NIKOLA TESLA: THE INVENTOR WHO CHANGED THE WORLD

Today, when we talk about electricity, light bulb etc., most of the credit is given to Thomas Alva Edison. The world has forgotten the actual genius behind Edison’s so called “inventions” Nikola Tesla. Tesla was a revolutionary inventor who changed the way the world functioned through his many inventions and the one we famously call the “Alternating Current”. Tesla’s inventions are a proof that he was ahead of his time. In this article, we will look at few of Tesla’s inventions that revolutionized the modern world.

Source: internet Fig; Tesla, the man ahead of his time.

1) The ALTERNATING CURRENT.

The alternating current was a major invention by Nikola Tesla that had the potential to change the world. He developed the first Alternating Current (AC) motor and developed AC generation and transmission technology. The AC current periodically reverses its direction and changes its magnitude. This is one of the main reasons why AC current was a revolutionary change in the field of electrical energy, much to the envy of Edison who tried to sabotage Tesla’s inventions. The AC current is quite opposite to Direct Current (DC) which travelled only in one direction. Although, initially AC didn’t garner much attention from public, it’s fame began to grow in pace as time passed by. Fact: Tesla was previously employed by Edison.

Fig: The AC current has been a revolutionary invention in the field of electrical energy.

2)THE TESLA COIL.

The Tesla coil is an electrical resonance transformer circuit invented by Nikola Tesla in 1891. It is used to produce high-voltage, low-current and high frequency alternating current electricity. Tesla experimented with numerous other configurations consisting of two or three coupled resonant electrical circuits. Tesla used these circuits to conduct unique experiments involving lighting, phosphorescence, X-ray generation, high frequency alternating current, electrotherapy and the transmission of electrical energy without wires. Tesla coils were used commercially in spark gap radio transmitters for telegraphy until the 1920’s and in medical equipment such as electrotherapy and Violet-Ray devices. Today their main usage is in education and entertainment industries. The smaller Tesla coils are used as leak detectors in high vacuum systems.

Fig: Tesla coil in action.

3)THE TELEFORCE.

The teleforce was a proposed ultimate defensive system by Nikola Tesla that accelerated pellets or slug like materials to a high velocity inside a vacuum chamber by the process of electro-static repulsion and then fired them out of aimed nozzles towards the desired targets. Tesla claimed to have conceived of it after studying the Van de Graff generator. Tesla described it as a weapon that could be used against ground-based infantry or as anti-aircraft purposes. Tesla described it as a weapon that could put an end to all the wars and in short it was claimed to be a “superweapon” as per the documents published in 1937, Tesla failed to produce the weapon in mass numbers as at that time no-one believed in his capabilities and just laughed it off.

Fig: Tesla was rumored to be having possessed the anti-war weaponry.

The above inventions in themselves are a proof of Tesla’s genius and his scientific temper. A scientist of his caliber deserved more appreciation than he earned.

A S S SIDDARDHA (Dept. of Mechanical Engg)

R18ME001@me.reva.edu.in

Reva University.