Beatrice Lang
The switch from direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC) electricity was a highly contested battle known as the War of the Currents. In the late 19th century, Thomas Edison, Nikola Tesla, and George Westinghouse fought over which electricity system would become standard. Edison, the most famous of the three, championed the direct-current system, while Tesla and Westinghouse promoted the alternating-current system. The battle peaked in 1893 when Westinghouse won the contract to supply electricity to the Chicago World's Fair, showcasing Tesla's AC system. This event marked the unofficial end to the War of the Currents, and AC became the dominant form of electricity in the electric power industry. Today, our electricity is still predominantly powered by AC, but DC power is seeing a renaissance with the rise of computers, LEDs, solar cells, and electric vehicles.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year of switch to AC electricity | The switch to AC electricity happened gradually, with the "War of the Currents" peaking in 1893. By 1925, only half of American houses had electrical power, and by 1945, this number increased to 85%. |
| Key figures | Nikola Tesla, Thomas Edison, George Westinghouse, Galileo Ferraris, Károly Zipernowsky, Ottó Bláthy, Miksa Déri, Elihu Thomson, Guillaume Duchenne, Walter Baily, Sabastian Ferranti, Lucien Gaulard, Pavel Yablochkov |
| Companies involved | General Electric, Westinghouse Electric Company, Thomson-Houston, Brush, United States Illuminating Company, Waterhouse Electric Light Company |
| AC advantages | Easier and more efficient conversion to higher or lower voltages using transformers |
| DC advantages | More stable, suitable for long-distance transmission with less electricity loss |
| Current state | AC is still predominantly used for electricity, but DC is seeing a renaissance with the increasing use of computers, LEDs, solar cells, and electric vehicles. |
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What You'll Learn
Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison's opposing views on AC and DC
The late 19th century saw a battle between two giants of electrical engineering, Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison, over the adoption of alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC). This conflict, known as the "War of Currents", would shape how we use electricity today.
Nikola Tesla, a Serbian engineer, began working for the Continental Edison Company in Paris in 1882. He was invited to work in the United States due to his impressive reputation as an innovator. Tesla believed that alternating current was the future of electricity. AC is capable of reversing direction a certain number of times per second and can be converted to different voltages relatively easily using a transformer. Tesla's vision included powering large cities and industries with AC, which was more practical for transmitting massive amounts of energy over long distances. In 1883, Tesla moved to the US to work with Edison, whose ideas he admired but found impractical. Tesla's Tesla Electric Company began winning more contracts, as the advantages of AC were clear.
Thomas Edison, on the other hand, was a strong advocate for direct current. He had already perfected and patented the light bulb and allied with J.P. Morgan, the most powerful banker in the United States, to form General Electric and electrify the entire country with DC. Edison's direct current runs continuously in a single direction, maintaining a lower voltage from the power station to the consumer, which he believed made it safer. Edison was heavily invested in DC, earning royalties from his direct current patents. He feared losing money if alternating current became the standard.
Edison began a campaign to discredit alternating current, spreading misinformation about its dangers. He even publicly electrocuted stray animals using AC to prove his point. However, Tesla's AC gained traction, and in 1893, George Westinghouse, who licensed Tesla's AC induction motor patent, won the bid to power the Chicago World's Fair for a lower price than Edison's bid using DC. In 1896, Westinghouse also won the contract to generate power from Niagara Falls, lighting up Buffalo with alternating current.
The War of the Currents may not be completely over, as today, direct current has seen a renaissance with the rise of computers, LEDs, solar cells, and electric vehicles, which all run on DC power. However, our electricity is still predominantly powered by alternating current, thanks to the innovations and rivalry between Tesla and Edison.
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The War of the Currents
The War of Currents, also known as the Current War, was a battle to prove the validity of each power source between alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC). The war grew out of two lighting systems: arc lighting running on AC and incandescent lighting running on DC.
In the late 1870s, arc lamp systems began to be installed in cities, powered by central generating plants. Arc lighting was capable of lighting streets, factory yards, or the interior of large buildings. By 1880, large-scale arc lighting systems were installed in several US cities, including a 2-mile stretch of Broadway in New York City. At the same time, Thomas Edison's company was marketing large-scale low-voltage DC indoor incandescent lighting.
In 1885, George Westinghouse was intrigued by AC power and bought the North American rights to Gaulard and Gibbs' system. He also ordered a Siemens alternator (AC generator) and a Gaulard and Gibbs transformer. In 1886, Westinghouse's company introduced an AC system that used transformers to step down from a high voltage so AC could be used for indoor lighting. Using high voltage allowed an AC system to transmit power over longer distances from more efficient large central generating stations.
In February 1888, Edison Electric president Edward Johnson published a pamphlet warning companies that purchased or planned to purchase electrical equipment from Edison's competitors, including Westinghouse, that they were infringing on Edison's incandescent light and other electrical patents. The pamphlet also emphasized the safety and efficiency of DC, claiming it had not caused a single death. However, as AC-based arc lighting systems spread, so did stories of how the high voltages involved were killing people.
In the spring of 1888, a media furor arose over electrical fatalities caused by pole-mounted high-voltage AC lines. New York electrical engineer Harold P. Brown claimed that the AC-based lighting companies were putting the public at risk by using high-voltage systems installed in a slipshod manner. Brown also colluded with Edison Electric to push through legislation to severely limit AC installations and voltages.
In 1893, at the height of the Current War, the Chicago World's Fair, also known as the World's Columbian Exposition, took place. General Electric bid to electrify the fair using Edison's direct current for $554,000 but lost to Westinghouse, who said he could power the fair for only $399,000 using Nikola Tesla's alternating current. That same year, Westinghouse, who had licensed Tesla's polyphase AC induction motor patent, was awarded the contract to generate power from Niagara Falls. On November 16, 1896, Buffalo was lit up by the alternating current from Niagara Falls.
Today, electricity is still predominantly powered by alternating current, but computers, LEDs, solar cells, and electric vehicles all run on DC power. Methods are now available for converting direct current to higher and lower voltages, and high-voltage direct current (HVDC) is being used to transport electricity long distances with less electricity loss. So, the War of Currents may not be over yet, and it looks like the two currents will work in parallel to each other.
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AC's ability to convert power to higher or lower voltages
The adoption of AC electricity over DC electricity was a process that began in the late 1880s. During this period, a variety of inventions across the United States and Europe led to a full-scale battle between alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC) distribution, known as the "War of the Currents". Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison were key figures in this battle, with Tesla advocating for the use of AC and Edison for DC.
The ease of voltage conversion in AC systems offered several advantages. Transformers provided an inexpensive method to step up the voltage of AC to several thousand volts and then step it back down to usable levels. This allowed for more efficient power transmission over long distances. At higher voltages, the same power could be transmitted at a much lower current, resulting in less power loss due to resistance in the wires. As a result, large power plants could be located miles away and serve a greater number of people and buildings.
The first full AC power system in the world was demonstrated in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, using step-up and step-down transformers. In 1884, Lucien Gaulard demonstrated AC power with a 25-mile trolley that used step-down transformers to power low-power Edison incandescent lights and arc lamps. In 1890, the Grosvenor Gallery station in London was converted into an electrical substation, showcasing the integration of older plants into a universal AC supply system.
By 1893, at the height of the Current War, George Westinghouse won the bid to power the Chicago World's Fair using Tesla's AC, offering a significantly lower price than General Electric's bid to use Edison's DC. In 1896, Westinghouse, who had licensed Tesla's AC induction motor patent, successfully powered Buffalo, New York, with electricity generated from Niagara Falls, further solidifying the adoption of AC.
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AC's dominance in the electric power industry
The late 19th century saw a pivotal moment in the history of electricity, known as the "War of Currents", which pitted AC against DC power. Nikola Tesla and George Westinghouse were champions of AC power, while Thomas Edison advocated for DC electricity. This conflict had significant economic implications and influenced the future of the developing electrical industry.
AC power, or alternating current, offered several advantages that contributed to its dominance. One of its key benefits was the ease of voltage transformation. AC power can be easily converted to different voltages using transformers, making it suitable for long-distance power transmission. This flexibility gave AC power an edge over DC power, which was more stable but challenging to convert to varying voltages.
The versatility and efficiency of AC power made it ideal for a wide range of applications. It became the standard method for distributing electricity to homes and businesses, as electrical gadgets were typically designed to run on AC input. AC power's effectiveness in transmitting electricity over long distances further solidified its position as the preferred choice for power distribution systems.
The adoption of AC power was not without opposition. Thomas Edison, who held patents for direct current, campaigned to discredit alternating current, claiming it was more dangerous. However, despite Edison's efforts, AC power gained traction and, by the late 1880s, several key developments in AC technology had taken place. Károly Zipernowsky, Ottó Bláthy, and Miksa Déri invented novel transformers that improved voltage regulation. Additionally, in 1885, Galileo Ferraris conceived the idea of a polyphase AC motor, and George Westinghouse began investing in AC power, acquiring the North American rights to Gaulard and Gibbs' system.
The Chicago World's Fair in 1893 became a pivotal moment in the battle between AC and DC power. General Electric, using Edison's direct current, bid $554,000 to electrify the fair, but they were outbid by George Westinghouse, who offered to do the same for only $399,000 using Tesla's alternating current. This event, along with the successful powering of Buffalo, New York, and eventually the entire Eastern United States, by the alternating current from Niagara Falls, cemented AC power's dominance in the electric power industry.
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The Chicago World's Fair in 1893
The Chicago World's Fair, also known as the World's Columbian Exposition, took place from May 1 to October 9, 1893. It was a showcase of innovation and a turning point in the history of electricity, marking the triumph of alternating current (AC) over direct current (DC) in the famous "Battle of the Currents".
The fairground was a spectacle of light and innovation, illuminated by Nikola Tesla's neon fluorescent lighting powered by his AC system. Tesla and his partner George Westinghouse won the bid to electrify the fair, promising to do so for $399,000—a significantly lower price than Thomas Edison's bid of $554,000, which used his DC concept. This event marked a pivotal moment in the battle between Tesla and Edison's competing electrical systems. The success of the AC system at the fair demonstrated its superiority for powering large areas and solidified its role in the future of electrical systems.
The fair also witnessed the debut of the "Chicago Wheel," now known as the Ferris Wheel, which delighted visitors despite a six-week delay in its activation. Other notable introductions included phosphorescent lamps, an early precursor to fluorescent lighting, as well as popular food items such as Cracker Jack, Juicy Fruit Gum, Quaker Oats, Shredded Wheat, and the hamburger. Ottomar Anschutz showcased his electrotachyscope, using a Geissler Tube to project light through transparent photographs, creating the illusion of motion.
The Chicago World's Fair was a pivotal moment in the history of electricity, showcasing the potential of AC power and solidifying its role in the future of electrical systems. It was a turning point in the "Battle of the Currents," demonstrating the advantages of AC power over DC power for large-scale applications. The fair also introduced numerous innovations and delights to the public, leaving a lasting impact on the world of science, technology, and popular culture.
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Frequently asked questions
Nikola Tesla believed that alternating current (AC) was a better option than direct current (DC) because power could be converted to higher or lower voltages more efficiently.
The switch to AC electricity happened gradually in the late 19th century. The debate between AC and DC power was dubbed the "War of the Currents", with Thomas Edison championing DC and Nikola Tesla and George Westinghouse promoting AC.
The War of the Currents was a dispute between inventors Thomas Edison, Nikola Tesla, and George Westinghouse over which electricity system, direct current (DC) or alternating current (AC), would become the standard.
George Westinghouse won the contract to supply electricity to the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago using Nikola Tesla's AC system, effectively ending the War of the Currents and establishing AC as the dominant form of electricity.
AC power can be converted to different voltages more easily and efficiently than DC, making it cheaper to distribute and capable of supplying power to larger areas.
