• This forum is specifically for the discussion of factual science and technology. When the topic moves to speculation, then it needs to also move to the parent forum, Science Fiction and Fantasy (SF/F).

    If the topic of a discussion becomes political, even remotely so, then it immediately does no longer belong here. Failure to comply with these simple and reasonable guidelines will result in one of the following.
    1. the thread will be moved to the appropriate forum
    2. the thread will be closed to further posts.
    3. the thread will remain, but the posts that deviate from the topic will be relocated or deleted.
    Thank you for understanding.​

Tesla's Wardenclyffe Tower

PsychicToaster

Writing Ninja
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 15, 2010
Messages
159
Reaction score
10
Location
Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn
Website
www.psychictoaster.com
From what I've read, it sounds like the idea worked in principle, but the tower itself was insufficient for the task he had proposed, which was the wireless transmission of energy by using the conducting properties of the atmosphere.

So, I have four questions:

1) What would it take to make it work?

2) If it worked, and this part of the atmosphere was conducting electricity, what risks would it pose to people/life/the environment to have an artificially excited part of the atmosphere? Would there be an altitude limit to human/animal flight imposed by this excited layer or is it much higher than that?

3) What would the capacity of such a system be? I.E. how much energy could you transmit in such a field and make usable on the receiving end?

4) How would a receiver work?
 

PeterL

Sockpuppet
Banned
Joined
Aug 17, 2009
Messages
1,129
Reaction score
91
From what I've read, it sounds like the idea worked in principle, but the tower itself was insufficient for the task he had proposed, which was the wireless transmission of energy by using the conducting properties of the atmosphere.

So, I have four questions:

1) What would it take to make it work?

That's a matter of definition. When it was tested there was lightning around it. If you wanted electrical energy to go to certain plaes, then you have to devise a control mechanism or focus the energy. Today coherent electro-magnetic energy can be sent on several different wavelengths from X-ray to radio waves.

2) If it worked, and this part of the atmosphere was conducting electricity, what risks would it pose to people/life/the environment to have an artificially excited part of the atmosphere? Would there be an altitude limit to human/animal flight imposed by this excited layer or is it much higher than that?

Have you ever had any problems with broadcast TV and rdio signals? Those are essentially the same as what Tesla was working on. In fact, his patents on broadcasting described exactly what Marconi used, and Marconi paid royalties to Tesla. Actually, there can be problems near radio antennas, but it is a very local problem, a few hundred feet.

3) What would the capacity of such a system be? I.E. how much energy could you transmit in such a field and make usable on the receiving end?

No one knows for sure, but it might be possible to transmit truly huge amounts. The atmosphere is already highly electrified, so it can hold a charge. The problem comes with controlling it. If you put too much into one placewould it create lightning? Probably. Could it be extracted safely? Probably, but I don't know how.

4) How would a receiver work?

There are a few possibilities including induction motors, and if you used a coherent beam it could be transmitted through wires.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wardenclyffe_Tower

You might also want to research Tesla and his wonderful works. He was a amazing man, and he invented somethings that no one else has managed to recreate.