Trystan Casey
In the late 19th century, Thomas Edison, Nikola Tesla, and George Westinghouse were engaged in a battle known as the War of the Currents, fighting over whether direct current (DC) or alternating current (AC) would become the standard for electricity transmission. Edison, who had developed the world's first practical lightbulb and built a system for producing and distributing electricity, championed the DC system. However, Tesla and Westinghouse promoted the AC system, which had the advantage of being easily convertible to higher or lower voltages, making it more suitable for long-distance power transmission. Despite Edison's efforts to discredit AC through a propaganda campaign, Westinghouse ultimately won the bid to supply electricity to the 1893 World's Fair, marking the end of the War of the Currents and the dominance of AC in the electric power industry.
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What You'll Learn
- Thomas Edison championed the use of direct current (DC)
- Nikola Tesla and George Westinghouse supported alternating current (AC)
- AC could be transmitted over longer distances than DC
- The War of the Currents was a battle between Edison and Westinghouse
- Today, AC is the standard for electricity in homes and factories
Thomas Edison championed the use of direct current (DC)
Thomas Edison was a key figure in the development of direct current (DC). In the late 19th century, he was one of three brilliant inventors, alongside Nikola Tesla and George Westinghouse, who battled over which electricity system—direct current (DC) or alternating current (AC)—would become the standard. This dispute became known as the "War of Currents".
Edison championed the use of direct current, which he had built to power his light bulbs and electric motors. Direct current flows steadily in one direction and does not change over time. Edison's system ran at 110 volts, which gave it a relatively short transmission range. Generating plants had to be situated in the middle of population centres and could only supply customers less than a mile from the plant.
During the early years of electricity, direct current was the standard in the US. However, it had limitations. One major drawback was that it was not easily converted to higher or lower voltages. Transformers, which were essential for changing voltages, only worked on AC electricity. As a result, Edison's system faced new competition from Westinghouse's AC system, which used transformers to step down from high voltage so that AC could be used for indoor lighting. The use of AC spread rapidly, as it could transmit power over longer distances from more efficient large central generating stations.
Faced with the rise of AC, Edison launched a propaganda campaign to discredit it and convince the public it was dangerous. As part of this campaign, animals were publicly electrocuted using AC. When New York State sought a more humane alternative to hanging prisoners, Edison recommended AC-powered electrocution. In 1890, convicted murderer William Kemmler became the first person to die in the electric chair. However, Edison ultimately failed in his efforts to discredit AC. Westinghouse won the contract to supply electricity to the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago, beating Edison's company, General Electric.
Despite the victory of AC over DC in the War of Currents, DC has seen a renaissance in recent years. Today, electricity is still predominantly powered by AC, but computers, LEDs, and solar cells often use DC. DC is also used in long-distance transmission lines, as it has lower energy losses than AC over very long distances.
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Nikola Tesla and George Westinghouse supported alternating current (AC)
The late 19th century saw a battle between three brilliant inventors—Thomas Edison, Nikola Tesla, and George Westinghouse—over which electricity system, direct current (DC) or alternating current (AC), would become the standard. This dispute became known as the War of the Currents.
In 1888, Tesla sold his AC technology patents to Westinghouse, whose Westinghouse Electric Company had quickly become an Edison competitor. Westinghouse continued to pour money and engineering resources into the goal of building a completely integrated AC system. He bought several companies, including the Waterhouse Electric Light Company and the United States Illuminating Company, to gain control of major incandescent lamp patents not controlled by Edison. In April 1888, Westinghouse engineer Oliver B. Shallenberger developed an induction meter that used a rotating magnetic field to measure alternating current, allowing the company to calculate customers' electricity usage. Westinghouse also licensed Tesla's polyphase AC induction motor patent, which was used to generate power from Niagara Falls. On November 16, 1896, Buffalo was lit up by the alternating current from Niagara Falls, and alternating current appeared to have obliterated direct current.
Today, our electricity is still predominantly powered by alternating current, but direct current has seen a bit of a renaissance in recent years. It appears that the War of the Currents may not be over yet, and it looks like AC and DC will end up working in parallel with each other.
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AC could be transmitted over longer distances than DC
The "War of Currents" was a series of events that took place in the late 1880s and early 1890s, which revolved around the introduction of competing electric power transmission systems. The battle was primarily between Thomas Edison, who championed direct current (DC), and Nikola Tesla, who backed alternating current (AC).
The main advantage of AC over DC is that it can be easily converted to different voltages using a transformer. This was not possible with DC systems, which ran at 110 volts from generation to its final destination, giving it a relatively short transmission range. On the other hand, AC could be transmitted at high voltages over long distances, and then stepped down to a lower voltage for business and residential use. This made AC a more economical solution for transmitting power over long distances.
The ease of converting AC voltages also meant that power could be transmitted at high voltages and low currents, reducing heating losses during transmission. At the receiving end, the voltage could be stepped down to a level suitable for end users.
In recent years, the development of power converters has made it possible to transform DC voltages and currents as well. This has led to a resurgence of DC power transmission, particularly in high-voltage direct current (HVDC) systems, which have lower transmission losses compared to AC.
However, converting DC to AC for use on the local grid still requires a large plant, which can be a significant expense. As a result, DC transmission is generally only economical for long-distance, point-to-point power transmission, such as in undersea cables.
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The War of the Currents was a battle between Edison and Westinghouse
The War of the Currents was a battle between Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse over the introduction of competing electric power transmission systems in the late 1880s and early 1890s. It grew out of two lighting systems developed in the late 1870s and early 1880s: arc lamp street lighting running on high-voltage alternating current (AC) and large-scale low-voltage direct current (DC) indoor incandescent lighting being marketed by Thomas Edison's company.
Edison developed direct current (DC), which runs continually in a single direction, like in a battery or a fuel cell. During the early years of electricity, DC was the standard in the U.S. However, it had one major drawback: it was not easily convertible to higher or lower voltages. This meant that generating stations needed to be located within a mile or so of where the electricity was to be used.
Nikola Tesla believed that alternating current (AC) was the solution to this problem. AC reverses direction a certain number of times per second and can be converted to different voltages relatively easily using a transformer. Westinghouse, a successful businessman and inventor, licensed Tesla's polyphase AC induction motor patent. In 1886, Westinghouse's company introduced an AC system that used transformers to step down from a high voltage so that AC could be used for indoor lighting. This allowed an AC system to transmit power over longer distances from more efficient large central generating stations.
Edison, not wanting to lose the royalties he was earning from his DC patents, began a campaign to discredit alternating current. He spread misinformation, claiming that AC was more dangerous and even publicly electrocuting stray animals using AC to prove his point. He also published an 84-page pamphlet titled "A Warning from the Edison Electric Light Company", emphasizing the safety and efficiency of DC and claiming that it had not caused a single death. Despite Edison's efforts, the AC system was increasingly favored by start-up utilities in the 1890s due to its lower cost and ability to transmit power over longer distances.
The battle between Edison and Westinghouse came to a head when they both put forward proposals to illuminate the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Westinghouse ultimately won the bid, dealing a significant blow to Edison. By this time, General Electric, which had been formed by the merger of Edison Electric and Thomson-Houston, had also adopted the use of AC. This merger brought an end to the War of the Currents and created a company that controlled three-quarters of the U.S. electrical business.
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Today, AC is the standard for electricity in homes and factories
The "War of Currents" in the late 1880s and early 1890s was a battle between two lighting systems: arc lamp street lighting using high-voltage alternating current (AC) and large-scale low-voltage direct current (DC) indoor incandescent lighting. During the early years of electricity, Thomas Edison's DC system was the standard in the U.S. However, one of its drawbacks was that it was not easily convertible to higher or lower voltages.
Nikola Tesla believed that AC was the solution to this problem. AC can be converted to different voltages relatively easily using a transformer, allowing long-distance power transmission with minimal loss in the wires. George Westinghouse, who championed Tesla's AC system, won the bid to supply electrical power for the World's Columbian Exposition in 1893 and the Niagara Falls hydroelectric project.
Today, our electricity is still predominantly powered by AC, which is the standard for high-voltage transmission and industrial applications. Residential and most commercial outlets provide single-phase AC, which directly powers many simple appliances. For more sophisticated motor control in appliances like modern air conditioners, washing machines, and refrigerators, AC power is often converted to provide variable frequency and voltage for improved efficiency and performance.
However, DC has seen a bit of a renaissance in recent years. Computers, LEDs, solar cells, and electric vehicles all run on DC power. DC is also more stable for electricity transmission over long distances, and methods are now available for converting DC to higher and lower voltages. Therefore, it is possible that AC and DC will end up working in parallel in a hybrid armistice.
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Frequently asked questions
Thomas Edison, Nikola Tesla, and George Westinghouse were the three inventors who fought over which electricity system would become standard in the late 19th century.
The battle between Edison, Tesla, and Westinghouse is known as the "War of the Currents".
Westinghouse and Tesla promoted alternating current (AC) systems, which ultimately won out over Edison's direct current (DC) systems.
AC systems were more easily convertible to higher or lower voltages, which made it possible to transmit electricity over longer distances.
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