Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site utcsri.UUCP Path: utzoo!utcsri!greg From: greg@utcsri.UUCP (Gregory Smith) Newsgroups: sci.electronics Subject: Re: Tesla Coil - broadcast power Message-ID: <3803@utcsri.UUCP> Date: Tue, 16-Dec-86 16:28:10 EST Article-I.D.: utcsri.3803 Posted: Tue Dec 16 16:28:10 1986 Date-Received: Wed, 17-Dec-86 06:57:52 EST References: <4815@reed.UUCP> <823@A60.UUCP> <824@A60.UUCP> <904@sfsup.UUCP> <6204@mhuxu.UUCP> <324@csustan.UUCP> Reply-To: greg@utcsri.UUCP (Gregory Smith) Organization: CSRI, University of Toronto Lines: 18 Summary: Broadcast power ?? It seems to me that the broadcast power idea wouldn't have worked. If you created a powerful oscillating magnetic or radio field, over the whole earth, at whatever frequency, eddy currents would be induced in any metal object. Huge amounts of power would be required just to drive all these currents, even if no 'antennas' (to tap the power) were in use. Given the number of large metal objects on the planet (bridges, battleships, skyscraper frames, offshore oil platforms, Cadillacs) it seems that the amount of wasted power would vastly exceed the amount put to useful work. Chopping these objects up using insulation would reduce the losses significantly, but I don't think this is practical and I don't think it would help enough anyway. I'm not up much on the history of this. Was the eddy current phenomemon unknown at the time? -- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Greg Smith University of Toronto UUCP: ..utzoo!utcsri!greg Have vAX, will hack...