Nikola Tesla vs.

Thomas Edison
By: Allan Khazak
Thomas Edison was one of the best inventors that has ever graced the surface of the earth. He has over 1,000 patents for his inventions. Although many of his inventions were just modifications of things that had been previously discovered, they were significant improvements. One of Edisons greatest inventions was incandescent, electric light. In 1879, using low current electricity, a small filament, and a vacuum inside a glove, Edison was able to produce a long lasting source of light. Some other of Edisons well-known inventions include the phonograph, cement making technology, motion picture camera, DC motors, electric power generating systems, and batteries. Nikola Tesla was Croatian, and worked for Thomas Edison when he first came to American in 1884. Tesla started to work for Edison several years after he invented his light bulb. Edison was in need of a system by which he could distribute electricity to surrounding homes. Although he established a DC system, it wasnt flawless and needed many improvements for it to work properly. Tesla promised to fix Edisons system and Edison agreed to pay him for his work. Edison failed to keep his promise and failed to pay Tesla for the electrical system he devised. This angered Tesla into resigning from the company and marked the beginning of the feud between Edison and Tesla. Tesla was furious and found business partners with money, power and connections like George Westinghouse (inventor of air powered brakes used in trains). Like Edison, Tesla invented many things, including X-rays, the vacuum tube amp, florescent bulb, neon lights, speedometer, auto ignition system, radar, electron microscope, and the microwave oven. In 1888 Tesla invented an alternative to Edisons DC system. His system was called the

AC (alternating current) system and is still used in houses around the world. Teslas system allowed AC transmission across long distances through thin wires. The voltage of AC power could easily be altered, whereas DC power voltage conversion was really expensive so the system required many different power lines to carry different voltages. Edison feared that he would loose profits, and customers if Teslas AC system were proven stronger than his DC system. One of the biggest problems Tesla faced immediately after his creation was how to transmit AC power, as it was a new concept when he first introduced it. After investing long hours of hard work, Tesla was successful in creating a motor, that is still found in our appliances. Edison held patents on the DC system, and Tesla sold his patents of AC power to Westinghouse. Edison was aware that the many benefits of AC power outweighed those of DC power, especially for long distance transmission. This fear was why Edison demonized the AC system by showing that it was more dangerous than DC power. Part of the reason for this fear was that Edison invested large sums of money into the DC system, because he thought it would bring him enormous profits. Edison even paid local children 25 cents for each dog they brought him and then held press conferences at which he would electrocute those dogs, with AC power to scare people. Tesla did everything he could to demonstrate how safe AC power was because he feared that Edisons attacks could run the prospects for his power systems future altogether. Therefore Edison passed high frequency AC power through his body, this power was strong enough to power up light bulbs. He then shot large lightning bolts at the crowd of people that watched him, and none of them were harmed. After Edisons success in showing that AC power could electrocute dogs, he used the system to electrocute humans as well. Edison invented the electric chair to scare people, as this would discourage them from using Teslas AC system. In 1902 Edison made a movie in which high voltage AC power was used to kill a circus elephant.

Edisons DC power system was better than the system proposed by Tesla. First of all it was very expensive to alter the voltage of DC power; this meant that separate power lines had to be used to transmit power to loads that used up different voltages. Not only was this costly, it was also responsible for many deaths in the Great Blizzard of 1888, as many power lines collapsed in New York City. Edisons electric chair was created using alternating current at a frequency of 50 60 Hz. AC power is more dangerous than DC power of the same level, because the alternating nature makes it easy for the body to loose co-ordination. The advantages of AC power outweighed the risks and this is why this type of power is still the most common one used today. What makes AC power different from DC power? Before I get into the specifics Id like to explain what current is. It is simply the motion of electrons along a conductor, such as a wire. Electricity can flow as either alternating current or direct current. AC power is measured based on its cycles, with one cycle counted each time the current travels in one direction and doubles back on itself. The number of cycles that electrical current completes per second is used to determine its frequency, which is generally 60 Hz in North America. DC power differs from AC power as the electrons it contains move only in a single direction. Many people prefer AC power because it travels further without loosing much energy. It is preferred by many because it is easy and cost efficient to alter the voltage of AC power. DC power is produced by fuel cells and batteries and is now being replaced by AC electricity. Currently it only has electrochemical and metal plating applications. Both Tesla and Edison had different work ethics. Tesla preferred to work alone, whereas Edison had an army of workers under his control. Furthermore Edison was wealthier and could afford to

hire armies of workers that would make important discoveries, and he simply took credit for all of these discoveries. The DC system was the first system used in America to distribute electricity and it was used with storage batteries that provided power to operate generators. After Tesla invented his system there was no AC motor. Edison on the other hand, invented a meter that allowed costumers to be billed for their consumption. Edisons DC system consisted of generating plants that fed loads with electrical current. The system maintained a constant voltage level throughout. A generator supplied 110 V for a 100 V lamp, allowing a voltage drop in the wires between the generator and the load. This voltage level was chosen as 100 V light bulbs were easiest to produce and they were the safest. The distribution system used consisted of 3 wires, one at + 110 volts, one at 0 volts, and one at -110 volts. The light bulbs would function at either + 110 volts or -110 volts and would not function when attached to the neutral wire. This system requires the least amount of copper wire and maintains the lowest voltages. There was one inadequacy and that was the high voltage drop that occurred because of the large resistance of the copper wires used. Thus generating plants had to be located relatively close to the loads. High voltage loads were rarely used, as there was no cost-effective technology that allowed the conversion of high voltages to low voltages. The AC system used a transformer to transfer voltage between the generating system and loads, and it also allows the voltages to be changed. Edison was aware of the problems posed by the DC system as power could only be distributed to areas within a close radius from it. Edison proposed the installation of large conductors to deal

with the problems. But this solution was expensive and inefficient. Edison would profit from the building of power plants, as they were effective ways of transferring electricity to communities. Since it was difficult to change the voltage of direct current, separate electrical lines were used to supply power to different loads depending on the voltage they required. Furthermore, power plants could only transmit DC power to locations of up to 2 miles away from them. Teslas alternating current could travel up to hundred of miles away from its source. Alternating current became more popular for power distribution because its voltage was easy to change with the use of a transformer. Since Power is equal to current x voltage (P = IV), for a particular amount of power a low voltage requires a high current and a high voltage requires a low current. The problem is that the metal conducting wires have an electrical resistance. Electric resistance is a measure of an objects opposition to the passage of electrical current. As electricity travels through the wires, the wires have an electrical resistance and thus some of the power will be wasted as heat in the wires. This power loss is given by Joules laws and is proportional to the square root of the current. Tesla proposed using Niagara Falls for electricity distribution. After several long years of investigations by the Niagara Commission (ran by experts), they chose to use compressed air as a power transmission medium. By 1893 George Forbes succeeded in convincing the Niagara Falls Power Company to give Westinghouse a contract. The power generated was transmitted as alternating current at a frequency of 25 Hz. By 1896 power was sent from Niagara Falls to buffalo from hydroelectric generators. The hydroelectric generators were built by Westinghouse Electric Corporation with Teslas AC system. When Edison saw the success of the Niagara Falls plant he wanted his company, General Electric to devise a similar system.

The consequence of this was that AC replaced DC as a method of electrical distribution. Edisons low voltage distribution used the DC system, and as such was not as popular as the AC devices used by others as they were not effective at converting high voltage electricity into a low voltage and vice versa. Changing the voltage of DC power requires a spinning rotary convertor, which is very expensive and inefficient. The voltage of AC power can easily be altered through the use of transformers. In 1882 Tesla discovered the rotating magnetic field, which is the basis for many devices that use alternating current. Tesla used the rotating magnetic field to construct an alternating current induction motor as well as his polyphase system, which is used to generate, transmit and distribute electrical power. Teslas AC induction motor is used in many appliances. Teslas polyphase system to used today to power the whole world with electricity. In 1887, Tesla devised a system for electrical current generators, transformers, motors, wires, and lights. Although DC was used in metropolitan areas, AC power was the future. Even today we are more reliant on AC power than on DC power. Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla were to share the Nobel Prize of 1915. But because of the feud between the two neither got the award. They each wanted to deprive the other of their achievements and refused to accept the award if the other got it. Thus they did not wish to share the award. Teslas AC system was used to power the world fair in 1893. The public exposure Tesla got from this fair was exactly what he hoped for. Tesla even created a new kind of light bulb so that his power system was not dependent on Edisons light bulbs. These light bulbs were cheaper, lasted longer, and brighter than Edisons.

Teslas Niagara Falls Power distribution system put an end to Edisons DC system for electrical transmission. When electricity was initially distributed, Edisons system of direct current was popular as DC power worked with all loads of the time. When Edisons system was first introduced, there was no AC motor available. Edison created a meter, which he used to bill his customers based on their level of consumption. Tesla often worked with rotary magnetic fields, and this helped him create a system for transmitting and generating AC power. Westinghouse was Teslas partner and bought Teslas patent to his polyphase system from him. Both men were different. Unlike Tesla, Edison was not a mathematician. AC power was difficult to understand without knowledge in mathematics. Edison undervalued Tesla, because even when Tesla worked for him he told him of his idea about alternating current, but Edison refused to hear about it. Edison later regretted that he failed to listen to Tesla and created a system of AC power. Like Tesla, Edison was a scientist and inventor, but he had one characteristic that made him wealthier than Tesla. This was the fact that he was a shrewd businessman. He was nicknamed the Wizard of Menlo Park by newspaper reporters and was the first inventor to apply the principles of mass production and teamwork to inventions. Tesla was best known for contribution to commercial electricity and revolutionary developments in the field of electromagnetism. Tesla was nicknamed the Wizard of the West. Teslas technology was bought by George Westinghouse who developed it into a multinational company, called Westinghouse Corporation. Edison was the founder of the worlds 12th largest company, General Electric. Its important to note that Tesla did not actually invent alternating current, but simply reinvented it in his polyphase circuit. His polyphase system blending three identical alternating currents together. Polyphase made it possible to send electrical power at large distances without loss.

While Edison is often called the inventor of the century, and is the founder of the worlds 12th largest company, General electric, Tesla is reduced to merely a page in many textbooks and most of his work is not given the credit it deserves. Many of his inventions are not even associated with him and people have misconceptions that other individuals developed them. Furthermore many people have not even heard of his name, and I believe that his contribution to the world is significantly unappreciated. Several years after Tesla sold his patents, he used the money to open up Tesla Electric Company in New York. Tesla discovered the Bremsstrahlung phenomenon, which described the concept that when high-energy electrons strike a metal plate, x-rays will be generated. Many Tesla supporters provide a skewed perspective on Edison whereas Edisons supporters give a distorted image of Tesla. Tesla fans claim that Edison stole his ideas from Tesla, when he worked for him. They believe Edison was a jerk and was only wealthy because he was able to steal ideas from Tesla and other similar men. Edison fans on the other hand claim that Tesla deceived investors to support his ideas. Both sides have some truth in them, as Edison did in fact steal some of his ideas. For example, while Edison is generally accredited with inventing the light bulb, he did not actually do it, and the original inventor was Joseph Swan. Swan introduced the light bulb in England years before Edison patented and created his light bulb. Swan sued Edison and Edison lost the suit, so he was obliged to take him in as a partner in his company. Tesla managed to convince J.P. Morgan, to finance his concept for wireless free electricity production under the guise of sending radio messages across the oceans and to and from ships at sea. Tesla made artificial lightning with Morgans money, this angered Morgan and as a result he stopped paying.