When it comes to the inventions of Nikola Tesla, some have been the center of controversy and mystery. For example, did Tesla create an electric car that could travel up to 90 mph? In this article, you will also learn a bit about his Egg of Columbus and oscillator inventions.
Tesla’s Egg of Columbus
At the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, Tesla demonstrated a device that he called the ‘Egg of Columbus’ that he used to elaborate the principles surrounding the rotating magnetic field model and the induction motor. The Egg of Columbus was comprised of a copper egg within a rotating magnetic field. The egg would spin on its major axis , standing on end , thanks to a gyroscopic action. The power for the device came from a two-phase alternating current source that created the rotating magnetic field. If you are interested in taking a look at reproductions of the device, pay a visit to the Nikola Tesla Museum in Belgrade, the Technical Museum in Zagreb, or the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum in Michigan.
Tesla’s Oscillator
In 1898, Tesla gave birth to the electro-mechanical oscillator, which is also called the ‘Earthquake Machine.’ This small invention measured about seven inches long and only weighed about 1 to 2 pounds. It was actually the size of an object that could fit into an “overcoat pocket.” You’re probably wondering how something so small could be compared to an earthquake. However, in 1898, Tesla learned that this small device could violently shake his New York lab when matched with only five pounds of air pressure acting against a special pneumatic piston device. This entire invention was created for steam pressure power.
Working on pure mechanics, the device sees steam forced into the oscillator, which escapes through a series of ports. Overall, this action causes the armature within its casing to vibrate at accelerated speeds. Temperatures rise and the pressure increase to reach 400 psi. Throughout the years, other versions of the machine were created to create electrical power, while others focuses on the use of electromagnets.
Tesla Electric Car?
Tesla also supposedly tried his hand in transportation with his invention of the Tesla electric car. As told by a man who claims to have witnessed the machinery, Tesla is thought to have created a modified Pierce-Arrow automobile. Peter Savo claims that he accompanied Tesla to Buffalo, New York in 1931, where he was showed the car. As the story goes, the stock gasoline engine had been removed and switched with a “brushless AC electric motor.”
The motor is believed to have received its energy by a ‘power receiver’ consisting of a box measuring about 25 inches long by 10 inches wide by 6 inches high. The car is said to have contained 12 radio tubes linked to a 6-foot long antenna. The car could reach speeds of up to 90 mph and travel for about 50 miles. The story has been met with some debate, which centered on the car’s propulsion system, which was attributed to Tesla. There has been no physical evidence to surface that the car ever existed. Is this a falsehood?