Nikola Tesla: Programme of Celebrations (1976) Page 11

“Nikola Tesla” Symposium

An international “Nikola Tesla” symposium will be held in Zagreb from 7 - 9 July, 1976.

The symposium will close in Smiljan or Gospic on 10 July, 1976 as part of the celebrations of the 120th anniversary of Tesla’s birth.

The symposium, which will be devoted to subjects from the field of electrical engineering with which Nikola Tesla was concerned, is being organized with a wish to pay homage to Tesla’s great work. With his achievements Tesla showed what great results can be achieved through a multi-disciplinary approach making use of many different fields of science and engineering. With his many works, from patents to written articles, he made a great contribution to the development of electrical engineering as a whole and to the development of mechanical engineering, chemistry, medicine and biology. The following list of the special fields to which his patents relate reveals the wide range of his intellect and work: -

• electrical polyphase machines, asynchronous and synchronous motors, synchronous generators, direct-current machines, generators of medium frequencies up to 30 kHz;
• current regulators;
• transmission and distribution of electricity;
• arc lamps;
• light bulbs of medium frequency;
• high-frequency generators with spark and circuit breaker; resonance, tuning;
• signal receivers;
• transmission of signals with two frequencies;
• light and X-rays in the transmission of signals;
• remote control of moving objects;
• cooling with liquid air;
• electric condensers, oil impregnation;
• co-axial high-frequency conductor;
• coil of electro-magnet of self-inductance;
• production of ozone by high-frequency corona;
• ignition of the explosive motor;
• protection against lightning;
• water and steam turbines without blades;
• meters for electricity frequency and current consumption;
• speedometers for vehicles and ships, and water flow meters;
• liquid propulsion.

The themes of the symposium are to show that technology, especially electrical engineering, is indivisible. Every product of electrical engineering - the motor, generator, telephone, television set, computer - is only a part of a whole and its structure must be adjusted to the whole.

This is how Tesla viewed technology. Modern developments confirm this. Technology has become a power in the service of man: the motor helps man’s work, telecommunications widen the range of his senses in communication with the environment, and generators help to supply him with power.

The themes of the symposium have been chosen from the field of electrical engineering as a whole in order to present the latest stage of development in electrical engineering and draw attention to the inter-connection of the individual branches of this science.