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.