We are now used to having the alternating current in the electric supply that reaches our homes. The electrical appliances in our homes run on AC, too. Yet, there used to be a time when experts pondered over the question whether to have AC or DC for electric supply.
As we have already seen, Edison was a promoter of the direct current. In those days, DC would have significant losses on the line when distributed over long distances. This meant that to power a wide area with DC, it would need a large number of power generating stations. At the same time, the machines generating direct current were much simpler, in the 1880’s. This gave DC a slight technical advantage.
On the other hand, alternating current was far more efficient to transmit over long distances, having much less losses on the way. The only concern was that generating AC would need much more precise machinery. Tesla, who had a more theoretical mind was able to manage this. Alternating current had one key advantage — its voltage level could be raised very easily, using relatively inexpensive transformers. All such factors made AC the ultimate winner.
Picture Credit : Google
