Tesla’s Contribution to Energetics

Tesla’s Contribution to Energetics

You are probably the most competent person who can explain the contribution of Tesla’s inventions in energetics?

In the entire energetics, definitely the greatest contribution is the rotating magnetic field and induction motors and machines, and right after that comes the field I am somehow more involved in, transport of electric energy.  The contribution here is the poly-phase system, transformation, alternating current, and that’s closely connected to the rotating field and induction machines.

Can you point out the advantages of Tesla’s system, transport and production in relation to the existing system at the time based on direct currents?

In essence the previous model was very clumsy when transport of electricity is concerned.  It was direct transport of electricity.  It happened that there were many problems, practically one couldn’t rich higher voltages.  With the available technology, engineers did not succeed in raising voltage.  This is difficult even now.  Transformers are connected only to the alternating current.  Direct current was limited in many ways.

And then Tesla came?

Then Tesla came to the open field with his patents and solved the problem with direct electric current.  Then the conflict “alternating versus direct transport” began.  On the side of the supporters of the direct current there was Edison, who was an outstanding engineer, he had branches in Europe, the company he headed was very powerful. 

He practically ruled the entire North-American continent when all the devices from the area of electricity are concerned.  However, Westinghouse, who was some ten years older than Tesla, saw the advantages of transforming alternating current to higher voltages right away.  Tesla’s battle without the support of Westinghouse would have been incomparably more difficult.

The pinnacle of Tesla’s creation?

The year 1888 was undeoubtedly the pinnacle of Tesla’s creation and career.  All Tesla’s patents were accepted that year.  Also, on May 16th of the same year, he gave his famous lecture that marked the next decade in the area of electrical engineering.

Tesla’s rotating field appeared a couple of years earlier?

Yes, he had carried that rotating field in his head since 1882, full six years.  It is interesting he got the idea for that invention while walking in park, looking at sunset and reciting Goethe’s verses.  This is somewhat cute, but definitely the rotating field, for us who occupy ourselves with this craft, is a new quality, a dramatic move forward.

Still not everything functioned impeccably?

No.  In the beginning Tesla used a two-phase system, but right afterwards he saw the advantages of the three-phase system, he even used poly-phase currents in some cases.  Under his influence, the initial system at Niagara was made two-phased.  However, later a modification of the system from two-phase to three-phase was made.  Scott connection, which students of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering are very familiar with, is well known.

How did Tesla’s inventions prevail over Edison’s powerful machinery?

It was definitely during the international fair in Chicago in 1893.  The openness of that society to new inventions and ideas can be seen on this example.  As much as Edison was powerful—at that time General Electric Company appeared, still strong today—at the competition for lighting the exhibition he didn’t win, but Westinghouse.  Even the greatest skeptics toward Tesla’s alternating currents and poly-phase systems were silenced after the exhibition.

Edison was the master of propaganda?

Yes, he used everything he could as a counter argument to the supporters of alternating current.  Even the execution of a prisoner convicted to death, which was carried out with alternating current.  However, Tesla let high-frequency current through himself, light bulbs lit in his hands and shone, and then people saw that those currents are not that dangerous after all.

We have to say, nevertheless, that direct-current systems are not all that bad.  Direct-current engines are still used today?

Yes, but they are of local character in today’s system and the system of the period.  Due to falls in voltage, it is not possible to realize transport of electricity to longer distances.

Tesla thought that nature is the solution to our problems of energy?

During the opening of Niagara Tesla said:

“The development and the wealth of a city, the success of a people, the progress of the entire human kind, this is all determined by available energy.  We have to develop means for acquiring energy from sources that are inexhaustible…”

With a simple sentence he defined the concept of renewable sources of energy.  This occupied him a lot.  He deeply understood that energy is all around us.  Today we are in a blind alley concerning that question.  There are some technologies, but they are still new.  I asked myself what Tesla would do today if he were in our shoes. 

However, he didn’t move in these accelerated tracks, and it was his advantage that he could work on something so it could radically change for the better.  He wouldn’t work on something that would require his engagement in the employment of some technology.

In the lecture you gave at the Academy you mentioned the so-called “without concept”?

Tesla made rotating magnetic field and induction motor in which the essence is – WITHOUT commutators, then in 1898 remote control – WITHOUT wires and direct contact, wireless transport – WITHOUT conductors, and commutation – WITHOUT handling.

While we are at the wireless transport of electricity?

In a magnificent manner Tesla wanted to solve the transport of electricity without conductors.  He did not, as some people imagine, plan the transport across antennas, but he wanted to use the earth by using its resonance.  Here he encountered certain problems and technical difficulties.  Today we have wireless transport of energy, but only in small quantities. 

We cannot do it with large quantities because of serious losses.  For transporting greater quantities of energy we have to use today’s mode, channeling of electromagnetic waves by using conductors.  We are not satisfied with these losses either.

The future and Tesla

Tesla’s abilities as an experimenter and inventor were fantastic.  What he did is practically unrepeatable today.  He functioned in a different manner and he anticipated many things that are realized today, such as mobile telecommunication, but there are things he imagined but we don’t understand well enough, which doesn’t mean they will not be realized in the future.