Legendary Engineer and Inventor Nikola Tesla

He was a legendary engineer and inventor. The famous inventor who is best known for discovering the modern alternating current and wireless electricity transmission systems is none other than Nikola Tesla. Among his inventions are the Tesla coil, alternating current (AC), electricity, and the rotating magnetic field. He is called a man ahead of his time—a visionary who changed the world as we know it today!

Scientist’s Brief Profile

Now let’s take a look at a brief profile of this scientist:

Name: Nikola Tesla.

Born: July 10, 1856; Died: January 7, 1943.

Residence: Smiljan, Austrian Empire (now Croatia).

Nationality: Serbian-American.

Education: Tesla began his schooling in Smiljan at a primary school in 1861. There he studied German, mathematics, and religion. In 1870, he moved to Karlovac in the north to enroll in high school.

Later, Tesla became interested in electrical demonstrations under the guidance of a physics professor. He mentioned that these demonstrations of “mysterious phenomena” inspired him to “learn more about this wonderful force.” Tesla was capable of performing integral calculus in his head, a skill his teachers found hard to believe. In other words, he could carry out complex calculations mentally, without any paper or pen. In 1873, he completed a four-year degree in just three years.

In 1873, he returned to Smiljan. Soon after, he contracted cholera and was bedridden for nine months. In this difficult time, his father promised to send him to the best engineering school if he recovered from his illness, although his father had wanted him to become a priest.

However, upending all those plans, in 1874, he fled to Tomingaj near Gračac in southeastern Lika to avoid conscription, and he joined the Austro-Hungarian army. There, dressed as a hunter, he explored the mountains. He mentioned later that this connection with nature made him stronger, both physically and mentally. While staying in Tomingaj, he read many books, and especially the works of Mark Twain, which, he claimed, miraculously helped him recover from his previous illness.

In 1875, he received a Military Frontier scholarship and enrolled at the Austrian Polytechnic in Graz. At that time, Tesla never missed a single lecture, earned the highest grades, and passed nine exams successfully. There his father received a letter from the Dean of the Technical Faculty, praising him as “a star of the first rank.”

In 1881, he moved to Budapest, Hungary, to work at a telegraph company under Tivadar Puskás, which was associated with the Budapest Telephone Exchange. However, he realized that the organization was not yet functional. Instead, he worked as a draftsman at the Central Telegraph Office. Within a few months, the telephone exchange became operational, and Tesla was appointed Chief Electrician.

In 1882, Tesla was employed by the Continental Edison Company in Paris. There, he began working in a completely new industry. The organization had several subdivisions, and Tesla worked at Société Electrique Edison in the suburb of Ivry-sur-Seine, where he was responsible for installing lighting systems. Here, he gained extensive practical experience in electrical engineering. The management soon recognized his skills, giving him the opportunity to design and build improved versions of dynamos and motors. He was sent to various subdivisions across France and Germany to solve engineering problems. In 1884, he moved to the United States. His responsibilities and work at the same company expanded further.

At the end of 1886, Tesla met Alfred S. Brown, superintendent of Western Union, and Charles F. Peck, a New York attorney. Both were experienced in forming companies for profit, securing inventions, and managing patents. Based on Tesla’s new ideas, including his concept of a thermo-magnetic motor, they agreed to provide him with financial backing and manage his patents.

In April 1887, the three of them jointly formed an electrical company. According to the agreement, Tesla would receive one-third of the profits from the patents, Peck and Brown would get one-third, and the remaining third would go to the development fund. They set up a laboratory for Tesla on Liberty Street in Manhattan, where he worked on developing and improving new types of electric motors, generators, and other devices.

That same year, Tesla developed an induction motor using alternating current (AC). This was a type of electrical system that saw rapid expansion in Europe and the United States because of its ability to transmit electricity over long distances and at high voltages. The motor operated using polyphase current, which created a rotating magnetic field to turn the motor.

In July 1888, Brown and Peck reached a licensing agreement with Washington House for Tesla’s polyphase induction motor and transformer designs, for which Tesla received $60,000 in cash and stock and a royalty of $2.50 for each AC horsepower produced by the motors.

Tesla attempted to market several devices based on ozone generation. Among these was the Tesla Ozone Company in 1900, which sold devices patented in 1896 that were based on his Tesla coil. 

Notable Achievements:

1. In 1894, he received the Elliott Cresson Medal from Franklin Institute in the United States;

2. In 1917, he was awarded the AIEE Edison Medal from the American Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers;

3. In 1934, he received the John Scott Medal from the Franklin Institute and the City Council of Philadelphia, United States.

Nikola Tesla was an engineer and inventor famous for designing the alternating current (AC) electrical system that is used worldwide. He held more than 300 invention patents, many of which have changed our modern world. This groundbreaking inventor who revolutionized electric systems passed away on January 7, 1943.

Taken from “Bijnan Monisha” (Second Edition), to be published by Saad Abdul Wali. 

References:

1. Wikipedia (www.wikipedia.org)

2. www.britannica.com

3. www.history.com