Tesla vs Edison: The War of the Currents.
At the end of the 19th century, only wealthy people could use electric light. But now, everyone can use it. What and who made it possible? One achievement of a poor Serbian scientist helped everybody to share brightness in the darkness now. His name is Nikola Tesla.
Tesla first arrived in the New York in the US with this letter of recommendation on 6 June 1884. Charles Batchelor, one of Edison’s business associates in Europe, wrote in the letter of recommendation to Thomas Edison: “I know two great men and you are one of them; the other is this young man, Tesla.” He started to work for Edison as an electrical engineer. His work was successfully completed. Edison knew his DC (Direct Current) motor had some problem to transfer. Tesla wanted 50,000$ to redesign Edison’s inefficient motor and improve its service and economy. However, Edison refused to pay him when he did it. Edison said:”When you become a full-fledged American you will appreciate an American joke”.
Nikola Tesla was born on 28 June, 1856 in a village in the Empire of Austria.(today it is Croatia.) His parents were both Serbian by origin. They influenced Tesla to have brilliant talent: memorizing poems and books completely, he could speak eight languages. In 1880, he moved to Budapest to work in a telegraph company. He worked a project, together using twin turbines to create continual power with another Serbian inventor. By following his discovery, he was hired by the Continental Edison Company as an engineer. Later he decided to meet the great electronic engineer in the world: Thomas Alva Edison.
The Journey for American dream
Edison hired him to improve his DC motor. When his work was successfully completed, he asked for Edison to pay the money. But Edison did not. Eventually, Telsa resigned from the company, and then tried to focus on making AC (Alternating Current) transfer system instead of DC (Direct Current). This was the beginning of the war of the currents.
There is a huge resistance during DC transfer energy over a long-distance. It’s hard to transfer electricity over 10km. Also to build a new DC power plant, enormous capital was needed. So this is the reason why at that time a few wealthy people, who could pay high price, took advantage of brightness in the darkness. But Using AC, he could not only supply cheaper and more powerful electricity to everyone but also, distant transfer of electricity became possible. So Tesla had to look for a new partner to share his ideas.
Soon Tesla filed his patents in the field of polyphase AC motors and power transmission. These comprised a complete system of generators, transformers, transmission lines, motors and lighting. George Westinghouse heard about Tesla’s invention and thought it could be the missing link in long-distance power transmission. He offered to purchase Tesla’s patents.
On the contrary, Thomas Edison had a strong opposition against Tesla’ plan. He insisted on promoting DC, which had been invested in heavily by Edison. At the end of 19th century, a full-scale industrials still was struggled for the future of industrial development in the United States. People had to decide to choose which technology would be better, Westinghouse’s alternating current or Edison’s direct current. This is what we called “the war of the currents”. With this, it’s been started to fight between AC and DC.
What is AC / DC?
The current is the flow of electric charge. In direct current (DC), the movement (or flow) of electric charge is only in one direction. In alternating current (AC), the movement (or flow) of electric charge periodically reverses direction. An electric charge would for instance move forward, then backward, then forward, then backward, over and over again.
The poor inventor vs the famous capitalist
It was at this time that Edison launched a propaganda war against AC. Meanwhile, one murderer was about to be executed in the first electric chair by Edison at New York’s Auburn State Prison on August, 1890. This chair was made in order to demonstrate the extreme danger of alternating current. Edison said that the principle is so simple with high-voltage of alternating current to kill someone. With very dangerous alternating current.
His decision against Edison.
First, he showed to people how to take 200,000 voltage of alternating current through his hand with wireless transmission.
Something happened at the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, 1893. It was at this historic event that Tesla and George Westinghouse introduced to the public 96,620 lamps illuminated by using AC power motor. The Tesla polyphase system of alternating current power generation and transmission was proudly displayed.
After the Chicago Exposition, Westinghouse was awarded a contract to create the hydro electric-power of Niagara Falls. Tesla made possible distant transfer of electricity with his Alternating current power system. On the construction, every engineer could not make sure whether it worked or not. Also they suffered financial problem. Westinghouse was morally and financially drained by the War of the Currents. Also Westinghouse had to pay for royalties to Tesla, but Tesla released Westinghouse from contract, providing Westinghouse a break from Tesla’s patent royalties. He gave up his patent for everyone to share electricity. Since the first creation of one thousand horsepower of electricity surging to Buffalo (32 km away), finally it could reach to New York within a few years. AC replaced DC in most instances of generation and power distribution.
It is known that everybody can take advantage of modern civilization like electricity, thanks to Edison. But for Tesla’s efforts, it would not have been easy to realize this like now. Yes, Edison is one of the greatest inventors. Nevertheless, he displayed his ability more as a famous enterpriser. Comparing to Edison, Tesla hoped that his studying and his inventions would be utilized not by some people with commercial goals but by everyone. As a result, since 1903 so far everybody has taken advantage of using electricity in this earth.
More story about Tesla.
Across Europe and US, Tesla had more than 700 patents. He was the first to invent radio, X-rays, Tesla’s Coil etc. In addition, Tesla contributed to the establishment of robotics, remote-control, radar, and the expansion of various fields of science. Claiming bizarre something about possible scientific and technological developments, he regarded as a mad scientist. But unluckily, Tesla never paid attention to focus on his finances. So Tesla died alone suffering from poverty and public indifference in New York in 1943.
Now Edison is known as one of the greatest inventors in this world but Tesla is not. However one thing we should remember is that, I am quite sure, without Tesla it would not be easy that everybody to have taken advantage of using electricity in this earth at an inexpensive price.
