Wireless Electricity: Part 2
In previous article we have seen how Dr. Nikola Tesla discovered the principle of impulses, and applied it to high frequency Alternating Current and observed that the current started traveling through the air.
This was just the first step towards wireless electricity. In this series of articles we will witness the application of wireless electricity and are going to see how this principle has shaped few of the further innovations of Dr. Nikola Tesla.
Now, let us go back to the experiments that Dr. Tesla carried out in his lab. After Dr. Tesla concluded that electricity could be transmitted wirelessly using the principle of impulses, he further modified the circuit by adding a rotary switch which could be opened and closed at the rate of 6000 rpm and increased the current to 15,000 Volts.
This time, when he started the circuit, the needle like pain was more intense due to action of rotary switch. He also observed that the voltage was amplified as with a transformer would, but without any actual transformer, the voltage was increasing due to higher number of impulses being generated in short duration of time (Impulses were amplifying the current and voltage). White blue sparks were also observed all around the copper wire.
During this experiment, Dr.Nikola Tesla felt needle like stings of increasing magnitude. Still, he kept on increasing the Voltage and frequency of switching of the coil and continued with his experiments. This was only because he had faith in his knowledge of science and Faith in almighty. He believed that once this phenomenon is properly harnessed it could give rise to a new form of electricity benefitting all the mankind.
In a daring series of attempts to improvise his experiment, Dr. Nikola Tesla developed a rapid mechanical rotary switch all by himself, which operated in the ten-thousandth part of a second. That is at 6,00,000 rotations per minute. He increased the voltage to 1,00,000 Volts and discovered an important phenomenon which he called ‘Electrical Sauna’ effect.
Dr. Nikola Tesla modified this same experiment.Instead of switches he introduced magnetic arc gaps.He made primary and secondary coil arrangement, where the voltage from primary coil used to induce much higher voltage in secondary coil,Dr. Tesla found that his new impulse transformers greatly amplified the power supplied to them. Thus the radiant energy (wireless energy) was also getting magnified. Dr. Tesla found it possible to produce 'millions of volts' of electricity by this method which also helped him deliver this radiant energy wirelessly over a great distance.
Also in this experiment, he observed huge blue-white discharges jumping from entire coil surface. The important fact to be noted here is that, these white discharges were able to pass through all the matter, even non conducting materials, and these had a soothing,cooling effect instead of needle like penetrations and burning sensations observed at lower frequency on the matter through which they passed.
Moreover, at certain frequencies, these blue-white discharges were able to light up vacuum tubes, special bulbs and lamps when they were brought in vicinity of the current carrying coils. Dr. Nikola Tesla also lit lamps wirelessly by holding them in his own hands.
During further modification of experiment, Copper sphere was attached to the secondary transformer terminals. This concentrated all the discharges in the copper ball, now this copper ball started emitting the discharges with huge crackling sounds. This also reduced the required input electrical levels and made the broadcast of wireless electricity much more accurate and safe. This gave birth to what we know popularly as “TESLA COIL”. With the help of Tesla Coil Dr. Nikola Tesla succeeded in making wireless electrical energy safe for the use by common man. Wireless electricity could be received at a long distance using specially tuned circuits. Dr. Tesla gave birth to the concept of electricity without wires.
This was the practical model of transferring wireless energy to the nearby regions. The model was none other than Tesla Coil. Today in many animated movies and games, Tesla Coil discharges are being shown as harmful, that is one that can burn down anything on which the current falls. But as per Dr. Tesla's illustration, the reality is totally opposite. Dr. Nikola Tesla proved by his method that Tesla Coil is a perfect wireless energy transmitter device.
These Tesla Coil experiments should not be carried out without expert's guidance or without thorough knowledge of the subject. With proper knowledge and experiments, the tesla coil can be used for various purposes like wireless lighting of bulbs and wireless electrical transmission.
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