Nikola Tesla

HE PATENTED THE POLYPHASE ALTERNATING CURRENT

INDUCTION MOTOR IN 1887-88
Considered one of the most useful inventions of modern times, the induction
motor revolutionized the possibilities in the appliance industry. Although the first
known working three phase AC induction motor is attributed to Galileo
Ferraris in 1885, Nikola Tesla independently invented his own induction motor  and
filed for a US patent in 1887. Based on the principal of rotating magnetic fields, his
first induction motor generated ¼ horse power at 1800 revolutions per minute and
weighed only 20 pounds, which was a fantastic achievement at the time. It
used electrical energy to produce mechanical energy; and replaced manual labor in
factories. The three phase induction motor continues to be used extensively in
industry, households and electrical machines all around the world.

#2 HIS ALTERNATING CURRENT EMERGED WINNER IN THE

BATTLE OF CURRENTS
The “war of currents“ or “battle of currents“ refers to the competitive period in the
1880s and 1890s in America for the introduction of competing electric power
transmission systems. In 1882,  Thomas Edison established his Edison Illuminating
Company to bring electric lighting to homes and businesses. With Edison holding all
the key patents, his direct current  based electricity would be sold throughout the
United States.

#3 HE DEVELOPED TESLA TURBINE AS AN ALTERNATIVE ENGINE

FOR MECHANICAL MACHINES
Also referred to as a bladeless turbine, the Tesla Turbine  used the boundary layer
effect, and not a fluid impinging upon the blades as in a conventional turbine. It
consisted of a number of flat steel discs properly balanced in a chamber moved
with an inlet of steam or compressed air. The steam does not exert pressure
against the rotor blades side-wise as in other types, but shot through between the
blades edgewise. The Tesla Turbine was patented in the year 1913 as an alternative
to piston engines. It could be employed for drawing automobiles, airplanes and
other vehicles. However, it was considered impractical and never gained success.

#4 HE WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN BUILDING ONE OF THE FIRST

HYDROELECTRIC PLANTS
The World’s Columbian Exposition was a world fair held at Chicago in 1893. It was
built over 686 acres containing many separate buildings. In 1892, Westinghouse
Electric had managed to underbid Edison and General Electric on the contract to
electrify this big fair. The Exposition in many ways introduced the wonder of
electricity to the Americans. It was lit up by the President himself by pushing a
button in the White House. Westinghouse and Tesla made no profit from the
exposition but they demonstrated the safety, effectiveness  and flexibility of ac current
and Tesla’s innovations. The success was a big factor in their winning the contract to
build a hydroelectric AC power station at Niagara Falls, the machinery bearing Tesla’s
name and patent numbers. The project carried power to Buffalo by 1896 and
was one of the first power stations of its kind in the world.

#5 HE INVENTED THE TESLA COIL LEADING TO THE POSSIBILITY

OF WIRELESS TRANSMISSION
Further exploring the work of Heinrich Hertz on electromagnetic radiations and radio
waves, Tesla tried powering a Ruhmkorff coil with a high speed alternator. Ruhmkorff
coils were comprised of a primary winding and a secondary winding to produce
high voltages. Tesla soon found that high frequency current melted the insulation
between the primary and secondary winding in the coil. This led Tesla to come up
with the idea of using an air gap instead of insulating material between the primary
and secondary windings; and an iron core that could be moved to different
positions in or out of the coil. These modifications led to the invention of the Tesla
Coil. It was patented in 1891, and though he had patented similar circuits in
preceding periods, this had all the elements of the Tesla Coil. A truly revolutionary
innovation, the Tesla Coil could wirelessly transmit electricity. It led to the Magnifying
Transmitter forming the basis of Tesla’s wireless electricity dream. The technology
is  widely used in radios, televisions and other electronic equipment.

#6 HE INVENTED AN ELECTRO-MECHANICAL OSCILLATOR

In 1893, Nikola Tesla patented a steam-powered electric generator known as Tesla’s
electro-mechanical oscillator. Tesla’s oscillator is a reciprocating electricity generator. In
it, steam is forced into the oscillator and exits through a series of ports. The steam
pushes a piston up and down that is attached to an armature. This causes it to
vibrate up and down at high speed, producing electricity. Another variation of the
machine uses electromagnets to control the frequency of the piston’s oscillation.
Tesla developed many versions of his electro-mechanical oscillator as he wanted it
to replace the inefficient reciprocating steam engines used to turn generators.
However, that was ultimately achieved by the development of highly efficient steam
turbines.
#7 HE PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF X RAYS
Noticing damage to his photographs, Tesla began investigating the cause of the
problem in 1894. But his research was burnt in the fire that consumed his lab in
1895. A few months later in December, Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen went public with
his discovery of “Roentgen Rays“ or  X Rays. Despite the discovery, Tesla continued his
experiments trying to construct his own machine which would produce images he
called Shadowgraphs. Tesla correctly realized that strong shadows could be
produced only at great object-film distances and with short exposure times; and
that thick walls produced rays with greater penetrating power. He was also the first
to comment on the biological hazards of X rays. He took an X-ray or shadowgraph of a
foot with a shoe on it and sent it with a congratulatory letter to Roentgen.