Nikola Tesla made his mark in the fields of science and electricity, and with a multitude of inventions that have shaped the equipment and machines we use today. He owned more than 300 patents for a great deal of items. In this article, you will learn of some of his resourceful contributions, including the Tesla coil, Tesla turbine, and the death ray.
Tesla Coil
Around 1891, Nikola Tesla invented a type of resonant transformer circuit that generates high voltage, low current alternative current electricity that gives off high frequencies. Tesla was known to experiment with a number of varying configurations that consisted of two to three coupled electric circuits. The coils were used to conduct cutting-edge experiments in electrical lighting, electrotherapy, and broadcasting. Other uses for the coil include novelty lighting, fluorescent lighting, and even music.
Induction Motor
An induction motor is a kind of alternating current motor where the power is delivered through the rotor (the part that rotates) with the help of electromagnetic induction. The electric motor is responsible for converting electrical power to mechanical power in the rotor. The first induction motor came from the handiwork of Galileo Ferraris in 1885 in Italy. In 1888, he published his research in a paper to the Royal Academy of Sciences in Turin. Later that same year, Tesla obtained a patent in the United States that revealed the theoretical foundations for understanding the way the motor operates.
Tesla Turbine
In 1913, Tesla patented a bladeless centripetal flow turbine that he hoped would have been used for geothermal power that he referred to as “Our Future Motive Power”. The Tesla turbine consists of a set of smooth disks with nozzles that delivers a moving gas to the edge of the disk. Viscosity and the adhesion of the surface layer cause the gas to drag on the disk. When the gas slows, energy is added to the disks, which spirals into the center exhaust. Because the rotor has no projections, the turbine is quite sturdy.
Death Ray
The death ray is a science fiction enthusiast’s dream that centers on a theoretical particle beam or electromagnetic weapon that gained popular attention during the 1920s and 1930s. Claims of an invention were attached to Nikola Tesla, amongst others, such as Edwin R Scott and Harry Grindell Matthews. Tesla claimed that he had invented a death ray that he referred to as a ‘teleforce’ during the 1930s. Until his death, he still stood by his assertion. Around 1957, the National Inventors Council was still requesting military inventions that included a death ray, but the concept never materialized , becoming confined to the imaginations of science fiction buffs.
Particle Beam Weapon
Using ultra high-energy beams consisting of atoms or electrons, the particle beam weapon was meant to damage targets upon contact and cause disorder throughout the atomic and molecular structure. This supposed weapon was another invention that seemed confined to the thoughts of science fiction buffs.