AC vs DC: Debunking Myths and Examining Modern Usage

[Swiss]

Hello, All!

This is a thread that should address my questions and evolve into a general discussion on AC and DC for the purpose of interest.

My first question is: What did Nikola Tesla add to the field of electronics and AC? I've read all over the web two conflicting ideas 1) Tesla is God, Edison is the Devil and 2) Tesla added little to an already rich field. To what degree, if any, are either of these two ideas correct?

My second question is: How are AC and DC used in today's modern society and was there a 'winner' to the current wars?

While my knowledge is limited in the field, which shows through the way in which I am asking the questions, answers in full detail would be appreciated.

 

[sophiecentaur]

Of course there was a 'winner' for Power distribution. AC has been the system of choice for a hundred years, for good reason. However, for really long distance and international links, DC is used as the losses are less and you don't need synchronism between the systems. It's at least 40:15 in AC's favour.

Tesla was, to my mind, judged correctly by his peers and has been over romanticised by the public later on. What he did was very useful but what he 'talked about doing' has been picked up by his 'followers' and now and is now up amongst all the other Myths of our time, like the Faked Moon landings and the area 51 thing. The Tesla Transformer is such a sexy beast to see that he won the hearts of millions of punters. Good luck to him but he was more like a Clive Sinclair or Alan Sugar, imo, than a Paul Dirac.