TYPES OF POWER

AC DC
TESLA EDISON
 DC Electricity

• Period: 1882
• Thomas Alva Edison lighted Pearl Street Station in Manhattan, New York
• Total number of customers - 59 !
• But DC could not be distributed over a larger area catering to more
customers ( < 100 Meters! )
1

• Power = Voltage x Current 0.8

• Loss  ( Current )2 Current ()

0.6
• Higher Current  Higher Losses Losses (2)
0.4
• Higher Voltage  Lower Current
0.2
 Much Lower Losses
0
0 2 4 6 8 10
Voltage
• In DC, technology was not available to raise the Voltage  awaiting
demise
2
 AC Electricity

• Period: 1886
• AC Distribution in Buffalo
• Transformer  Simple device to Change AC Volts
• 1890  Electric Chair  Dirty trick by Edison
• Tesla – Genius - Appeared on the Scene
• Discovery of Rotating Magnetic Field
• Birth of Three Phase Induction Motor
Work Horse Of Modern Industrial Age

• World’s First Power Station Producing Three Phase AC Power -

Niagara Falls
• 1896 : Birth of Electric Power Distribution.
• Niagara Falls to Buffalo  22 Miles  25Hz
 2.2kV/11kV & 2.2kV/22kV
 3 x 5000HP (3.7MW) = 11.1MW to 10x 5000HP(3.7MW) = 37MW
Present, USA  1,000,000 MW
• Rest is history! India  300,000 MW
 AC Electricity

World’s First Generator Transformer is Scott connected!

 AC Electricity

10 x 5000HP

World’s First Power Station – Niagara Falls (1896)

 AC Electricity
Commemoration of the introduction of Niagara Falls power in Buffalo, New York,
at the Ellicott Club - Electrical Review - January 27, 1897:

"We have many a monument of past ages; we have the palaces and pyramids, the
temples of the Greek and the cathedrals of Christendom. In them is exemplified
the power of men, the greatness of nations, the love of art and religious devotion.

The evolution of electric power from the discovery of Faraday to the initial great
installation of the Tesla Polyphase system in 1896 is undoubtedly the most
tremendous event in all engineering history“.
 AC / DC Electricity

New twist – Comeback of DC

• AC was undisputed King in Twentieth Century
• Period: > 1980s

• But with rapid advances in Power Electronics, the world has gone digital
• Digital devices work on DC
• Even if AC power is available, it is finally converted to DC within digital
devices
• Present research is towards formation of DC (Micro) grids.

• Also transfer of bulk power over a long distance (from bulk head
Power Station to Metropolitan Load Center) is economical using DC
transmission rather than AC transmission. – HVDC Transmission

• We still can’t write off Edison!!!