Various Tesla book cover images

Nikola Tesla Books

Books written by or about Nikola Tesla

Nikola Tesla: Colorado Springs Notes, 1899-1900 Page 414

electrolyte in the bottles) could be connected in parallel as desired. The smallest capacity adjustment possible was equal to the capacity of one bottle.

After various tests of what voltage the glass dielectric of the bottles could stand, Tesla returned his attention to the secondary of the oscillator, in which rightly way the limiting factor for obtaining higher voltages. His analysis of the distributed capacity of the secondary is a good illustration of his inventiveness in a little known field and how he sought to reduce problems to a simple but mathematically and physically sufficiently accurate model. It must not be forgotten that these are Tesla's working notes, which is sufficient justification in itself for some of the hypotheses which the reader might otherwise rightly object to.

August 2

A receiver of this type is mentioned in the entries of July 12th (the principle), July 28th (circuit diagram with two sensitive devices and relay), July 30th (in connection with earth waves). The transformer here has a frame similar to that of July 28th but with somewhat more turns. The sensitive device was described on July 21st.

Tesla often worked on several problems in parallel. Here for example we have entries concerning the receivers, the development of condensers for the primary of the big oscillator, and the power equation for a new configuration of the oscillator primary circuit. The condenser C1 in Fig. 2 protects the mains transformer against overload but has the drawback that it reduces the initial voltage on C2. Tesla's analysis refers to the case of two condensers in series, neglecting all transient phenomena. It may be that he was induced to think about protecting the mains transformer because of his doubts about the ability of the dielectric to stand the voltages which he intended to use.

August 3-14

These experiments are a continuation of some earlier research. Here Tesla investigates various modifications of his “condenser method of magnifying effects”. All the circuit diagrams of receivers, over 50, include at least one battery, sensitive device, condenser, rotary interrupter and HF transformer. Some of them show a relay for registering the signal received, while in others its presence is understood. Likewise, in all except one case (5 August, Fig. 1) the plates which brings the excitation to the sensitive device are not shown. Tesla says that these plates can be in one or two media, meaning that both can be in the air, both in the ground, or one in the air and the other in the ground, preferably elevated. In the patent(8), referring to these plates, he also says: “... they may be connected to conductors extending to some distance or to the terminals of any kind of apparatus supplying electrical energy which is obtained from the energy of impulses or disturbance through the natural media.”*

As regards mode of operation, the various receivers have in common that the sensitive device is biased by a battery. They also include a Tesla oscillator (clockwork rotary interrupter) which creates an added bias on the sensitive device (or devices). This AC pulse bias acts as positive feedback, avalanching the sensitive device into conduction as soon as an arriving signal starts to cause some change. In the receivers with two sensitive devices

* It is interesting to note a similarity of such receiving system and the contemporary ELF grounded wire radiator. In the Nikola Tesla Museum in Belgrade few drawings, showing something that resembles a single grounded wire radiator and a parallel array ELF antenna(72), are found.

414

72

Wait J.R. “Propagation of ELF electromagnetic waves and project Sanguine/Seafarer”, IEEE Jour, of Ocean. Eng., Vol OE-2, No. 2, April 1977.

Contents

Introduction
June 1 - 30
July 1 - 31
August 1 - 31
September 1 - 30
October 1 - 31
November 1 - 30
December 1 - 31
January 1 - 7
Commentaries

Appendices: I, II

Images

Glossary

Lowercase tau - an irrational constant defined as the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its radius, equal to the radian measure of a full turn; approximately 6.283185307 (equal to 2π, or twice the value of π).
A natural rubber material obtained from Palaquium trees, native to South-east Asia. Gutta-percha made possible practical submarine telegraph cables because it was both waterproof and resistant to seawater as well as being thermoplastic. Gutta-percha's use as an electrical insulator was first suggested by Michael Faraday.
The Habirshaw Electric Cable Company, founded in 1886 by William M. Habirshaw in New York City, New York.
The Brown & Sharpe (B & S) Gauge, also known as the American Wire Gauge (AWG), is the American standard for making/ordering metal sheet and wire sizes.
A traditional general-purpose dry cell battery. Invented by the French engineer Georges Leclanché in 1866.
Refers to Manitou Springs, a small town just six miles west of Colorado Springs, and during Tesla's time there, producer of world-renown bottled water from its natural springs.
A French mineral water bottler.
Lowercase delta letter - used to denote: A change in the value of a variable in calculus. A functional derivative in functional calculus. An auxiliary function in calculus, used to rigorously define the limit or continuity of a given function.
America's oldest existing independent manufacturer of wire and cable, founded in 1878.
Lowercase lambda letter which, in physics and engineering, normally represents wavelength.
The lowercase omega letter, which represents angular velocity in physics.