Tesla
was an advocate for the use of alternating current
from the start. This was at the beginning of the
electrification when most houses were wired for
direct current. The man who was for direct current
was Thomas Edison (Mainly because he had already
invested heavily in the technology). direct
current was simpler than alternating current but
the transmission of it was impractical over long
distances. Due to the resistance of long wires, a
generator would be needed almost every few miles.
This was not economical at all. Still, Thomas
Edison would not back down from where he stood.
Tesla knew that AC was the only economical and
practical way of electrifying whole cities. He
realized that AC did not suffer from the same
resistance losses of being transmitted over a long
distance. Edison would never admit that AC was
better suited for wide spread use. (Cheney, 1981).
In order for his ideas to work, Tesla
needed to team up with a wealthy business man. He
joined up with George Westinghouse who was very
supportive of his ideas. (Rajvarshi, 2007). Tesla
developed an AC induction motor and a transformer
system that would be used by Westinghouse.
Westinghouse even hired Tesla to lead in lab work
to develop a transmission system for Alternating
Current. Tesla and Westinghouse were chosen to
electrify the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago with
alternating current. This event showed the
American public how much better AC was compared to
DC when it came to large scale electrification. In
1895, Tesla and Westinghouse built the first
hydroelectric power plant at Niagara Falls.
(Rajvarshi, 2007).
Tesla's
Induction Motor is considered one of the greatest
inventions of all time!
The Alternating
Current Induction Motor does not require
mechanical commutation. In the early days, DC
motors required a commutator to reverse the
current direction in the motors armature.
Induction motors use electromagnetic induction
to produce the current that spins the rotor.
