Talk:Wardenclyffe Tower

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[edit] purpose of Wardenclyffe

So what exactly is the purpose of Wardenclyffe Tower? [1]

It isn't clear what the purpose of the tower was. There are at least two theories. Rmhermen 23:50, Mar 8, 2004 (UTC)
It was intended to serve as the world's first telecommunications center, broadcasting electronic media of all types around the world. It was also intended to demonstrate the broadcasting of electrical power directly, without long wires. Unfortunately, this was not to be. 68.103.38.9 13:56, 22 Oct 2004 (UTC)

Close reading of Tesla's notes show that the purposes of the tower were clear. The above is correct: in modern terminology it was intended to be an electrically short resonant antenna intended to excite the earth-ionosphere waveguide cavity in the ELF radio band below 1KHz. Tesla intended to broadcast both radio signals as well as industrial levels of electric power. A contemporary analysis of the physics by Dr. James F. Corum showed that Tesla's scheme was feasible, though the physics and electrical engineering knowledge of the early 1900s predicted the opposite. --Wjbeaty 10:00, Jan 1, 2005 (UTC)

In what sense can it be considered feasible to broadcast industrial levels of electrical power?! Art Carlson 18:55, 2005 Jan 11 (UTC)

The purpose of Wardenclyffe was to demonstrate that free energy could be transmitted via longitudnal waves. Maxwell beleived that longitudnal waves were impossible to create, and consequently ignored them when he created the Maxwell Equations. Newtons third law is also associated with these waves; it describes them, but does not provide the reasoning. Tesla fully understood them, after completing over three years or research and experimentation. He found they could be generated by rapidly pulsing high DC voltages. Eric Dollard has reproduced these results. Edwin Gray has also used a similar method in his over-unity generator. On another note, Wardenclyffe was cancelled because Morgan realized that Marconi would be the first to transmit the first wireless messages. Morgan was only interested in the communication market at this time, and that the value laid in being the first one to do it. Tesla had mislead Morgan into believing that he had plans to create a communication tower, and when he told Morgan the real reason, Morgan refused to finance Tesla any longer, and Tesla gradually began his decline. Most of this was gathered from an interview with Tom Bearden, who has spent a large part of his life researching Tesla. You can find the recorded interview at: http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=-6044955461813547423&q=tom+bearden -B brazeau 05:44, 22 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] 172.184.27.224

The edit "172.184.27.224 (removed nonsense (Theories of operation and The Tunguska Event))" was accidently anonymous. If anyone wants to know, it's mine. Art Carlson 08:56, 2004 Oct 25 (UTC)

[edit] cleanup

Heck, what's going on zhis article? There a signatures in the article space and despite its length it's unclear what's all about this tower. And wouldn't the corret title be "Wardenclyffe tower"?. --19:12, 2005 Jan 1 (UTC)

[edit] Accuracy and confusion tags

The section on "theories of operation" is very confused. It needs to be split into distinct sections, each of which focuses on one of the following ideas:

  • Transmitting information by transverse radio waves
  • Transmitting power by transverse radio waves
  • Transmitting power directly through the air or ground

It is unclear to me how "ground currents" - which links to Telluric current - were supposed to be used for transmitting electricity, or who supposed that. This statement should be properly referenced, or removed.

With the mixing of the various ideas throughout this section, it's unclear which transmission methods (transverse electromagnetic waves or longitudinal electrostatic waves) are supposed to make use of which types of resonance.

It also needs to be made clear to the reader whether or not Tesla's ideas are compatible with modern electromagnetic theory. A cursory reading seems to imply that they are. Either way, it also needs to be made clear to the reader why Tesla's system is not practical. For omnidirectional radio-based power transmission, I seem to remember hearing in E&M class that it's simply that the amount of radiation (and associated power) that is sent out into space, and is never collected by a using device. I don't know if Tesla had something more directional in mind, and I haven't tried evaluating the more exotic plans for ground and air-based direct transmission. Certainly the necessary background material doesn't exist in Wikipedia yet (especially since Zenneck wave has yet to be written, though waves in plasmas is illuminating).

The purpose(s) of the tower should also be integrated into the introduction and history sections, for clarity.

Fixing this article will probably require (acquiring) familiarity with electromagnetic theory and also Tesla's writings. It would also be very helpful if the missing background material were filled in. I'll flag this article for expert attention.

-- Beland 09:11, 7 August 2005 (UTC)

The section on "theories of operation" includes all parts of the facility's operations from Tesla's own writings and later researcher's publications. I'll split the parts into distinct sections, each of which focuses on each of the relevant ideas:

  • Transmitting information wirelessly
  • Transmitting power by atmospheric longitudal waves
  • Transmitting power telluric longitudal waves

The "ground currents" - which are Telluric current - were used for transmitting electricity because the Earth can be brough to a resonating state (that is why some say that Tesla wanted to "pump the earth"). Who supposed this? Tesla himself. I'll get the reference at a later time.

With the mixing of the various ideas throughout this section, the complete theory inwhich Tesla's transmission methods (transverse electromagnetic waves and longitudinal electrostatic waves) are supposed to make use of the radiant energy resonance. As to whether or not Tesla's ideas are compatible with modern electromagnetic theory, I would defer to a someone in the field of engineering instead of a physicist (Tesla's devices have confounded many scientists (not all, but many ... and many were not understood time more recently); engineers seem to understand his inventions a bit better). Tesla's theories and inventions are usually misunderstood or analyzed incorrectly by those in the field of physics. Engineers usually have a better grasp on what Tesla was doing. Tesla's theories are compatible with modern electromagnetics, though.

Tesla's system is practical, yet costly initially. You have to realize that his system is NOT using hertzian wave (aka., radio-based power transmission) to accomplis his transmission of power 1st though. He repeatedly states this in his writings and other statements. Conventional basic E&M classes will probably not be that helpful here, as they focus on the hertzian model. The situation that Tesla was setting up was not as complex as sending out a certian the amount of hertzian radiation (and associated power) into space (to be collected by a recieving device). Tesla had something more advanced and simple in mind. As to the exotic and simplistic plans for ground and air-based transmission, portions are covered in his writings and patents. Also, his 'Magnifying Transmitter was the test of this facility (eg., proof of concept). The MT was a resounding success and laid the framework for this facility (for example, Tesla lit bulbs @ large distances wirelessly with the MT).

Some of the necessary background material doesn't exist in Wikipedia yet (such as the missing Zenneck wave article, though waves in plasmas can help understand his longitudal waves; IIRC also, there are 3 major wave transmission models - zenneck, hertz, and sommerfield ... hertz is the one usually referred to). A note on the multiple purposes of the tower should be integrated into the introduction. It is, IIRC, mentioned in the history section (eg., when Tesla told Morgan the purposes, Morgan pulled his funding). I really don't think the article need to be "fixed", but YMMV on that. Expanding this article, though, will probably require familiarity with electrical engineering and non-normative electromagnetic theories (Such as J. Zenneck's theory of EM wave propogation (which is slightly different from the Hertzian model)). Tesla's writings should be the primary source and consulted with 1st, with engineering text being a secondary supplemental source. This whole concept was put to a mechanical test in the 1920s by the US standards bearu, and the mechanical analogy was proven correct. I'll get the reference later (I think it was in the book "harnessing the weelwork of nature" by T. Valone).

What is the missing background material that you'd like to be filled in? I'm not too sure what you mean by that. I am taking out the accuracy tag in the operation section, but leaving the 2 tags @ the top (till I can get a few references and notes together).

Sincerely, JDR 01:51, 9 August 2005 (UTC) [Ps. sorry for the spelling mistakes]

I added a militaristic section for the operation. Tesla was initerested in death rays. This was talked about as a defensive weapon. A method to destroy groups of incoming planes, etc. It was not his later particle beam design though. JDR 06:35, 9 August 2005 (UTC) (Ps., Sommerfield's gliding wave [or surface wave] is applicaple to the discusson too; but to extend Zenneck's research; This page is a good reading: http://www.tfcbooks.com/teslafaq/q&a_039.htm] {pps., the Norton surface wave is realted to this discussion also}
One thing I remembered last night. Some well respected investigators, the Corums, research stated that Tesla was using his transmitters as a cavity resonator (I'll get the article later and post it). He was exciting the atmospheric caivity (ground surface and ionosphere cavity). The inclusion of the Mathieu equations and Bessel function would help this article (but, PLEASE explain the math to the layperson).
This cavity resonation principle would be applicable to the internal parts of the Earth (like seismic wave do).
Sincerely, JDR

[edit] Tesla's Death Ray

The section "Tesla's Death Ray" was copied verbatim from (linked) http://www.viewzone.com/tesla.ray.html. Has the author agreed to release his text under the GFDL? The site states:

All stories and illustrations are © 2005, Gary Vey, Viewzone Productions. 
Contact us only at tamcuatoi@yahoo.com or Gary Vey, 430 Pond Street, Rockland, MA 02370 (USA).

Also the section seems to be out of place, and should probably moved to a separate article and heavily edited ...

--Silvestre Zabala 12:01, 23 October 2005 (UTC)

I removed the section and put in a synopsis .... JDR 16:11, 3 November 2005 (UTC)
Even the synopsis doesn't fit here, this article is about the tower! -- Ehudshapira 04:54, 26 November 2005 (UTC)

[edit] History Section

The sentences, "When Morgan wanted to know "Where can I put the meter?", Tesla had no answer. Tesla's vision of free power did not agree with Morgan's worldview." are problematic and could, in my mind, be removed without diminishing the article as a whole. GPeterson 19:12, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Trolled? Citation 15 - Future of Wireless Art

According to citation 15, Nikola Tesla makes an amazing prediction with regards to wireless:

....it will be possible for a business man in New York to dictate instructions, and have them instantly appear in type at his office in London or elsewhere. He will be able to call up, from his desk, and talk to any telephone subscriber on the globe, without any change whatever in the existing equipment. An inexpensive instrument, not bigger than a watch, will enable its bearer to hear anywhere, on sea or land, music or song, the speech of a political leader, the address of an eminent man of science, or the sermon of an eloquent clergyman, delivered in some other place, however distant. In the same manner any picture, character, drawing, or print can be transferred from one to another place. Millions of such instruments can be operated from but one plant of this kind....

Since he lacked the present-day art of digitization, what leads Tesla to believe that pictures could be transmitted? Did he invent television as well as radio?

Searching for "The Future of the Wireless Art" on Google invariably leads to this quote only. Was this quote actually published or invented? Broodlinger 07:36, 27 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Any followup on this research?

Am I the only one who'd like to know why something equivalent to the tower has not been realized yet? I think not, so what's the explanation? --Amit 22:43, 2 August 2007 (UTC)

Not quite the same thing, but WiTricity is reminiscent in some ways. 86.132.141.14 (talk) 21:27, 27 December 2007 (UTC)