2011/10/3 Miles Fidelman <mfidel...@meetinghouse.net>: > Richard wrote: >>>> >>>> Long distances need high voltage and AC. I suspect Nikola Tesla was a >>>> Roma from Jugoslavia, since my Gypsy friends, Roma from Jugoslavia, >>>> know his name and his profession and claim that he was a Roma. Dunno, >>>> but since their general knowledge isn't profound, there must be a >>>> reason that they especially know Tesla. I believe that three-phase AC >>>> could have to do with Siemens, I've got no idea what role was played >>>> by George Westinghouse. I won't read the Wiki. >>>> >> I suggest you all check on the high voltage feed from Canada in to the New >> York region. 0Hz > > As I recall, Edison was busily building DC-based electric systems, while > Westinghouse was building AC systems modelled after systems being deployed > in Europe. Tesla invented and held some fundamental patents related to AC > power and went to work for Westinghouse for a while. Meanwhile Siemens was > one of the early and big players in Europe, starting out building telegraph > lines. > > The benefits of AC mostly come from being able to step-up and step-down > voltages through transformers (transformers don't work with DC) - it's what > makes long-distance transmission feasible (high voltage translates to low > current and low resistive losses). Long-haul DC keeps threatening to make a > comeback in the form of superconducting transmission lines (an alternate way > to minimize resistive losses) - but that begs the question of how to keep > everything cold. > > Interestingly, when I was a kid, we inherited a relatively old B&W TV set > from my grandmother. The specs said explicitly "110 volts AC/DC" - there > were parts of NYC that were wired with DC, fairly late into the 1930s and > maybe the 40s (I had to check, the first TV stations went on the air around > 1928). > > Miles Fidelman
Check this one (and few other associated with it): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-voltage_direct_current The problem with DC at times of Tesla/Edison was the fact that there was/is no efficient way to change voltage, while for AC it was quite easy for many years already. darkestkhan ------------------------------------------ Feel free to CC me. jid: darkestk...@gmail.com May The Source be with You. -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: http://lists.debian.org/cacrpbmijvvl9spmzoffmvnzpqb+hfzf_ey3jer9e1hxoqxz...@mail.gmail.com
