Nikola Tesla was a famous electrical engineer, inventor and physicist who is famous for his invention of alternating current. He was a Serbian-American inventor who made dozens of discoveries by the transmission, application and production of electric power. Born in Smiljan, Croatia in 1856, Tesla attended the University of Prague and the Technical University of Graz to study physics and math. In 1884 he went to New York, where he was hired as an engineer by Thomas Edison. In 1887, Westinghouse backed Tesla for his researches in alternating current and granted him with his own lab. Here are the top 5 inventions made by this great inventor.
1. Wireless energy transfer
At World Fair in Chicago in 1893, Tesla showed the way to wirelessly transmit electricity through a series of phosphorous bulbs. He called this phenomenon as electrodynamic induction. He also said that this technology will allow us to transfer long distance power in the atmosphere in the future, which would supply energy for comfortable living to the distant destinations. Companies like Sony and Intel are working on this phenomenon by applying non-radiative energy, which allows you to charge your cell phones without using power cables.
2. Light
It is obvious that he didn’t invent light, but he invented the methods to harness and distribute light. He used fluorescent bulbs in his lab approximately 40 years before the industry could invent them. At the World’s Fair in 1893, he bent glass tubes to form the names of famous scientists, this was the first instance of creating neon signs.
3. X-rays
During 1800s electromagnetic and ionizing radiations were the prime topic for the researchers. Tesla’s works and achievements in the field electromagnetism helped the radiologists the study the complete the anatomy of the human body without cutting and stitching. Although German physicist Willhelm Rontgen is credited for the discovery of the X-rays, Tesla’s experiments in this technology discovered inherent danger to the human flesh by the radiations 8 years before the actual discovery of the rays.
4. Alternating Current
The invention of Alternating current was made by Nikola Tesla. His contribution in AC electric power supply was substantial which led to several other inventions and widespread use of electricity in households. Tesla was rebuked by Thomas Edison for his invention of alternating current and maligned him by projecting that AC was dangerous. Tesla, however responded with various proofs that it was very safe and efficient. Famously, he produced sparks from his own body using the alternating current. Tesla was continuously faced with problems produced by Edison and other crony businessmen, however, the electrical systems still in use in the entire world are largely based on Tesla’s work. Invention of AC also gave birth to several other electrical equipment which worked well with alternating current. The transmission of current to longer distance was also possible with AC as there was minimal loss of power as opposed to direct current which incurred a substantial power loss when transmitted to longer distance.
5. Tesla Coil
Tesla coil is a resonant transformer which was invented by Nikola Tesla. This circuit was invented around the year 1891 and used to produce alternating current with attributes like high voltage, high frequency and low current. These coils led to several discoveries by assisting Tesla in performing experiments related to phosphorescence, electro-therapy, X-Ray. Until 1920, these coils were also used in telegraphy, violet ray devices and medical applications like electro-therapy. They have become obsolete now and used only for entertainment and educational displays. Small coils, however, are still used in vacuum systems for leak detection. Although, obsolete in the current scenario, there was a time, it was regarded as a path-breaking invention.
