Re: Tesla's orphans

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: Ed Phillips <evp-at-pacbell-dot-net> 

Tesla list wrote:
 >
 > Original poster: "John H. Couture" <couturejh-at-mgte-dot-com>
 >
 > My understanding is that beam of energy was a crucial part of Tesla's world
 > electrical system. The earth and the ionosphere are both excellent
 > conductors of electricity. Tesla's energy beam was to connect these two
 > conductors together to form a complete electrical circuit. While the earth
 > and ionosphere are very efficient conductors the energy beam was very
 > inefficient. It is interesting, however, to note that the world electrical
 > system that produces lightning has no trouble in using the atmosphere as
 > part of the system. Maybe in the future someone will redesign Tesla's world
 > system.
 >
 > John Couture

John:

	Unlike some guys, you have read Tesla's patents correctly and have
identified his proposed "transmission line " approach to power
distribution.  For an interesting excercise try calculating the
capacitance between the conducting ionosphere and the earth and then
calculate the reactive power to keep it excited to Tesla's "100 million
volts".  Next consider the losses due to the comparatively low ground
and ionospheric conductivities when that current is flowing at any
frequency you chose, from the Schumann resonance frequencies on up.
Alternately, pick a Q (any Q) and calculate the losses.  Some people
seem to think Tesla was proposing operation around 8 Hz.  Calculate the
size of the coil needed to resonate his balloon-borne antennas in order
to "charge" the ionosphere. For convenience make the coil a mile in
diameter and a couple of miles high.  Estimate its Q.

	The list goes on and on.  I've done my own calculations and have
reached my own conclusions about "world power transmission".  Remember
that Tesla asserted that he wasn't using electromagnetic radiation,
which he considered as extremely inefficient (which, of course, it is).
That's why I suggested just calculating the energy relations and
ignoring the mode of propagation.

Merry Christmas all,

Ed