International Conference on Systemics, Cybernetics and Informatics
Wireless Electricity Generation and Transmission: A Focus on Tesla Coil
Debjyoti Dwivedy
3rd year student
Electronics & Communication Engineering
Haldia Institute of Technology
Haldia – 721657, todabbu@gmail.com
Abstract:
Suddenly you come to see that one fine day the employees of
power supply department are busy in mounting towers in your
locality and are removing the wires that supply your
household power. Asking them, they answered instead of
wires entering your house,we will mount an wireless device
that wil acquire power from base station and will help for
efficiect functioning of household appliances.Its sound
unbelievable to you !!! Isnt it? But it is possible. Latest
science and technological developments are turning this dream
into reality. And Tesla Coil is the name behind it. The paper
considers the capability of Tesla Coil of generating wireless
electricity and the views, ideas, and experiments conducted by
Nikolo Tesla of transmitting huge amount of power wirelessly
which can established the truth. Here we are trying to
channelize our thoughts to physical real life effects. It will be
like heaven for those people to whom god has gifted noting
but only the power to think.
Keywords:
Tesla Coil , Wireless energy transfer , Tesla Coil
Controller,Power Consumption , Wardenclyfee Tower.
Introduction:
The idea of wireless generation and transmission of power is
on the table of experiment form long while ago. We need to
develop devices that generate voltages / currents wirelessly
and transmit them in the RF range or household requirement
stage. Ongoing engineering revolutions in field of
transmission and distribution help the dream to come in
reality. The person who showed the way of dreaming wireless
power is NIKOLO TESLA.
ABOUT NIKOLO TESLA:
Nikolo Tesla, born on July 9th and July 10th, 1856 in the
village of Smiljan near Gospic, in the Lika region of the
Military Frontier (Krajina) of the Habsburg Monarchy, now in
Croatia), was a physicist, inventor, and, electrical engineer of
unusual intellectual brilliance and practical achievement. He
was of Serb descent and worked mostly in the United States.
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19
Tesla is most famous for conceiving the rotating magnetic
field principle (1882) and then using it to invent the induction
motor together with the accompanying alternating current
long-distance electrical transmission system (1888). In 1884,
leaving the warfare of his birthplace behind, Tesla moved to
the United States of America to accept a job with the Edison
Company in New York City. In 1886, Tesla formed his own
company, Tesla Electric Light & Manufacturing. In 1887, he
constructed the initial brushless alternate-current induction
motor, which he demonstrated to the American Institute of
Electrical Engineers (now IEEE) in 1888. In the same year, he
developed the principles of his Tesla coil and began working
with George Westinghouse at Westinghouse's Pittsburgh labs.
Westinghouse listened to his ideas for polyphase systems
which would allow transmission of AC electricity over large
distances.
X-rays and friendships - In April 1887, Tesla began
investigating what would later be called X-rays using his own
single node vacua tubes . On July 30, 1891, he became a
naturalized citizen of the US and established his Houston
Street laboratory in New York. He lit vacuum tubes wirelessly
in it, providing evidence for the potential of wireless power
transmission. When he was 36 years old, the first patents
concerning the polyphase power system were granted.
Wireless and the AIEE - Tesla served as the Vice-President
of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers (now part of
the IEEE) from 1892 to 1894. From 1893 to 1895, he
investigated high frequency alternating currents. He generated
AC of one million volts using a conical Tesla coil and
investigated the skin effect in conductors, designed tuned
circuits, invented a machine for inducing sleep, cordless gas
discharge lamps, and transmitted electromagnetic energy
without wires, effectively building the first radio transmitter.
War of currents - In the "War of Currents" era in the late
1880s, Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison became adversaries
due to Edison's promotion of direct current (DC) for electric
power distribution over the more efficient alternating current
(AC) advocated by Tesla.
Colorado Springs - In 1899, Tesla decided to go for his high-
voltage high-frequency experiments. He chose this location
primarily because of the frequent thunderstorms, the high
altitude (where the air, being at a lower pressure, had a lower
dielectric breakdown strength, making it easier to ionize), and
the dryness of the air (minimizing leakage of electric charge
through insulators). Tesla reached Colorado Springs on May
17, 1899. Upon his arrival he told reporters that he was
conducting experiments transmitting signals from Pikes Peak
to Paris.Tesla spent nearly nine months from June 1, 1899 and
Wireless Electricity Generation and Transmission: A Focus on Tesla Coil
January 7, 1900, in the Colorado Springs lab. He was
developing a system for wireless telegraphy, telephony and the
transmission of power, experimented with high-voltage
electricity and the possibility of wireless transmitting and
distributing large amounts of electrical energy over long
distances. Tesla left Colorado Springs on January 7, 1900.
The Colorado experiments prepared Tesla for his next project,
the the stablishment of a wireless power transmission facility
that would be known as Wardenclyffe. n March 21, 1900,
Tesla was granted US685012 patent for the means for
increasing the intensity of electrical oscillations.
Magnifying transmitter - The lab possessed the largest Tesla
Coil ever built, fifty-two feet (16 m) in diameter, known as the
Magnifying Transmitter (further MT). It was a three-coil
magnifying system requiring different forms of analysis. Tesla
used it to transmit tens of thousands of watts of power
wirelessly; it could generate millions of volts of electricity and
produce lightning bolts more than one-hundred feet (30 m)
long. Tesla became the first man to create electrical effects on
the scale of lightning. On July 3, 1899, Tesla discovered
terrestrial stationary waves within the earth. He demonstrated
that the Earth behaves as a smooth polished conductor and
possesses electrical vibrations. Tesla conducted experiments
contributing to the understanding of electromagnetic
propagation and the Earth's resonance. It is well documented
(from various photos from the time) that he lit hundreds of
lamps wirelessly at a distance of up to twenty-five miles (40
km). He transmitted signals several kilometres and lit neon
tubes conducting through the ground. He transmitted signals
several kilometres and lit neon tubes conducting through the
ground. He researched ways to transmit energy wirelessly over
long distances.He discovered that the resonant frequency of
the Earth was approximately 8 Hz (Hertz). In the 1950s,
researchers confirmed resonant frequency.
Cosmic waves - Tesla in the Colorado Springs lab recorded
cosmic waves emitting from interstellar clouds and red giant
stars.
Radar - Nikola Tesla, in August 1917, first established
principals regarding frequency and power level for the first
primitive RADAR units in 1934. In the 1917 The Electrical
Experimenter, Tesla stated the principals of modern military
radar in detail.. . Tesla stated, "For instance, by their [standing
electromagnetic waves] use we may produce at will, from a
sending station, an electrical effect in any particular region of
the globe; [with which] we may determine the relative position
or course of a moving object, such as a vessel at sea, the
distance traversed by the same, or its speed." . Tesla’s
proposal was first successfully implemented to find find
aircraft (after their later proliferation) and surface ships during
World War II. Emil Girardeau, working with the first French
radar systems, stated he was building radar systems
"conceived according to the principles stated by Tesla"
.Dynamic theory of gravity - When he was eighty-one, Tesla
challenged Albert Einstein's theory of relativity, announcing
he was working on a dynamic theory of gravity and argued
that a field of force was a better concept and did away with the
curvature of space.
20
Death and afterwards - Tesla died alone in the hotel New
Yorker of heart failure, some time between the evening of
January 5 and the morning of January 8, 1943. At the time of
his death, Tesla had been working on some form of teleforce
weapon, or Death Ray, the secrets of which he had offered to
the United States War Department on the morning of January
5. Tesla's funeral took place on January 12, 1943 at the
Cathedral of Saint John the Divine in Manhattan, New York
City.
Education - Fluent in seven languages (English, Serbian,
Croatian, Hungarian, French, German, Italian), Elementary
school: Gospic (Croatia), Secondary school: Karlovac
(Croatia), *Undergraduate ** Baccalaureate of Physics:
Austrian Polytechnic Institute (Graz) ** Baccalaureate of
Mathematics: Austrian Polytechnic Institute (Graz) **
Baccalaureate of Mechanical Engineering: Austrian
Polytechnic Institute (Graz) ** Baccalaureate of Electrical
Engineering: Austrian Polytechnic Institute (Graz) *Graduate
studies ** PhD in Physics: University of Prague (Prague).
Further Achievements - Turbines and pumps ( 1906 ) ,
Tower of Dreams , Robots and Telautomatics ( 1897 )
Recognition and honors - The tesla (symbol T) is the SI
derived unit of magnetic flux density (or magnetic induction).
It is a unit to define the intensity (density) of a magnetic field.
This SI unit is named after Nikola tesla, IEEE Nikola Tesla
Award, biggest airport in Serbia (Belgrade) was renamed
Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport, selected as a fellow of the
IEEE and was awarded the Edison Medal, was also made a
fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of
Science, was also made fellow of the American Electro-
Therapeutic Association.
What is a Tesla Coil?
A Tesla coil is a category of disruptive discharge
transformer coils, named after the inventor, NIKOLO TESLA.
Tesla coils are composed of coupled resonant electric circuits.
It is a special transformer that can take the 110v electricity
from our or destroy the coil wire, supports, nearby objects, or
anything else in the way house and capable of converting it
rapidly to a great deal of high-voltage high –fequency,low
amperage power.The high frequency output of even a small
Tesla coil can light up fluorescent tubes held several feet away
without any wire connections. A large number of spent or
discarded fluorescent tubes ( their burned out cathodes are
irrelevant )will light up if hung near a long wire running from
a Tesla coil while using less than 100 watts drawn by the coil
itself when plugged into an electrical outlet. The high
frequency high-voltage energy produced possesses qualities
unlike conventional electricity. It defies most insulation
material , transmits energy without wires , produces heat ,
light , and noise yet harmlessly passes through human tissue
with virtually no feeling or shocking effects.
 International Conference on Systemics, Cybernetics and Informatics
Construction:
A Tesla coil is a category of disruptive discharge transformer
coils, named after their inventor, Nikola Tesla. Tesla coils are
composed of coupled resonant electric circuits. Nikola Tesla
actually experimented with a large variety of coils and
configurations.
Early coils
The American Electrician gives a description of an early tesla
coil wherein a glass battery jar, six inches by eight inches, is
wound with 60 to 80 turns of American wire gauge No. 18 B
& S magnet wire. Into this is slipped a primary consisting of
eight to ten turns of AWG No. 6 B & S wire, and the whole
combination immersed in a vessel containing linseed or
mineral oil.
Disruptive "Tesla" coils
In the spring of 1891, Tesla gave demonstrations with various
machines before the American Institute of Electrical Engineers
at Columbia College. Tesla developed a series of coils that
produced high-voltage, high-frequency currents. The setup can
be duplicated by a Ruhmkorff coil, two condensers (now
called capacitors), and a second, specially constructed,
disruptive coil.
The Ruhmkorff coil, being fed from a main source, is wired to
capacitors on both ends in series. A spark gap is placed in
parallel to the Ruhmkorff coil before the capacitors. The
discharge tips were usually metal balls under one inch in
diameter, though Tesla used various forms of dischargers. The
capacitors were of a special design, small with high insulation.
These capacitors consisted of plates in oil that were movable.
The smaller the plates, the more frequent the discharge of this
early coil apparatus. The plates also help nullify the high self
inductance of the secondary coil by adding capacity to it. Mica
plates were placed in the spark gap to establish an air current
jet to go up through the gap. This helped to extinguish the arc,
making the discharge more abrupt. An air blast was also used
for this objective.
The capacitors are connected to a double primary (each coil in
series with a capacitor). These are part of the second specially
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constructed disruptive coil. The primaries each have twenty
turns of No. 16 B & S rubber covered wire and are wound
separately on rubber tubes not less than a 1/8th inch thick. The
secondary has 300 turns of No. 30 B & S silk-covered magnet
wire, wound on rubber tube or rod, and the ends encased in
glass or rubber tubes. The primaries must be large enough to
be loose when the secondary coil is placed between the coils.
The primaries must cover around two inches of the secondary.
A hard rubber division must be placed between these primary
coils. The ends of the primaries not connected with the
capacitors are lead to a spark gap.
Another early Tesla coil was protected in 1897 known as
"Electrical Transformer". This transformer developed (or
converted) currents of high potential and was comprised of a
primary and secondary coil. This Tesla coil had the secondary
being inside of, and surrounded by, the convolutions of the
primary coil. This Tesla coil comprised of a primary and
secondary wound in the form of a flat spiral. One coil, the
secondary in step up transformation, of the device consisted of
a longer fine-wire. The apparatus was also connected to the
Earth when the coil was in use.
Utilization and Production:
Transmission - A large Tesla coil of more modern design can
operate at very high peak power levels, up to many megawatts
(a million watts; hundreds of thousands of horsepower). It
should therefore be adjusted and operated carefully, not only
for efficiency and economy, but also for safety. If, due to
improper tuning, the maximum voltage point occurs below the
terminal, along the secondary coil, a discharge (spark), or
possibly a ball of plasma, may break out and damage,
Later coils:
Tesla, in System of Transmission of Electrical Energy and
Apparatus for Transmission of Electrical Energy, described
new and useful combinations employed in transformer coils.
The transmitting coil or conductor arranged and excited to
cause currents or oscillation to propagate through conduction
through the natural medium from one point to another remote
point therefrom and a receiver coil or conductor of the
transmitted signals. The production of currents of very high
potential could be attained in these coils.
Some of Tesla's later coils were considerably larger and
operated at much higher power levels. Tesla coils achieve
Wireless Electricity Generation and Transmission: A Focus on Tesla Coil
great gain in voltage by loosely coupling two resonant LC
circuits together, using an air-core (ironless) transformer.
Unlike a conventional transformer, whose gain is limited to
the ratio of the numbers of turns in the windings, Tesla coils'
voltage gain is proportional to the square root of the ratio of
secondary and primary inductances. Later coil types are an air-
core, dual-tuned resonant transformer that generates very high
voltages at radio frequencies (RF). The coil achieves a great
gain in voltage by transferring energy from one resonant
circuit (the primary) to the other (the secondary) over a
number of cycles. Tesla Coil operation is significantly
different from a conventional transformer whose gain is
limited to the ratio of the numbers of turns in the windings.
Modern Tesla Coils are designed to generate long sparks,
Tesla's original system were designed for wireless
communication. so he used large radii of curvature to prevent
corona and streamer losses. Tesla coils' outer conducting
surfaces, which are charged to a high potential, have large
radii of curvature to minimise leakage of the oscillating
charges through corona discharges or sparks. The intensity of
the voltage gain of the circuit with a free, or elevated, toroid is
proportional to the quantity of charge displaced, which is
determined by the product of the capacitance of the circuit, the
voltage (which Tesla called "pressure"), and the frequency of
the currents employed.
Operational Principle:
Later coils consist of a primary tank circuit, which is a series
LC circuit composed of a high voltage capacitor, spark gap,
and primary coil; and the secondary LC circuit, a series
resonant circuit consisting of the secondary coil and the toroid.
Most modern coils use only a single secondary coil. The toroid
actually forms one terminal of a capacitor, the other terminal
being the Earth (or "ground"). The primary LC circuit is
"tuned" so that it will resonate at the same frequency as the
secondary LC circuit. The primary and secondary coils are
magnetically coupled, creating a dual-tuned resonant air-core
transformer. unlike a conventional transformer, which may
couple 97%+ of the magnetic fields between windings, a Tesla
Coil's windings are "loosely" coupled, with the primary and
secondary typically sharing only 10-20% of their respective
magnetic fields. Tesla Coils spread their electric field over a
large distance to prevent high electrical stresses in the first
place, thereby allowing operation in free air.
Most Modern Tesla coils use simple toroids, typically
fabricated from spun metal or flexible aluminum ducting, to
control the high electrical field near the top of the secondary
and to direct spark outward,and away, from the primary and
secondary windings.
The circuit consists of a secondary coil that is inductively
coupled to the primary, one end of which is connected to a
good earth ground, while its other end is usually connected to
a smoothly shaped discharge terminal (often called a topload).
The important requirement is that the primary and secondary
sides must be tuned to the same resonant frequency to allow
efficient transfer of energy between the primary and secondary
22
LC circuits. Modern Tesla Coils use vacuum tube or power
transistor oscillators to excite the primary and generate high
frequency current.
Typical Tesla Coil Schematic Alternate Tesla Coil
Configuration
The Tesla Coil primary winding, spark gap, and tank capacitor
are all connected in series. Once the gap fires, the electrical
behavior of either circuit is identical. In the typical circuit
(above), the spark gap's short circuiting action prevents high
frequency oscillations from "backing up" into the supply
transformere. Regardless of which configuration is used, the
HV transformer must be of a type that self-limits its secondary
current by means of internal leakage inductance. A normal
(low leakage inductance) high voltage transformer must use an
external limiter (sometimes called a ballast) to limit current.
NST's are designed to have high leakage inductance to limit
their short circuit current to a safe level.
Safety and precautions - It is advisable to begin the
tuning, in which the primary coil's resonant frequency is set to
the same value of the secondary coil's, using low-power
oscillations, then increasing the power until the apparatus has
been brought under control .
Air discharges - While generating discharges, electrical
energy from the secondary and toroid is transferred to the
surrounding air as electrical charge, heat, light, and sound. The
electric currents that flow through these discharges are
actually due to the rapid shifting of quantities of charge from
one place to other places (nearby regions of air). The process
is similar to charging or discharging a capacitor. The current
that arises from shifting charges within a capacitor is called a
displacement current. Tesla Coil discharges are formed as a
result of displacement currents as pulses of electrical charge
are rapidly transferred between the high voltage toroid and
nearby regions within the air (called space charge regions).
When the spark gap fires, the charged capacitor discharges
into the primary winding, causing the primary circuit to
oscillate. The oscillating primary current creates a magnetic
field that couples to the secondary winding, transferring
energy into the secondary side of the transformer and causing
it to oscillate with the toroid capacitance. The energy transfer
occurs over a number of cycles, and most of the energy that
was originally in the primary side is transferred into the
secondary side. The greater the magnetic coupling between
windings, the shorter the time required to complete the energy
transfer. As energy builds within the oscillating secondary
circuit, the amplitude of the toroid's RF voltage rapidly
increases, and the air surrounding toroid begins to undergo
dielectric breakdown, forming a corona discharge .
 International Conference on Systemics, Cybernetics and Informatics
A small later-type "Tesla coil" in operation. The output is
giving 17-inch sparks. The diameter of the secondary is 3
inches. The power source is a 10000 V 60 Hz current limited
supply.
In a spark gap Tesla Coil the primary-to-secondary energy
transfer process happens repetitively at typical pulsing rates of
50–500 times/second, and previously formed leader channels
don't get a chance to fully cool down between pulses. So, on
successive pulses, newer discharges can build upon the hot
pathways left by their predecessors. This causes incremental
growth of the leader from one pulse to the next, lengthening
the entire discharge on each successive pulse.
Reception - The secondary coil and its capacitor can be used
in receive mode. The parameters of a Tesla Coil transmitter
are identically applicable to it being a receiver, due to
reciprocity. Impedance, is not applied in an obvious way; for
electrical impedance, the impedance at the load (eg., where the
power is consumed) is most critical and, for a Tesla Coil
receiver, this is at the point of utilization (such as at an
induction motor) rather than at the receiving node.
The skin effect myth:
The dangers of high frequency electrical current are
sometimes perceived as being less than at lower frequencies.
Large Tesla Coils and Magnifiers can deliver dangerous levels
of high frequency current, and they can also develop
significantly higher voltages voltages (often 250,000–500,000
volts, or more).
Because of the higher voltages, large systems can deliver
higher energy, potentially lethal, repetitive high voltage
capacitor discharges from their top terminals. Doubling the
output voltage quadruples the electrostatic energy stored in a
given top terminal capacitance.
Instances and devices - One of the largest Tesla coils
ever built, known as the "Magnifying Transmitter". The
world's largest currently existing 2-coil Tesla coil was made
by Greg Leyh. It is a 130,000 watt unit, part of a 38 foot tall
23
sculpture. It currently resides in a private sculpture park at
Kakanui Point near Auckland, in New Zealand.rivate
Sculpture Park at akanui Point near Auckland, in New
Zealand.
Popularity - Tesla coils are very popular devices among
certain electrical engineers and electronics enthusiasts.
Vry big tesla coil is shown every year at the Coachella music
and arts festival, in Coachella, Indio, California, USA.
i)Tesla coils are featured in the Command & Conquer series of
strategy computer games by Westwood Studios as a powerful
defensive weapon on the Soviet side.
ii)In the Destroy All Humans! Video game, it is utilized as an
anti-air emplacement.
iii)Tesla coils, as well as an operational Tesla Death Ray make
an appearance in Tomb Raider: Legend.
iv)In the game Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura
by Troika Games, weapons such as the Tesla Gun, Tesla
Pistol, or the Tesla Rod can be created by combining certain
weapons with a Tesla coil.
v) In the game Tremulous, Tesla generators can be utilized by
the human team as base defenses which zap enemies who
come near.
vi) In a game Return to Castle Wolfenstein, Authors used
Tesla Gun, which fired electrical discharge "rail", or in
alternate firing mode, gun would fire electricall ball into
target.
vii) Tesla Coils are featured part of the Thaddius encounter in
World of Warcraft's Naxxaramas dungeon.
viii) The Electroshock cannon in the PC game Evil Genius is a
Tesla Coil, in the game it is depicted to spin after each
discharge, possibly to generate Static electricity
Wireless energy transfer is the transfer of electromagnetic
energy for power to do work via conduction, induction, or
transmission without a physical connection.Wireless energy
transfer, by definition, does not require a physical medium
through which to flow.
Wireless Electricity Generation and Transmission: A Focus on Tesla Coil
A fluorescent with no wires attached to it, held near the
antenna, will glow when thetransmitter is activated relaying
the abbreviation "SOS" by Morse code will cause the light to
correspondingly blink "SOS" as electromagnetic induction by
the transmitted signal causes the gas inside the lamp (acting as
a natural receiver) to glow, not unlike the causal mechanism in
the aurora borealis.
With the basic principle thus established, the challenge then is
to channel the energy of transmission to ensure efficient
reception, whereupon it can be converted into useful power, a
flashlight beam focused narrowly (by a lens) onto a solar cell
will mimimize the amount of energy which does not fall on
the receiver and is ambiently lost .
The advent of technology for much higher transmission
frequencies, like those used by microwave transmitters,
created the possibility of relaying electromagnetic energy
through the application of directional antennas, such as the
one invented by Hidetsugu Yagi. Lasers, which create a
coherent and tightly confined beam of light energy, are even
more appropriate.
In most cases, such solutions are not economical as compared
to the simpler standard of power transmission by copper wire.
Wireless energy transfer is therefore most applicable to
situations where the energy receiver cannot be copper-tethered
to the energy source — such as sending energy to an airplane
or spacecraft, or transmitted between planetary bodies, or from
orbital solar power satellites to a rectenna on Earth.
Tesla:
The development of wireless energy transfer began in earnest
with the lectures and patents of the electrical engineer Nikola
Tesla (and is described in his 1916 deposition on the history of
wireless and radio technology). In experiments around 1899,
Tesla was able to light lamps filled with gas (similar to neon)
from over 25 miles away without using wires. Tesla used a
high frequency current. During his experiments in Colorado,
he lit ordinary incandescent lamps at full candle-power by
currents induced in a local loop consisting of a single wire
forming a square of fifty feet each side, which includes the
lamps, and which was at a distance of one-hundred feet from
the primary circuit energized by the oscillator (Century
Magazine, June 1900). The construction of a global system for
wireless telegraphy, telephony, and transmission of power
centered on his Wardenclyffe Tower, started over a century
ago by Tesla.
In practice, the transmitter electrically influences both the
earth and the space above it. Tesla believed that energy cold
be efficiently transmitted from the facility by true electrical
conduction through the earth, and either displacement
currents, i.e., electrostatic induction or, with a high-power
system, true electrical conduction through plasma. Tesla called
his wireless technique the "disturbed charge of ground and air
method." The ground-air system depends upon passage of
electrical current through both the earth and the atmosphere.
To accommodate this, the Wardenclyffe-type World System
transmitter/receiver facility includes both an air and a ground
24
connection, each being called a “terminal.”. It is clearly
specified by Tesla that the earth as being one of the
conducting media involved in ground and air system
technology. The other specified medium is the atmosphere
above 5 miles elevation. While not an ohmic conductor, in this
region of the troposphere and upwards, the density or pressure
is sufficiently reduced to so that, according to Tesla’s theory,
the atmosphere’s insulating properties can be easily impaired,
allowing an electric current to flow. Tesla’s theory further
states that the conducting region is developed through the
process of atmospheric ionization, in which the effected
portions thereof are changed to plasma. The presence of the
magnetic fields developed by each plant’s helical resonator
suggests that an embedded magnetic field and flux linkage is
also involved. Flux linkage with Earth’s natural magnetic field
is also a possibility, especially in the case of an earth
resonance transmission system. The atmosphere below 5 miles
is also viewed as a propagating medium for a portion of the
aboveground circuit, and, being an insulating medium,
electrostatic induction would be involved rather than true
electrical conduction.
In 1935 Tesla spoke about the transmission of propulsive
power to ships at sea "through the stratosphere" using this
technique . "The principles of this high tension power,
generated by shore plants and transmitted through the upper
reaches of the air, illuminating the sky, turning night into day
and at the same time supplying power, have occupied Dr.
Tesla's attention on and off now for the past thirty-five years. .
. . ” #### "There is a method of conveying great power to
ships at sea which would be able to propel them across oceans
at high speed. . . .” #### "The principle is this. A ray of
great ionizing power is used to give to the atmosphere great
powers of conduction. A high tension current of 10,000,000 to
12,000,000 volts is then passed along the ray to the upper
strata of the air, which strata can be broken down very readily
and will conduct electricity very well. ”"A ship would have to
have equipment for producing a similar ionizing ray. The
current which has passed through the stratosphere will strike
this ray, travel down it and pass into the engines which propel
the ship."
Earth itself would behave as a resonant LC circuit that could
be electrically excited at predescribed frequencies. However,
Earth resonance would be of a very low frequency (about 7
Hz) which would, perhaps, utilize Schumann resonance.
Alternatively, a surface or ground wave, similar to the
Zenneck wave could have been utilized.According to Tesla,
the planet's large cross-sectional area provides a low resistance
path for the flow of earth currents. The greatest losses are apt
to occur at the points where the transmitting and receiving
stations are connected with the ground. This is why Tesla
stated,"You see the underground work is one of the most
expensive parts of the tower. In this system that I have
invented it is necessary for the machine to get a grip of the
earth, otherwise it cannot shake the earth. It has to have a
grip on the earth so that the whole of this globe can quiver,
and to do that it is necessary to carry out a very expensive
construction."
 International Conference on Systemics, Cybernetics and Informatics

To close the circuit, in theory, a second path would be i) High Power Vaccum ii) Table Top Tesla Coil iii)
established between the plants' elevated high-voltage terminals Medium Power Tesla
through rarefied upper-level atmospheric strata. The Tube tesla Coil
connection would be made by electrostatic induction or Coil
conduction through plasma. Tesla firmly believed that
Wardenclyffe would permit wireless transmission and
reception across large distances with negligible losses. High Power Tesla Coil -

Types of Tesla Coil:

i) High Power Vacuum Tube Tesla Coil - These

spectacular display devices produce arcs and sparks quite
unlike the damped spark gap driven Tesla coils. Operation
does not require a noisy spark gap that produces copious
amounts of RFI radio frequency interference but operates
efficiently at the quarter wave frequency of the secondary coil
. The circuit of the vacuum tube device is nothing more than a
high powered Hartley radio frequency oscillator tuned to the
resonant frequency of the secondary coil. The circuit uses a • 4 To 6' DISCHARGES!! 1,500,000 Volt Floor
medium powered 833A triode transmitting tube that inherently ModelIdeal for special effects, advertising, attention
has a high grid to plate capacitance and is readily available. getting, advanced laboratory studies, and the
The plate section of the coil is wound with 1/4 inch copper hobbiest familiar with the use of high voltage. Uses
tubing. The grid feed back coil is wound with #16 litz wire. Dangerous HIGH VOLTAGES!!
The secondary is wound with #24 litz wire on a properly • Advanced Project for High Voltage Research
prepped plastic form . The output of the oscillator is relatively
• Spectacular Display of Natures Fireworks
closely coupled to the secondary coil designed for high Q
performance and self resonant to the 1/4 wave of the oscillator • Materials Testing
frequency. Input power to the coil is raw unrectified AC at • Rotary Spark Gap
3000 volts rms with a current of .5 amps. Peak voltage is over • Size - 6' Height x 24" Square base
4000 volts and is supplied by a conventional plate transformer
being fed by a voltage adjustable variac for power output Worlds Smallest Tesla Coil - Generate Bolts of Lightning,
control. A pulse signal controls the grid of the tube allowing a Crashing Against the Inner Walls of a 5" Lamp!
wide range of spark texture variation by changing the duty
cycle and frequency.

ii) Easy to Build Table Top Tesla Coil - Produces 8 -12"

Visible Lightning -Like Discharges. Fully adjustable.
Transmit wireless energy , Materials glow, disintegrate, burn ,
ION motors, induction fields , ION motors, induction fields ,
Amazing and spectacular special effects

iii) Medium Power Tesla Coil - 18 TO 30" • Generate Up To 75 KV Discharges

DISCHARGES!! 500,000 Volts!!Intended for • Experiment With HV Effects
• Plasma In A Jar, St Elmo's Fire, Corona Etc.
Display Experiments, Produces Intense Discharges! Uses • Output Discharge Control
Dangerous HIGH • Small Size 3 in.x 2 in. x 1.5 in.
VOLTAGESPower enough for most R&D experiments. Air • 115V Line Direct Operation
Cooled Tungsten Spark Gap.
Size - 30" H x 16” sq , Weight - 35 lbs. Table top , Choice of
115/220 Operation , Parts Individually Available This Tesla Micro Mini Mite Tesla Coil -
coil is built using transparent polycarbonate materials. This is
truly a spectacular looking device Lights Up A 4 Ft Florescent Tube Without Contact!!! Yet
Only 3" Tall!

* Super Magic Trick * Generate Plasma

Pyrotechnics

25
Wireless Electricity Generation and Transmission: A Focus on Tesla Coil
* Build a Small Jacobs Ladder * 12 VDC/115 VAC
Operation
Mini Tesla Lightning Machine - With Adjustable "On and
Off" Time Settings
2 to 3" Spark Discharge
12 VDC/115 VAC/battery . Safe at High Frequencies ,
Adjustable Output
Solid State Tesla Coil and Jacobs Ladder - Turns A
Normal Light Bulb Into A Spectacular Plasma Display!!
Build a Plasma Tornado Amazing and bizarre effects!
Transmits Wireless Energy
• Noiseless Operation
• Pyrotechnic Effect
• 12 VDC/5 Amps or Battery
• 115 VAC Optional Converter
• Adjustable Frequency
Uses of Tesla Coil
Tesla also used various versions of his coil in experiments
with fluorescence, x-rays, wireless power for electric power
transmission, electrotherapy, and telluric currents in
conjunction with atmospheric electricity.
The Tesla coil is an early predecessor (along with the
induction coil) of a more modern device called a flyback
transformer, which provides the voltage needed to power the
cathode ray tube used in some televisions and computer
monitors.
The disruptive discharge coil remains in common use as the
"ignition coil" or "spark coil" in the ignition system of an
internal combustion engine. A modern low power variant of
the Tesla coil is also used to power plasma globe sculptures
and similar devices.
Low power Tesla Coils are also sometimes used as a high
voltage source for Kirlian photography.
26
The wireless transfer of energy is used in various devices,
such as electric toothbrushes (to recharge their batteries), the
transcutaneous energy transfer (TET) systems in artificial
hearts like AbioCor and most notably in mobile phones.
A fully developed World System would, conceivably, allow
for the removal of many existing high-tension power
transmission lines, and facilitate the interconnection of
electrical generation plants on a global scale.
Some notes on Power Consumption of Tesla Coil :
1) Power Supply - Initially, a circuit without a step-up
transformer is used. Then up to ±170 V to the inverter is to be
applied. But the voltage was not high enough to make
significant sparks. Then a step-up transformer is to be used
ahead of the inverter.It appeared that a factor of ten (10(±170)
= ±1700 V) would give me enough range. So a 240/2400
transformer is bought. This is an oil filled transformer,
sometimes called a pole pig. one was rated at 5 kVA, so the
rated input current is 5000/240 = 20.8 A. This is a very
conservative rating, for continuous operation in a 40oC
ambient. It was expected it to run four hours at 30 A without a
problem, and 10.
The power circuit is shown below :
# I had 2400 VAC rather than 230 VAC, which made my LI
= (2400/230)(15) = 156.5 mH-A. The rated current for my
transformer is 2.8 A at 2400 V, so L = 156.5 / 2.8 = 56 mH ;
The capacitor bank was formed of 16 electrolytic capacitors
rated at 1400 μF and 450 V. Four were placed in series to get a
string rated at 350 μF and 1800 V. Two strings were then
paralleled to get a rated capacitor C3 of 700 μF and 1800 V.
Two more strings were added to get another capacitor C3 for
the negative supply. The figure shows the measured value of
the capacitors, 740 μF rather than 700 μF. Finally, resistors R1
were added to discharge the capacitor bank. These are 35 kΩ,
100
W resistors, two in series on each side of the supply. At full
voltage of ±1700 V, the power dissipation on each side is P =
V ^2/ R = (1700)^2 / 70000 = 41 W (1) or about 20 W per
resistor. The resistors are mounted at an angle in free air, so
air can flow by convection through the interior of the resistors.
The nominal rated voltage difference between V − and V + is
2400√2 = 3394 V, or about ±1700 V.Power was run into and
out of the capacitor bank with wire made by the Alpha Wire.
2. Gate Driver and Inverter:
 International Conference on Systemics, Cybernetics and Informatics

The last generation is shown in Fig. 2 are four Harris P = (70) ^2 (0.02) = 98 W which is a little over four times the
HGTG18N120BND IGBTs in series in each leg.. # steady state rating. For the intermittent operation used here, R1
Calculations: During inverter operation, each resistor carries should last indefinitely, at least until the IGBTs blow.
1/4 of the total supply voltage while its IGBT is off, and 0
while its IGBT is on. The power dissipation for a total voltage 4. IGBT Over current Protection:
of 3400 V is P = V^2 / R =(3400 / 8)^2 / 430000
= 0.42 W during the off period, and double this amount, or
0.84 W during inverter operation.

3. Current Sense Resistors: In the metal case containing the

inverter, there are several other components besides those
5. Tesla Coil Controller:
shown in Fig. 2. These include the current sense resistors, a
filter for the current waveform to the scope, a small current
transformer for supplying current information to the
controller, and some high frequency capacitors for voltage and
current support. These are shown in Fig. 3. The switches
SW1-SW8 represent the 8 IGBTs in the inverter.

6. Waveform Plots:
n the following figures, A1 and A2 refer to the two analog
channels of the HP 54645D oscilloscope. A1 is the voltage
waveform applied to the Tesla coil, measured at the output of
the inverter. A2 is the current, as represented by the voltage
across a 0.02 Ω resistor. A scale of 100 mV/div would be 5
# Need for Switching - The switcher provides a square wave
A/div.
voltage to the Tesla coil input. A square wave can always be
composed into a fundamental and a series of odd harmonics of
sine waves. The magnifier is not resonant at exactly three (or
five, or seven) times the fundamental frequency, so the
harmonics always face a very high surge impedance. The
current will build up at the resonant frequency but not at the
harmonics. This means that a square wave of applied voltage
will produce only a sine wave of current. This sine wave will Fig. 8 shows the same waveforms after 1 ms of operation
be in phase with the voltage at resonance, will lag above (except for Channel 4, which is no longer of interest to us).
resonance, and lead below resonance. The difference between
hard and soft switching is shown in Fig. 4. Two plots of an
(approximately) square wave of voltage applied to a Tesla
coil, with the resulting(approximately) sinusoidal current are
given here. In the 1’st plot the voltage takes about 300 ns to Fig. 9 shows the voltage applied to the Tesla coil and the
make the transition. There is little ripple and the current resulting current for about 4.5 ms. The voltage is A1 at the top
waveform is reasonably smooth. In the 2’nd plot, the voltage of the figure and the current is A2 at the bottom. Operation is
transition lasts only about 100 ns. well below breakout.

Fig. 10 shows a closeup of the waveforms when ENABLE

goes low. Both outputs of the 34066 go low, so Channel 0
A spark that occurs 1.9 ms into the pulse train with ±900 V goes high and stays there.
applied might occur 1.2 ms after start with ±1200 V applied. A
current of about 30 A (rms) just before spark was observed
frequently. The power dissipated in R1 with this current in it is
P = I^2 R = (30)2(0.02) = 18 W which is within the range of a
22 W resistor. The most critical limit in the circuit is that of
the IGBTs, which is 100 A peak in short bursts. If the peak
current is 100 A in a sinusoidal waveform, then the rms
current limit is 70 A. At 70 A, the power dissipation in R1 is

27
Wireless Electricity Generation and Transmission: A Focus on Tesla Coil
In Fig. 10. It turns out that the current never misses a beat. The
voltage has a cycle that is half the normal length, such that at
the end of the short cycle, voltage is out of phase with current.
Fig. 11 shows the voltage and current waveforms later in the
cycle.
TESLA COILS SAFETY:
1.0) Electrical Hazards, Fuses and Safety Switches - Tesla
coils use high voltages, and the risk of death or injury is
significant. The following general guidelines are suggested:
Never adjust tesla coils when the power is turned on.
High voltage capacitors may hold a charge long after power is
turned off. Always discharge capacitors before adjusting a
primary circuit.
Make sure the metal cases of transformers, motors, control
panels and other items associated with tesla coils are properly
grounded.
The low voltage primary circuit is extremely dangerous!
These voltages are especially lethal to humans. Make sure
these circuits are well insulated so users cannot come in
contact with the A.C. line voltage.
A safety key should be used in the low voltage circuit to
prevent unauthorized use.
Use adequate fusing of the primary power and/or circuit
breakers to limit the maximum current to your control panel.
Do NOT count on your home circuit panel to provide adequate
protection! Never operate a tesla coil in an area where there is
standing water, or where a significant shock hazard exists.
2.0) Burns - Tesla coils can cause burns, especially due to RF
discharges from the secondary. Stay out of the immediate
vicinity of a tesla coil.
3.0) Induction Field Effects - Tesla coils operate in a pulsed
mode, and strong electric and magnetic fields are locally
produced. In addition, significant amounts of RF may be
produced if the grounding is poor, or before spark breakout.
This can result in induced currents in other conductors, like
test equipment, nearby computers and electronics, and metal
structures in the facility. Turn off computers and sensitive test
equipment, and move it away from the vicinity of your coils. .
Construct a dedicated RF ground, and make sure it is properly
connected before firing any coil of substantial size.
# Fire from other induced currents - Tesla coils are good at
inducing currents. Beware of metal things that are connected
to the same ground as a tesla coil. # Hazards to electronics
- A tesla coil must be connected to a ground that is separate
from the house ground or water pipes. Connecting anyone coil
to either of these grounds is a recipe for disaster.
4.0) .0) Ozone, NOx, and Vapors - A sparking tesla coil
produces ozone, nitrogen-oxygen compounds, and probably a
host of other potentially toxic substances. Do not operate a
large coil in an enclosed area for long periods of time. Make
sure ventilation is adequate at all times. When constructing
secondaries, adequate ventilation must be used, when coating
coils with varnish, etc.
5.0) Ultraviolet Light and X-ray Production - The light
produced in a spark contain substantial amounts of hard
ultraviolet light and produce a large amount of visible light.
28
"Don't Look At The Arc!" . T he visible light is extremely
bright, and the ultraviolet light will damage your eyes, and can
cause skin cancer. To study spark gap, use welder's glasses.
6.0) Radio Frequency Interference - Tesla coils are
generally inefficient as antennas go, but can still produce a fair
amount of RF, especially if operated with a large top
capacitance, before spark breakout. Significant quantities of
RF can also be produced if the RF grounding is inadequate.
This can cause interference with TV's, radios, and other
electronics.Try to improve ground first . In addition, every
tesla coil should be wired with a power line conditioner in
series with the primary circuit. These are relatively
inexpensive and are very effective in keeping RF out of the
house wiring.
7.0) Fire Hazards - Fires can be caused by an overheated
spark gap, equipment failure (e.g., shorted transformer),
corona discharge, induced currents, to name a few causes.
When coil is running it is to be sured that there are no
flammable substances around. For example, gas cans (e.g., for
a lawnmower), ammunition, sawdust, fireworks, etc. Walls
and ceilings can also be ignited, so fire extinguisher handy
should be kept handy.
8.0) Chemical Hazards - Old capacitors and transformers
often used PCB oils for insulation. This oil is a known
carcinogen. Similarly, the materials used to coat coils (e.g.,
varnish) may contain hazardous chemicals. Consult a Material
Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) should be consulted for any
materials used.
9.0) Explosion Hazards - Explosions can and do occur with
tesla coils! The rotary gap and capacitors are the most frequent
culprits, but nearby flammables are also at risk. # Rotary gaps
- During operation, rotary gaps spin at high speeds. The
spinning rotor or disk is subjected to tremendous force. At a
modest 3600 RPM, the periphery of a 10" disk is subjected to
a force of 1835 G's. The peripheral speed of the 10" disk is
107 MPH. At 10000 RPM, the edge of the disk is running at
about 300 MPH! The best way to guard against this danger is
to shield the rotor and build the entire system carefully and
take pains to balance it. # Capacitors - Capacitors are great at
releasing energy very quickly. The explosion danger in a
capacitor occurs when it shorts out and suddenly produces a
large volume of hot vaporized gas. Since capacitors are
usually in an air tight container, the volume of gas will cause
the container to explode, sending pieces of solid cap guts and
oil all over. One recommended method of shielding
capacitors is in an HDPE (High Density PolyEthylene) pipe .
10.0) Noise Hazards - Tesla coils produce a lot of noise, and
large coils can damage one's hearing. Ear protection should be
bought from nearby gun shop if large coils are operated.large
coils.
Scope for further modifications:
1) Transmission of power through satellite:
Transmiiting power from earth to satellite and then from
satellite to earth through orbital satellite.
2) Optica Fibre Trans mission :
The generated energy in the RF range is transformed into opti
cal domain by optical transducers or by the help of LEDs or
LASERS.Then this energy is transmitted via optical fibre to
the different sub stations or base stations. This stations again
transform the optical energy into required electrical energy
 International Conference on Systemics, Cybernetics and Informatics

and transmits it through the directive antennas termed as

towers.

Conclusion:
The wireless power generation and distribution
concept has opened up a new dimension is the field of science
and technology. It is making humans believe in the
unbelievable. With this technology teaming up with Tesla
Coil, antenna, transformer, and wireless propagation can bring
out a revolution, and where the winner will be mankind. Its
now a matter of time to see that all the streets, highways are
now free of wires running from one end to other and the
houses,offices , institutions bears the wireless devices to
receive energies transmitted wirelessly from base stations

Reference:
Tesla, Nikola, My Inventions, Electrical Experimenter
magazine, Feb, June, and Oct, 1919. ISBN 0910077002
Tesla, Nikola, "The True Wireless". Electrical Experimenter
May 1919. Tesla, Nikola, "The True Wireless". Electrical
Experimenter May 1919. (Public_Broadcasting_Service)
Pratt, H., "Nikola Tesla 1856-1943", Proceedings of the IRE,
Vol. 44, September, 1956. Page, R.M., "The Early History of
Radar", Proceedings of the IRE, Volume 50, Number 5, May,
1962, (special 50th Anniversary Issue). Tesla, Nikola, "The
Problem of Increasing Human Energy", The Century
Illustrated Magazine. W.C. Wysock, J.F. Corum, J.M.
Hardesty and K.L. Corum, "Who Was the Real Dr. Nikola
Tesla? (A Look at His Professional Credentials)".

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