
out of Edison's laboratory in West Orange, New Jersey.
Working on his own, Tesla conceived and built the first working alternating
current generator. He, and he alone, is responsible for all of the advantages we
enjoy today because of A.C. electric power.
Angered by Edison, Tesla sold his new patents to George Westinghouse for 15
million dollars in the very early 1900's. Tesla became totally independent and
proceeded to carry on his investigative research in his laboratory on 5th Avenue
in New York City.
George Westinghouse began to market this new system of electric generators
and was in competition with Edison. Westinghouse prevailed because of the
greater superiority of the A.C. generators over the less efficient D.C. power
supplies of Thomas Edison. Today, A.C. power is the only source of electricity
the world uses. And, please remember, Nikola Tesla is the man who developed
it.
Now specifically dealing with automobiles in the infant days of their
development, electric propulsion was considered and used. An electric powered
automobile possessed many advantages that the noisy, cantankerous, smoke-
belching gasoline cars could not offer.
First and foremost is the absolute silence one experiences when riding in an
electrically powered vehicle. There is not even a hint of noise. One simply turns
a key and steps on the accelerator - the vehicle moves instantly! No cranking
from the start, no crank to turn (this was before electric starters), no pumping of
the accelerator, no spark control to advance and no throttle linkage to pre-set
before starting. One simply turned the ignition switch to on!
Second, is a sense of power. If one wants to increase speed, you simply
depress the accelerator further - there is never any hesitation. Releasing the
accelerator causes the vehicle to slow down immediately - you are always in
complete control. It is not difficult to understand why these vehicles were so very
popular around the turn of the century and until 1912 or so.
The big disadvantage to these cars was their range and need for re-charging
every single night. All of these electric vehicles used a series of batteries and a
D.C. motor to move itself about. The batteries require recharging every night
and the range of travel was restricted to about 100 miles. Understand that this
restriction was not a serious one in the early part of this century. Doctors began
making house calls with electric cars (do you remember doctors making house
calls?) because he no longer needed to tend to the horse at night time - just
plug the car into an electric socket! No feeding, no rub-down and no mess to
clean up!
Many of the large department stores in metropolitan areas began purchasing
delivery trucks that were electrically powered. They were silent and emitted no
pollutants. And, maintenance was a minimum on electrically powered vehicles.
There were few mechanics and garages in operation in the early 1900's. So city
life and travel appeared to be willing to embrace the electric automobile.
Remember, these masterfully built vehicles all ran on D.C. current.
Two things happened to dampen the popularity of the electric automobile. One
was the subconscious craving for speed that gripped all auto enthusisasts of
this era. Each manufacturer was eager to show how far his car could travel (i.e.
the transcontinental races) and what was its top speed!
Col. Vanderbilt constructed the first all concrete race track in Long Island and
racing became the passion for the well-to-do. Newspapers constantly record
new records of speed achieved by so-in-so. And, of course, the automobile
manufacturers were quick to capitalize on the advertising effect of these new
peaks of speed. Both of these events made the electrically powered vehicles
appear to only belong to the "little old lady" down the street or the old retired
gentleman who talked about the "good old days".
Electric vehicles could not reach speeds of 45 or 50 m.p.h. for this would have
destroyed the batteries in moments. Bursts of speeds of 25 to 35 m.p.h. could
be maintained for a moment or so. Normal driving speed-depending upon traffic
conditions, was 15 to 20 m.p.h. by 1900 to 1910 standards, this was an
acceptable speed limit to obtain from your electric vehicle.
Please note that none of the manufacturers of electric cars ever installed a D.C.
generator. This would have put a small charge back into the batteries as the car
moved about and would have thereby increased its operating range. This was
considered by some to be approaching perpetual motion - and that, of course,
was utterly impossible! Actually, D.C. generators would have worked and helped
the electric car cause.
As mentioned earlier, Mr. Westinghouse's A.C. current generating equipment
was being sold and installed about the country. The earlier D.C. equipment was
being retired and disregarded. As a side note, Consolidated Edison Power
Company of New York City still has one of Thomas Edison's D.C. generators
installed in its 14th St. powerhouse - it still works! About this time, another giant
corporation was formed and entered the A.C. generating equipment field -
General Electric. This spelled the absolute end for Edison's D.C. power supply
systems as a commercial means of generating and distributing electric power.
The electric automobile could not be adapted to accomodate and utilize a
polyphase motor (i.e. A.C. power). Since they used batteries as a source of
power, their extinction was sealed. No battery can put out an A.C. signal. True,
a converter could be utilized (i.e. convert the D.C. signal from the battery to an
A.C. signal), but the size of the equipment at this time was too large to fit in an
automobile - even one with the generous dimensions of this era.
So, somewhere around 1915 or so, the electric automobile became a memory.
True, United Parcel Service still utilizes several electric trucks in New York City
today but the bulk of their fleet of vehicles utilizes gasoline or diesel fuel. For all
intensive purposes, the electrically powered automobile is dead - they are
considered dinosaurs of the past.
But, let us stop a moment and consider the advantages of utilizing electric
power as a means of propelling vehicles. Maintenance is absolutely minimal for
the only oil required is for the two bearings in the motor and the necessary
grease fittings. There is no oil to change, no radiator to clean and fill, no
transmission to foul up, no fuel pump, no water pump, no carburetion problems,
no muffler to rot out or replace and no pollutants emitted into the atmosphere. It
appears as though it might be the answer we have been searching for!
Therefore, the two problems facing us become top speed and range of driving -
providing, of course, the A.C. and D.C. problems could be worked out. With
today's technology this does not seem to be insurmountable. In fact, the entire
problem has already been solved - in the past, the distant past and the not so
distant! Stop! Re-read the last sentence again. Ponder it for a few moments
before going on.
Several times earlier in this article, I mentioned the man, Nikola Tesla and
stated that he was the greatest mind that ever lived. The U.S. Patent Office has
1,200 patents registered in the name of Nikola Tesla and it is estimated that he
could have patented an additional 1,000 or so from memory!
But, back to our electric automobiles - in 1931, under the financing of Pierce-
Arrow and George Westinghouse, a 1931 Pierce-Arrow was selected to be
tested at the factory grounds in Buffalo, N.Y. The standard internal combustion
engine was removed and an 80-H.P. 1800 r.p.m electric motor installed to the
clutch and transmission. The A.C. motor measured 40 inches long and 30
inches in diameter and the power leads were left standing in the air - no external
power source!
At the appointed time, Nikola Tesla arrived from New York City and inspected
the Pierce-Arrow automobile. He then went to a local radio store and purchased
a handful of tubes (12), wires and assorted resistors. A box measuring 24
inches long, 12 inches wide and 6 inches high was assembled housing the
circuit. The box was placed on the front seat and had its wires connected to the
air-cooled, brushless motor. Two rods 1/4" in diameter stuck out of the box
about 3" in length.
Mr. Tesla got into the driver's seat, pushed the two rods in and stated, "We now
have power". He put the car into gear and it moved forward! This vehicle,
powered by an A.C. motor, was driven to speeds of 90 m.p.h. and performed
better than any internal combustion engine of its day! One week was spent
testing the vehicle. Several newspapers in Buffalo reported this test. When
asked where the power came from, Tesla replied, "From the ethers all around
us". Several people suggested that Tesla was mad and somehow in league with
sinister forces of the universe. He became incensed, removed his mysterious
box from the vehicle and returned to his laboratory in New York City. His secret
died with him!
It is speculated that Nikola Tesla was able to somehow harness the earth's
magnetic field that encompasses our planet. And, he somehow was able to
draw tremendous amounts of power by cutting these lines of force or causing
them to be multiplied together. The exact nature of his device remains a mystery
but it did actually function by powering the 80 h.p. A.C. motor in the Pierce-
Arrow at speeds up to 90 m.p.h. and no recharging was ever necessary!