As in the case with most famous inventors, Nikola Tesla was far ahead of his time. As early as 1891, Tesla nearly reached his dream of creating a world entirely supplied by wireless energy. Although he invented numerous things, one of his most famous inventions is what is known as the Tesla coil.
The Tesla coil revolutionized the way we use energy in our everyday lives. When it was first created early radio antennas and telegraphy were quick to use it. However, the coil also has various other capabilities such as creating electron winds and shooting lighting bolts.
Because the coils in Tesla’s invention are wound slightly looser the coils are able to withstand a much higher voltage compared to a traditional transformer.
In order to explain more of the coil’s key functions here are the parts broken down in a diagram:
The power source is hooked up to the primary coil. The primary coil’s capacitor must be able to withstand the massive charge and huge surges of current, so the coil is usually made out of copper. Eventually, the capacitor builds up so much charge that it breaks down the air resistance in the spark gap. Then, the current flows out of the capacitor down the primary coil and creates a magnetic field.
After the energy collapses the magnetic field an electric current is generated in the secondary coil. The voltage between the two coils creates sparks in the spark gaps until it gets so high that it breaks free and becomes an electric current. The voltage is so high that it can illuminate fluorescent bulbs several feet away without the need for any wires.
“In a perfectly designed Tesla coil, when the secondary coil reaches its maximum charge, the whole process should start over again and the device should become self-sustaining. In practice, however, this does not happen. The heated air in the spark gap pulls some of the electricity away from the secondary coil and back into the gap, so eventually the Tesla coil will run out of energy. This is why the coil must be hooked up to an outside power supply.”
References:
https://teslauniverse.com/nikola-tesla/books/modern-tesla-coil-design-theory
http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/14/tech/innovation/wireless-electricity/
http://www.livescience.com/46745-how-tesla-coil-works.html