tesla symp06 vujic

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Protocol has now entered into force. It requires the 34industrialized countries to reduce emissions by an average of5.2% by 2012. Unfortunately, the USA has not signed the KyotoProtocol. Figure 2 presents comparison of major sources forelectricity production regarding the emission of CO2-equivalentper kWh. The biggest contributors are coal and gas, whilenuclear energy is basically emission-free.

a) b)

Figure 1. (a) Model includes climate changes due to natural

causes (solar variations, volcanoes, etc.), (b) Model includesclimate changes due to natural causes and human generated

greenhouse gases.

Figure 2. Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Electricity Production

This fact was also recognized by major environmental guru,Patrick Moore, Greenpeacefounder and environmental activist.He testified on April 28, 2005 before the U.S. House ofRepresentatives Government Reform Energy and ResourcesSubcommittee, that: Nuclear energy is the only non-greenhouse-gas-emitting source that can effectively replace

fossil fuels and satisfy global demands. He also warned hisfellow environmentalists at the UN Climate Change Conference(Montreal, Dec 5, 2005), that Energy decisions must be basedmore on science and less on politics and emotion. There is a

great deal of scientific evidence showing nuclear power to be

environmentally sound and safe choice.In this paper we compare how Nikola Tesla envisioned to

solve energy problems of the world more than one hundredyears ago, and what are the most promising options that weconsider today.

II. NIKOLA TESLA, HIS INVENTIONS AND HIS VISIONS

Nikola Tesla was a visionary genius whose sometimesradical ideas established the basis for everything that nowpowers our world with energy and information. Without his

inventions the widespread electrification that touched themajority of people on the planet would not have been possible.In writings about Tesla, one often finds statements such as thathe invented the twentieth century or the twenty firstcentury, or even that he invented the future.

Dr. James Corum, one of the scientists continuing Teslaswork, summarizes poetically Teslas contributions: Theelectrical power flowing from our great generators, illuminating

our vast cities, dispelling the inky blackness of the night, and the

telecommunications cohesively linking the homes and

businesses of our civilization, across continents, around the

globe and through the distant reaches of space - these are all

monuments testifying to the successful life of this little known,

but uniquely admirable, scientist, inventor, engineer, futurist,and citizen of the world. [1]

Tesla was also a visionary thinker, who conceived manyideas, some controversial, which are related to several of today'smainstream technologies ranging from wireless communicationsystems, radar, television broadcasting, robotics, computers,faxes, Internet, and even the U.S. Strategic Defense Initiative.

However, he is still not recognized for many of hisfundamental inventions. Such is the case of radio for which eventhe U.S. Supreme Court in 1943 determined Tesla as inventor.Tesla is one of only two Americans to have a unit of electricalmeasurement named in his honor.

The Discovery of the Rotating Magnetic Field. Tesla's

discovery of the rotating magnetic field produced by theinteractions of two and three phase alternating currents in amotor winding was one of his most significant achievements,and formed the basis of his induction motor and polyphasesystem for the generation and transmission of electricity. Thanksto this invention, large amounts of electrical power could begenerated and transmitted efficiently over long distances. Tothis day, the three-phase form of Tesla's polyphase system isused for the generation and transmission of electricity. [3,4,9]

The Discovery of the Tesla Coil and Transformer. Hisexperiments with high frequency and high potential alternatingcurrents resulted in the development of the Tesla coil which isstill used as a major component in numerous electronic devices.

As part of other experiments Tesla also developed theprecursors of modern neon and florescent lights. [3,9,10]

War of the Currents. In May 1885, George Westinghouse,head of the Westinghouse Electric Company in Pittsburgh,bought the patent rights to Tesla's polyphase system ofalternating-current (AC) dynamos, transformers, and motors.There was a power struggle between Edison's direct-currentsystems and the Tesla-Westinghouse alternating-currentapproach. Edison's role in the electrical power industry wasminimal. It was Nikola Tesla's discovery of the rotatingmagnetic field principle in 1882 and patented in 1888 that gave


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us our modern-day system of electrical power distribution.[2,5,7,11]

Niagara Falls. In October 1893 the Niagara FallsCommission awarded Westinghouse a contract to build thepower plant at the Niagara Falls, using the generators that Teslahas designed. Teslas polyphase system was used throughout theproject. The first three Niagara AC generators went on lineNovember 16, 1896. The evolution of electric power, from thediscovery of Faradey in 1831 to the initial great installation of

the Tesla polyphase system in 1896, is undoubtedly the most

tremendous event in all engineering history (Charles E. Scott,1943) [7]

The Great Radio Controversy. Marconi was the first to senda message across the ocean and, and thus, he is partlyresponsible for 'developing' radio...but he did NOT invent it.Tesla did. On June 21, 1943, the United States Supreme Courtmade a landmark decision that essentially settled the longdispute between Marconi and Tesla. The court's decision, Case

No. 369, identified as "Marconi Wireless Telegraph Companyof America vs. United States," rendered invalid Marconi's basicpatent No. 763,772 dated June 28, 1904. Tesla's patent No.645,576 of March 20, 1900, and its subdivision patent forapparatus No. 649,621 dated May 15, 1900, had priority. [2,5,7]

Remote Control and Automation. In 1898, at the firstElectrical Exhibition in Madison Square Garden, Teslademonstrated the worlds first radio-controlled robot boat. Teslaapplied his receivers and transmitters in remote ship control, andhe was granted a patent in 1898 for The Method of and

Apparatus for Controlling Mechanism of Moving Vessels or

Vehicles- Teslas patent No. 613,809 of November 8, 1898.This invention made Tesla an originator of remote control.

Unfortunately, as with many of Teslas inventions, thisinvention was so far ahead of its time that those who observed itcould not imagine its practical applications.[2,5,7,8]

2.1.Teslas visionary ideas [19]

The present is theirs; the future, for which I really worked, ismine. TESLA

In his visionary ideas Tesla was so far ahead of his time,so much a visionary, that his contemporary scientists reallydidn't understand what he was doing. We witness todayrealization of some of Teslas visionary ideas, that heenvisioned at the end of 19th and the beginning of 20th century.

This created a great difficulty for Tesla and his ability to attractinvestors who would fund his research work. Only in few cases(such as collaboration with Westinghouse) he was able to fullycomplete his visions. In 1900, Tesla began construction on LongIsland of a wireless world broadcasting tower (WardenclyffeTower), with $150,000 capital from the American financier J.Pierpont Morgan. Tesla was planning to provide worldwidecommunication with ability to send pictures, messages, weatherwarnings, and stock reports. The project was abandoned becauseof a financial panic, and Morgan's withdrawal of support.

Among many Teslas visionary ideas, we will mention only fewthat came to realization only recently, or are still waiting to beutilized: (a) Global wireless system for transmission of signalsand energy, (b) Remote control foundations, (c) Vertical takeoffaircraft (VTOL), (d) Use of geothermal energy, and (e) Visionof electrical future. [12]

(a) Vision of Wireless Communication (Magnifying Transmitterpatented 1914). In early 1990s Tesla wrote a telephonesubscriber here may call up and talk to any other subscriber on

the Globe. An inexpensive receiver, no bigger than a watch,

will enable him to listen anywhere, on land or sea, to a speech

delivered, or music played in some other place, however

distant. Sounds familiar? It took a better part of the 20thcentury for this Tesla vision to be realized. He had three goals:to develop a transmitter of great power, to perfect means forindividualizing and isolating the energy transmitted (e.g.,signals), to establish the laws of propagation of currents through

the earth and the atmosphere. [13, 14]He also talked about using the same system to transmit energy,making it a free resource.

(b) Remote control foundations (Patented in 1898). Tesla laidthe foundation of remote control systems (what he calledteleautomation) in 1898 at the first Electrical Exhibition inMadison Square Garden. He demonstrated how the ships andmechanical gadgets could be controlled remotely using awireless principle. In Teslas own words we can recognize thebasis for what we call today Computers and even one stepfurther Artificial Intelligence: [it will be able to follow acourse laid out or obey commands given far in advance, it

will be capable between what it ought and what it ought not to

do and of recording impressions which will definitely affect

its subsequent actions.

(c) Vertical takeoff aircraft -VTOL (Patented in 1928). Theinitial idea appears in 1921. He envisioned a vertical take-offand landing aircraft, with combined helicopter and airplanefeatures. Although he gave a thrust analysis of VTOL, it wasnever built by Tesla. However, VTOLs are in military use today(V-22 Osprey, for example). Tesla also envisioned a horseshoe-shaped VTOL with a horizontally placed turbine, which rides ona thin layer of air. Tesla never built it, but similarly designedhovercraft is commercially available today. [12]

(d) Use of geothermal power. In 1931 Tesla discussed the

design of the power plants based on the geothermal energy. Thegeothermal power today has a great role as one of the renewableenergy sources.

(e) Vision of electrical future. Teslas prediction include: Thewidespread use of hydro-electric power generation and of ACfor transmission; electrical control of atmospheric moisture (notyet accomplished); use in appliances (refrigeration, etc.),lighting, and propulsion; use in agricultural domain: pestcontrol, elimination of microbes, ; collision-preventinginstruments; In a time not too distant it will be possible to flash


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any image formed in thought on a screen and render it visible at

any place desired; a voice-operated typewriter; picture/texttransmission (fax); electric guns and teleautomatic aerialtorpedoes (cruise missile?). [12]

2.2. Teslas views on energy and todays needs of sustainable

society

In his papers [20] on The Problem of Increasing HumanEnergy (With Special Reference to the Harnessing of the Suns

Energy) that originally appeared in Century Illustrated MonthlyMagazine in June 1900, on The Transmission of Electric

Energy without Wires, that originally appeared in The ElectricWorld and Engineer, in March 5, 1904, and on The WonderWorld to be Created by Electricity, that originally appeared inManufacturings Record in September 9, 1915, Tesla presentedhis visions of sustainable society with affordable energy to be

transmitted wirelessly through the earth or air.The Sun is the past, the Earth is the present, the Moon isthe future. From and incandescent mass we have originated and

into frozen mass we shell turn. Amazingly, Tesla pinpointsmore than 100 years ago the most important issues of concern tothe human race even today: the need for limitless energy, cleanwater and healthy food.

This precious fluid, which daily infuses new life into us, is

likewise the chief vehicle through which disease and death enter

our bodies. It should be made a rigid rule which might be

enforced by law to boil or to sterilize otherwise the drinking

water in every household and public space. Millions of

individuals die yearly for want of food. Even in our

enlightened communities, and not withstanding the manycharitable effort, this is still, in all probability, the chief evil.

In this manner many compounds of nitrogen may be

manufactured all over the world, at a small cost, and in any

desired amount, and by means of these compounds the soul can

be fertilized and its productiveness indefinitely increased. An

abundance of cheap and healthful food, not artificial, but such

as we are accustomed to, may thus be obtained

While talking about the power of the future, Tesla clearlyanalyses various energy sources know at that time, and pointsout their advantages and disadvantages:

We have at our disposal three main sources of life-sustaining

energy fuel, water-power and the heat from the sun.

Engineers often speak of harnessing the tides, but thediscouraging truth is that the tidewater over one acre of ground

will, on the average, develop only one horse-power. Thousands

of mechanics and inventors have spent their best efforts in

trying to perfect wave motion, not realizing that the power so

obtained could never compete with that derived from other

sources. The force of wind offers much better chances and it is

valuable in special instances, but is by far inadequate.

Moreover, the tides, waves and winds furnish only periodic and

often uncertain power and necessitate the employment of large

and expensive storage plants If we use fuel (i.e., coal, oil gas -

JV) to get our power, we are living on our own capital and

exhausting it rapidly. This method is barbarous and wantonly

wasteful, and will have to be stopped in the interest of coming

generations.

The heat of the suns rays represents an immense amount of

energy vastly in excess of water-power. The earth receives an

equivalent of 83 foot-pounds per second for each square foot on

which rays fall perpendicularly. From simple geometric rules

applying to a spherical body it follows that the mean rate per

square foot of the earths surface is one-quarter of that, or

203/4 food-pounds. This is to say over one million horse-power

per square mile, or 250 times the water-power for the same

area. But that is only true in theory; the practical facts put this

in a different aspect. For instance, considering United States,

and taking into account the mean latitude, the daily variations,

the diurnal changes, the seasonal variations and casual

changes, this power of the suns rays reduces to about one-tenth, or 100,000 horse-power per square mile, of which we

might be able to recover in high speed low-pressure turbines

10,000 horse-power.To do this would mean the installment of apparatus and

storage plants so large and expensive that such a project is

beyond the pale of practical. The inevitable conclusion is that

the water-power is by far our most valuable resource. On this

the humanity must build its hopes for the future. With its full

development and a perfect system of wireless transmission of

energy to any distance man will be able to solve all the

problems of material existence. Distance, which is the chief

impediment to human progress, will be completely annihilated

in thought, word and action. Humanity will be united, wars willbe impossible and peace will reign supreme.

Tesla considered affordable and abundant energy as the baseof peaceful co-existence of human race. Recent definition ofsustainable energy specifies [21]: A living harmony betweenthe equitable availability of energy services to all people and thepreservation of the earth for future generations.

Lets see how todays comparison of energy sources lookslike (TABLE 1). It is interesting to point out that Teslasanalysis (excluding the nuclear power that did not exist at thattime) matches the brief analysis presented in this table. Teslabelieved that the hydro power is the most valuable andaffordable source and it is still the case today.

Figure 3 shows another way of comparing the real cost ofvarious power sources if their capacity factors are taken intoaccount. With very small capacity factors, cost per kWe of solarand wind power is several thousand dollar higher that that ofcoal and nuclear. An installed kW of wind power is not the sameas an installed kW of base load coal and nuclear power, whichrun many more hours regardless of weather. So, the cost perkWe must be adjusted for average capacity factor. The red barin Figure 3 represents the Effective Capacity, adjusted fordowntime. [24]


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TABLE I PROS AND CONS IN THE CURRENT U.S. ENERGYSUPPLY

Source % of U.S.

Energy

Supply

Pros Cons

Fossil FuelsOil

Natural GasCoal

713

1652

Inexpensive toconstruct (gas)and operateDomesticallyavailable (coal)Flexible

SignificantemissionsInsecure supply(oil, gas)Price volatility(oil, gas)

Nuclear 20 Essentially non-emittingInexpensive tooperateDomesticallyavailable

RadioactivewasteExpensive toconstructSafety and

proliferationconcerns

Hydropower 7 Essentially non-

emittingInexpensive tooperateDomesticallyavailable

Environmental

concernsFewopportunitiesfor domesticexpansion

Biomass


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mind, it is not surprising that Tesla did not envision use ofanother great source of power nuclear energy.

The main advantages of using nuclear power is high energydensity per kg of fuel. While the fossil fuel density is 2.9 x 107J/kg, the fission energy density is 8.2 x 1013J/kg and the fusionenergy density is 3.4 x 1014J/kg. Table II gives a comparison of1 kg of Uranium fuel to the amount of Fuel Equivalent massfor different types of fuel. [24]

TABLE II Fuel Equivalent Mass Comparison

Fuel kg of fuel

Uranium 1

Natural gas 14,000

Crude Oil 15,000

Coal (East) 22,000

Coal (West PRB) 33,000

Dry firewood 45,000

Solar power 70 Sq. KM

W ind power 4000 turbines

Thus, fuel consumed by a 1000 MWe fission power plant is3.2 kg/day, by a 1000 MWe fusion power plant is 0.6 kg/day,while up to 10,000 tons/day of coal is necessary for a 1000MWe coal-burning plant. These data also give us an idea aboutthe amount of waste that will be produced by each of thesesources. Figure 5 shows that the electricity production cost offour major power sources.

U.S. Electricity Production Costs

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1991

1993

1995

1997

1999

2001

Cents/KWh(2001dollars)

Nuclear Coal Gas Oil

Figure 5. The electricity production cost in the USA

Nuclear production cost fell below coal (the cheapest ishydro) over the last several years this is the average over the103 nuclear power plants in the US (presenting 110,000 MWeor 20% of electricity production). There are 440 nuclear powerplants (NPPs) in the world, corresponding to 367,000 MWe or16% of worlds electricity production. It must be pointed outthat 440 nuclear power plants having no greenhouse gasemissions, displace about 2.5 billion metric tons of CO2 peryear. Over more then 50 years of commercial NPPs it has beenshown that they are safe, performance is proven, production ofelectricity is cost effective and affordable, they present the baseload generation of electricity, contribute to the grid stability andare emissions free (NPPs do not emit carbon dioxide nor otherimportant regulated environmental pollutants (e.g., SOx, NOx,mercury). These facts are being realized by environmentalleaders who are now supporting expansion of nuclear energy.

Problem of highly radioactive spent fuel is being effectivelyresolved by closed cycle, transmutation of transuranics, andrecycling of fissile fuel. One possible closed cycle is shown inFigure 6 [23], in which spent fuel from light water reactors(LWRs) is separated by UREX+ process (ESD), transmutationfuel is fabricated in Advanced Fuel Cycle Facility (AFCF) andlong-lived transuranics are burned in Advanced Burner TestReactor (ABTR). Currently, a sodium-cooled fast reactor isproposed as ABTR.

Figure 6. Advanced closed fuel cycle, with fuel separation,transmutation fuel fabrication, and consumption of long-lived

transuranics

Using the closed fuel cycle, the amount of radioactive wastewill be considerably reduced, so that only one Yucca Mountaintype repository will be needed, even if the US continues to addnew NPPs in the future. The main reason is that the only wastethat will go underground will be short-lived fission products, asshown in Fig. 7 [26]. While in the open cycle (i.e., once-

though) scenario, the spent fuel is dominated by long-livedactinides, that will continue decaying and contributing to overallradiotoxicity and decay heat for hundreds of thousand of years,in the proposed closed cycle, the fission products decay ourwithin the first few hundreds of years.

The new strategy in the US regarding the broader use ofnuclear power in the World is called the Global Nuclear EnergyPartnership (GNEP) [27], where a global system is envisionedof nuclear fuel supplier nations (that have nuclear technology)that will enable developing nations (that do not have nucleartechnology) to affordably use nuclear energy without increasingthe risk of nuclear proliferation. In addition, the new generationof advanced reactors (Generation IV) is currently in the phase of

research and development, and most likely will be availableafter 2020. Generation IV will emphasize sustainability, i.e.,economical and safe generations of nuclear electricity, nuclearheat (for district heating), and productions of hydrogen. Thenuclear waste will be minimized by reprocessing of spent fueland recycling of fissile fuel. Hydrogen production for the futurehydrogen economy could be produced efficiently either byusing cheep nuclear electricity in the process of electrolysis ofwater, or by using the heat as the by-product in the nuclearelectricity generation, for a thermo-chemical production ofhydrogen.


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Figure 7. Radiotoxicity of spent fuel for different underground

repository scenarios

IV. CONCLUSIONS

Tesla clearly saw more that 100 years ago advantages anddisadvantages of energy sources available at that time. Hewanted to a peaceful World in which all people have access toabundant healthy food, clean water and affordable energy. Teslaconcludes his paper on The Transmission of Electric Energywithout Wires, [20] saying that the energy of a waterfall {willbe} made available for supplying light, heat or motive power,

anywhere on see, or land, or high in the air humanity will be

like an ant heap stirred up with a stick: See excitement

coming!In recently published book on sustainable energy [21],the following definition was used: the energy technologies are

treated as sustainable if their net effects upon the biosphere donot significantly degrade its capabilities for supporting existing

species in their current abundance and diversity. Thus, wehave to satisfy increasing demand for energy, make the energyabundant and affordable for everybody, and we must not harmour environment in that process. The only major power sourceto fulfill these requirements is nuclear power, particularly newadvanced designs with the closed fuel cycle includingreprocessing and recycling of spent fuel. Thus, the answer toTeslas dream of providing free energy to all in a sustainablesociety is to rely on a SUSTAINABLE NUCLEAR ENERGY!

REFERENCES

[1] James Corum, On the Position of Nikola Tesla Among theFounders of Modern Electrical Science And Technology,Lecturefor the course Eng 24: Nikola Tesla - The Genius Who Lit theWorld, The University of California at Berkeley, CA, USA, Dec4, 2000 (http://www.nuc.berkeley.edu/dept/Courses/E-24/e24.html)

[2] Margaret Cheney, Tesla, Man Out of Time, New Jersey:Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1981

[3] Encyclopedia Americana, Vol 26, Grolier Inc: Connecticut, 1997,Pp. 527-528.

[4] Marc J. Seifer, Wizard: The Life and Times of Nikola Tesla:Biography of a Genius, New Jersey: Carol Publishing Group,1996.

[5] John Wagner, personal communication (also seehttp://www.concentric.net/~Jwwagner/ntes-p4.html )

[6] Z. Herskovits, To the Smithsonian or Bust: The ScientificLegacy of Nikola Tesla, Yale Scientific Magazine, Volume 71,Issue 4 (1999)

[7] Margaret Cheney and Robert Uth, Tesla: Master of Lightning,Barnes&Noble, 1999.

[8] Nikola Tesla, My Inventions, Skolska Knjiga, Zagreb, 1990.[9] Thomas C. Martin, The Inventions, Researches and Writings of

Nikola Tesla, Barnes&Noble, 1995.[10] A. Marincic, Editor, Nikola Tesla: Colorado Spring Notes 1899-

1900, Nolit, Beograd, Yugoslavia, 1978.[11] W. Bernard Carlson, Motors, Myths, and History: An Historian

Looks at the Nikola Tesla and the Invention of the AC Motor,Lecture for the course Eng 24: Nikola Tesla - The Genius WhoLit the World, The University of California at Berkeley, CA,USA, Nov 20, 2000.

(http://www.nuc.berkeley.edu/dept/Courses/E-24/e24.html )[12] M. Ercegovac, Teslas Visionary Ideas, Lecture for the course

Eng 24: Nikola Tesla - The Genius Who Lit the World, TheUniversity of California at Berkeley, CA, USA, Sep 16, 2000.(http://www.nuc.berkeley.edu/dept/Courses/E-24/e24.html )

[13] N. Tesla , The Transmission of Electric Energy without Wires,Electrical World and Engineer, March 5, 1904.

[14] N. Tesla, The Future of the Wireless Art, Wireless Telegraphyand Telephony, 1908, p. 67-71

[15] Greatest Engineering Achievements of the 20th Century, U.S.National Academy of Engineering.(http://www.greatachievements.org/ ), February 2000.

[16] The Smithsonian book of invention, Smithsonian Institution ;New York : distributed by W. W. Norton, c1978.

[17] Lighting a Revolution, National Museum of History and

Technology, Smithsonian Institution, 1979.[18] EEE Power Engineering Society

http://swww2.ieee.org/about/awards/sums/tesla.htm [19] J. Vujic, A. Marincic, M. Ercogovac, and B. Milovanovic,

Nikola Tesla: 145 Years of Visionary Ideas, MicrowaveReview, Vol. 7, No. 2, pp. 2-5, September 2001.

[20] V. Popovic, R. Horvat, and N. Nikolic, Editors, Nikola Tesla:Lectures, Patents, Articles, published by Nikola Tesla Museum,Beograd, Yugoslavia, 1956.

[21] J.W. Tester, E.M. Drage, M.J. Driscoll, M.W. Golay and W.A.Peters, Sustainable Energy: Choosing Among Options, TheMIT Press, 2005.

[22] IPCC (Intrergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). ThirdAssessment Report. Working Group I: Climate Change 2001:The Scientific Basis. Geneva: IPCC, 2001.

[23] The Path to Sustainable Nuclear Energy: Basic and AppliedResearch Opportunities for Advanced Fuel Cycles, The USDepartment of Energy Workshop Report, September 12-14,2005.

[24] A. Paterson, Back to Base-load: The Investments Challenge Outlook on Energy Projects after EPAct 2005 Nuclear, CoalGasification and New Technology, Bank of America FixedIncome Investors Seminar, December 2005.

[25] http://www.insc.anl.gov/pwrmaps/map/world_map.php[26] C. Madic at al., Report CEA-R-6066, 2004.[27] http://www.gnep.energy.gov/

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