The War of Currents: Edison vs. Tesla

The power of electricity is described as both life-giving and deadly. In the late 19th century, the quest to harness this natural force becomes a tantalizing yet dangerous enigma. Not fully approved or understood, electricity is seen as uncontrollable, leading vast fortunes and brilliant minds to engage in a fierce battle to harness its power. Inventors like Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla, with opposing visions, find themselves on a collision course with each other and history.

At just 31 years old, Thomas Edison, renowned for inventing the phonograph, is now focused on creating a safe and affordable source of light to replace gas lamps with electricity. Despite over 100 failed attempts, in October 1879, Edison is on the brink of success with the discovery of a carbonized filament for his electric bulb.

While Edison's carbonized filament is a breakthrough, inventing the electric bulb is only half the battle. To replace gas lighting with electricity, Edison must establish an entirely new industry. This entails not just creating a bulb but also developing the infrastructure for electrical systems in homes and businesses, including wiring and outlets.

In contrast to Edison, Nikola Tesla envisions a new and radical method of generating electricity using alternating current. Tesla's innovative approach challenges the prevailing use of direct current, offering the potential for more efficient energy production. His vision for alternating current represents a significant departure from traditional electrical generation methods.

Nikola Tesla has a groundbreaking idea of creating an alternating current motor, which he believes would be a more efficient way to produce electric current. However, this concept has never been attempted before, as no one had figured out how to design such a motor. Tesla's visionary approach challenges the traditional thinking in motor design, showcasing his innovative and daring mindset.

Thomas Edison is on the brink of revolutionizing the electric industry with his new electric system. He plans to introduce his electric light bulb to households by creating a system that includes multiple generators. Edison promotes his direct current concept as safe, simple, and reliable, aiming to convince investors that his system could become the new standard for home lighting.

Edison establishes the first electric power plant in the world at Pearl Street Station in Manhattan. Over the next two years, he builds 18 new power plants, each capable of supplying energy within a radius of just over 800 meters. This limitation means that only densely populated cities can have these power plants, leaving smaller and rural towns excluded from the electric equation.

Nikola Tesla, working in one of Edison's factories near Paris, has successfully developed a functioning prototype of his alternating current motor. After years of refining his invention, Tesla is now ready to present his idea to the world, showcasing his determination and innovative spirit in the field of electricity.

Nikola Tesla's path crosses with Thomas Edison, who is already implementing a direct current wiring system across the country and the world. Tesla, convinced of a better way to bring electricity to the masses, must now confront the renowned scientist Edison, setting the stage for a clash of ideas and innovation in the electric industry.

Before presenting his revolutionary idea of alternating current to Edison, Nikola Tesla must first earn his trust. Tesla, armed with a letter from his supervisor, introduces himself as an inventor and problem-solver. He showcases his expertise in generator repair, demonstrating his capabilities to Edison and laying the groundwork for a potential collaboration.

Edison challenges Tesla by assigning him a difficult task of fixing a generator plagued with problems, installed on a ship for the first time. This test not only assesses Tesla's technical abilities but also reflects Edison's approach of pushing his employees to their limits to see if they can handle seemingly impossible challenges.

Edison faced a problem and came up with an innovative solution, showcasing his genius. His company, Edison Electric, grew rapidly and provided electricity to American industrial magnates. However, the limitations of his direct current system became evident as it could only effectively supply energy within an 800-meter radius of a generating station.

Nikola Tesla believed that his alternating current system could transmit electricity over longer distances compared to Edison's direct current. Despite the dangers associated with both systems, Tesla was convinced of the superiority of his alternating current.

Edison challenged Tesla to improve the efficiency of direct current generation. Tesla took the challenge seriously and discovered that by shortening magnetic cores, he could triple generator production, leading to the invention of the starter motor.

Edison jokingly promised Tesla a $50,000 bonus if he could design a direct current generator more efficiently. Despite not receiving the bonus, Tesla's success in enhancing the system led him to realize he no longer needed to work for Edison.

Tesla, instead of working for Edison, decided to work against him to prove his ideas. This marked the beginning of a war for the future of energy between the two brilliant minds.

After leaving Edison's lab, Tesla faced unemployment and had to resort to digging trenches for Edison Electric. Despite the challenges, Tesla believed in the potential of his alternating current system to revolutionize energy distribution with a wider range and lower cost.

Tesla sees an opportunity to showcase its technology to investors, emphasizing the use of alternating current without switches or brushes, highlighting the importance of frictionless operation. This demonstration attracts initial investors, setting the stage for Tesla to challenge Edison's electric empire in 1888.

Tesla's ability to create simple yet effective demonstrations showcasing the potential of alternating current, such as the rotating magnetic field analogy to a motor, impresses investors and garners support for his vision of the future of electricity.

In 1888, Tesla's timing is opportune as Edison's direct current system struggles to meet demand. Despite Edison's five years of investment in direct current infrastructure, Tesla's introduction of alternating current poses a significant challenge to Edison's electric monopoly.

To enhance the power of alternating current, Tesla envisions using a second signal out of sync with the first to fill gaps in the wave, demonstrating his foresight in transmitting electricity over long distances efficiently.

Tesla perceives alternating current as a means to transmit electricity effectively over great distances, a vision that proves correct as alternating current technology advances, posing a significant threat to Edison's electric empire.

Tesla introduces a revolutionary system of alternating current that can power machines with minimal friction, presenting a more efficient energy supply compared to Edison's direct current. This innovation marks a pivotal moment in the history of electricity.

Tesla's motor revolutionized the use of electricity by enabling it to power various machines, from elevators to dental drills. It marked a significant shift in the application of electricity beyond just lighting.

George Westinghouse, a prominent figure in the US as a railway magnate, saw the potential of Tesla's motor and invested heavily in securing the patent rights. He recognized electricity as an untapped market for immense wealth.

Westinghouse made a substantial investment of nearly 2 million dollars in modern equivalent to acquire Tesla's patents, paving the way for a collaboration to compete with Edison's energy system.

The challenge of transmitting electricity over long distances and powering large machinery with high voltages was addressed by the development of a new device called a transformer. It allowed for safe voltage reduction for household use.

Despite the advantages of alternating current (AC), Edison remained steadfast in promoting direct current (DC) for his empire. He viewed AC as dangerous due to higher voltages, refusing to adapt to industry changes and proving his point through a 'war of currents'.

Edison's strategy involved portraying alternating current as lethal and uncontrollable, emphasizing its potential dangers to public safety. He aimed to instill fear and doubt in the minds of people regarding the safety of AC compared to his own DC system.

Edison conducts experiments on dogs and public demonstrations to showcase the dangers of alternating current, including the risk of electrocution for larger animals. He aims to discredit alternating current in favor of his direct current system.

Edison advises the state of New York on a new method of execution using the electric chair. He recommends using his rival's system, showcasing the harshness of alternating current by executing a convict with a dramatic and gruesome outcome.

Edison fiercely defends his direct current system against Nikola Tesla and Westinghouse Electric in a battle for dominance in the energy industry. The conflict escalates to a showdown at Niagara Falls, a significant source of electricity in North America.

Edison presents a proposal to his board for generating electricity using direct current at Niagara Falls. However, the board decides to pursue alternating current behind Edison's back, leading to his loss of control over his company and the birth of General Electric.

Edison loses the trust of his board and control over his empire as they opt for alternating current over his direct current system. Despite being the visionary behind the company, Edison is sidelined in favor of profit-driven decisions.

Nikola Tesla presents Westinghouse's proposal for utilizing the power of Niagara Falls, including 10 generators producing 37,000 kilowatts at 22,000 volts for transmission. This revolutionary plan aims to transform the industry's power distribution capabilities.

The Niagara contract is awarded to Westinghouse, and Tesla's alternating current wins the crucial battle in the War of Currents. However, Westinghouse faces financial difficulties due to endless legal battles with Edison and struggles to pay Tesla's licensing fees, leading Westinghouse Electric to the brink of bankruptcy.

To keep Westinghouse afloat and preserve his vision of alternating current electricity, Westinghouse decides to forgo millions of dollars in licensing payments owed to him.

Tesla suffered from a mental illness, now known as obsessive-compulsive disorder, which affected his work and led to others exploiting his patents without giving him due credit. This mental illness ultimately led to Tesla living his final years in a New York hotel, dying alone and impoverished in 1943.

Edison, despite being granted over 1000 patents in his career, faced a bitter defeat in losing the War of Currents to Tesla. His ego and desire to maintain his public image as the acclaimed genius of Menlo Park led him to struggle with the idea of losing a significant battle in the realm of electricity.

Tesla's alternating current would go on to supply energy to the United States for over a century, with 99.99% of the country's electricity being generated and distributed through alternating current. Tesla's vision and ideas from the late 1880s ultimately prevailed in the battle between alternating current and direct current.