Edison's Electric Companies: Understanding DC Processes

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers on the processes used by Thomas Edison to produce direct current (DC) electricity in his original electric companies, particularly focusing on the technology and methods employed in his generators.

Discussion Character

  • Technical explanation
  • Historical

Main Points Raised

  • One participant notes that Edison's generators were series wound DC generators, referred to as "dynamos," which were driven by coal-fired steam engines.
  • Another participant mentions that Edison's dynamos were self-exciting, relying on residual magnetism to generate electricity without external permanent magnets.
  • It is highlighted that the current generated is fed through field coils, which enhances the magnetic field and increases the current strength, although this levels off at a certain speed of rotation.
  • A participant expresses curiosity about the use of coal-fired steam engines in Edison's systems, linking it to a class discussion on Tesla.
  • There is a mention of Tesla and Westinghouse's adoption of alternating current (AC) for long-distance power transmission and their pioneering work in hydroelectric systems, contrasting with Edison's approach.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants present various aspects of Edison's methods, but there is no consensus on a singular process or model, and the discussion includes contrasting views on the technologies used by Edison versus those of Tesla and Westinghouse.

Contextual Notes

The discussion does not fully explore the technical details of the dynamos or the implications of the differences between AC and DC systems, leaving some assumptions and definitions unaddressed.

vectordog
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Can anyone describe for me the process that edison originally used to produce DC when he built his original electric companies?
 
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There was a commutator on his generator's armature.
 
vectordog said:
Can anyone describe for me the process that edison originally used to produce DC when he built his original electric companies?

Your question is peculiar. He didn't use a "process". He generated electricity with a device. His generators were series wound DC generators referred to as "dynamos" at the time. The dynamos were driven by coal-fired steam engines. He manufactured all his dynamos himself and often tinkered with the engineering of them.

Series wound dynamos are 'self exiting', meaning, there are no external permanent magnets used. Simply turning the rotor causes electricity to be generated from the small residual magnetism in the iron components. This current is fed through the field coils on its way out of the system which increases the strength of the magnetic field which, in turn, increases the strength of the current generated. It levels off for any given speed of rotation, of course.
 
Coal fired steam engines was what I was wondering. Thanks. My class was watching a video on Tesla, and we were just curious.
 
vectordog said:
Coal fired steam engines was what I was wondering. Thanks. My class was watching a video on Tesla, and we were just curious.
Tesla/Westinghouse differed not only in adopting AC for long distance transmission of power but also in being pioneers of hydroelectric systems.
 

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