Beacon Lights of History, Volume 14: The New Era: A Supplementary Volume, by Recent Writers, as Set Forth in the Preface and Table of ContentsLord, John
Philosophy
Beacon Lights of History, Volume 14: The New Era: A Supplementary Volume, by Recent Writers, as Set Forth in the Preface and Table of Contents
Lord, John
History
In high-tension circuits over which such pressures as 50,000 volts is
transmitted, no little difficulty is experienced from leakage and
consequent loss of energy. This leakage occurs both between the line
conductors and at the insulators placed on the pole lines forming the
line circuit. The insulators are made either of glass or porcelain, and
are of a peculiar form known as triple petticoat pattern. The loss on
such lines, due to leakage between wires, is greater than that which
takes place at the pole insulators, and is diminished by keeping the
circuit wires as far apart as possible.
In the early history of the art, electric transmission of power was
effected by means of direct-current generators and motors,--generators
and motors through which the current always passed in the same
direction. Such generators and motors, however, possessed inconveniences
that prevented extensive commercial transmission of power, since, as we
have seen, high pressure was necessary for efficiency in such
transmission, and the collecting-brushes and commutators employed in all
direct-current generators and motors to carry the current from the
machine or to the motor, were a constant source of trouble and danger.
When the alternating-current motor first same into general use, it was
employed, in connection with the alternating-current generator, in
electric transmission systems; but such motors also possess the
inconvenience of not readily starting from a state of rest, with their
full turning power, or torque, and of therefore being unsuitable where
the motor requires to be frequently stopped or started. Had these
difficulties remained unsolved, long-distance electric transmission of
power, so successful in operation to-day, and which bids fair to be
still more successful in the near future, would have been impossible.
Fortunately, these difficulties were overcome by the genius of Nikola
Tesla, in the invention of the multiphase alternating-current motor, or
the induction motor, as it is now generally called. Although Baily,
Deprez, and Ferraris had accomplished much before Tesla's time, yet it
was practically to the investigations and discoveries made by Tesla,
between 1887 and 1891, that the induction motor of to-day is due.
Another requirement of our twentieth-century civilization is rapid
transit, either urban or inter-urban, and this is afforded by various
systems of electric street railways or electric traction generally,
including electric locomotives and electric automobiles. The wonderful
growth in this direction which has been witnessed in the last few
decades would have been impossible without the electric generator and
motor, both gifts of Faraday to the world. Their application in this
direction must, therefore, go to swell the debt our civilization owes to
the labors of this great investigator.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account