War of the Currents: The Rivality between Edison Vs Tesla

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 The "War of the Currents" was a time in history in the late nineteenth century when there was fierce competition between two competing electrical power systems: Thomas Edison's direct current (DC) system and Nikola Tesla and George Westinghouse's alternating current (AC) system.

Thomas Edison pioneered the use of direct current (DC) electricity for electrical distribution through his firm Edison Electric Light firm (later known as General Electric or GE). Due to its restricted transmission capabilities, DC electricity travels in just one way and necessitates power plants being situated near customers.

On the other side, Nikola Tesla, with the financial backing of George Westinghouse, lobbied for alternating current power. AC electricity allows for more efficient long-distance transmission and the use of transformers to step up or step down voltage levels as needed. As each side sought to control the burgeoning electric power business, tensions between these two systems grew. Edison frequently criticized the safety and usefulness of alternating current electricity, even going so far as to stage experiments in which animals were electrocuted using alternating current power to depict it as harmful.

Tesla and Westinghouse, on the other hand, concentrated on demonstrating the efficiency and adaptability of AC power, notably in long-distance circuits. They constructed power plants, notably the iconic Niagara Falls Power Plant, to demonstrate the possibilities of AC systems. 




Finally, the advantages of alternating current power in terms of efficiency and transmission capacities became clear, resulting in broad adoption. Westinghouse's AC system was chosen to power the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893, a significant turning point that cemented AC's status. The War of the Currents was critical in the evolution of the contemporary electrical power sector. AC power, championed by Tesla and Westinghouse, became the dominant electrical distribution standard, enabling extensive electrification of homes, businesses, and cities.

It's worth mentioning that, despite the phrase "War of the Currents" implying a bloodbath, it was more of a commercial and technological struggle than an actual fight. Both alternating current and direct current power technologies are being used today. Both AC and DC power systems are still employed today, with DC being used in certain scenarios such as batteries and electronic equipment, and AC is the standard for electrical power networks.

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