The Evolution of the Tesla Coil
Nikola Tesla invented the Tesla coil as part of his exploration into lighting, wireless power transmission, and radiofrequency experiments. He developed the coil to produce high-voltage, low current, high-frequency electricity. The Tesla coil consists of primary and secondary coils that are inductively coupled, and the circuit is designed to resonate at a specific frequency. This resonance enhances the efficiency of energy transfer between the coils, enabling the generation of high-voltage, high-frequency alternating current.
His first Tesla coil was a bipolar coil created around 1891, and was demonstrated before scientific institutes from 1891-1893. His patents reveal that they were essentially intended for light production using both high frequency and high voltage at the same time. He also mentions in his patents how he discovered that a single wire could be used to light a light bulb. Generally, light bulbs require two wires to operate – one for the positive (live or hot) and one for the negative (neutral). He also discarded wires completely lighting bulbs wirelessly. Tesla improved upon the bipolar coil over many years using them for gas engine ignition, wireless, ozone production, and to create undamped waves.
In 1893, Tesla developed the bifilar spiral coil, which is a type of coil wound with two parallel wires, known as bifilar winding. The wires are wound side by side in a spiral pattern, maintaining close proximity throughout the coil. It was built in an attempt to avoid the employment of condensers, which are expensive and difficult to maintain. The coils themselves were meant to accomplish the same ultimate object as the condensers.
In 1894, Tesla evolved his coil into a conical coil. A conical coil refers to a coil or winding in the shape of a cone. These coils were sometimes employed in his wireless power transmission experiments and other electrical investigations. The shape of the coil can influence its inductance, capacitance, and resonance properties, impacting its performance in different applications. This coil allowed Tesla to reach tensions of 1 million volts.
In 1897, Tesla developed the flat spiral coil, similar to his bifilar coil. This type of coil forms a flat, spiral pattern. The specific shape and dimensions of the coil can influence its inductance and other electrical properties. The main reason Tesla started using flat spiral coils was because they were relatively safe, since the highest potential terminal is at the center, and also because they better suppressed the sparks, which were essentially losses in the circuit, allowing him to achieve higher voltages:
Another version of his coils was his Helical coil. A helical coil is a coil wound in the shape of a helix or spiral. The helical coil configuration is characterized by the wires being wound around a cylindrical form in a continuous spiral pattern. Tesla utilized helical coils throughout the late 1890s and in his Colorado Springs Experiments. The coils were used in his wireless transmission experiments, and he employed helical resonators to investigate the behavior of electromagnetic waves. The helical shape offers specific electrical properties and can influence the resonance and performance of the coil in certain applications.
Finally, the Tesla coil would eventually evolve into his Magnifying Transmitter. Tesla designed it as part of his wireless power transmission experiments. The magnifying transmitter was intended to efficiently transmit electrical energy over long distances without the need for wires. The system involved a large coil, often called the magnifying transmitter coil, which could produce high-frequency, high-voltage electrical currents. Tesla believed that this technology could revolutionize global communication and provide a means for delivering electrical power wirelessly by using the earth itself as a conductor.
The magnifying transmitter would become his Wardenclyffe Tower. Unfortunately, Tesla ended up lacking the investments and funds to finish his work in its entirety. Some say he failed because his idea didn’t work, but that’s not true at all because his Colorado experiments proved that they did. In his head, the transmission of energy was a matter of engineering. If he had a machine that could send energy 20 miles, then he could build a machine that could send energy a thousand miles. As long as he understands the motive power, he could build a machine that will do all that he requires of it. He simply underestimated the cost of his system. His failures to finish his work would leave him with the public persona as being the mad scientist who had unrealistic ideas for the future.
Ultimately, Tesla would not realize his dream of providing humankind with cheap, unlimited energy in his lifetime; however, his legacy forever lives on through the incredibly impactful experiments, and the evolution of the Tesla Coil.
“Technical invention is akin to architecture and the experts must in time come to the same conclusions I have reached long ago. Sooner or later my power system will have to be adopted in its entirety and so far as I am concerned it is as good as done. If I were ever assailed by doubt of ultimate success I would dismiss it by remembering the words of that great philosopher, Lord Kelvin, who after witnessing some of my experiments said to me with tears in his eyes: ‘I am sure you will do it.’”--Nikola Tesla
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Luigi’s Light Show (A fan-fiction)
Description: Luigi does a light show with his thunderhand powers for Mario, Toad, Princess Peach, and Donkey Kong based on Boney M.'s Rasputin song in Princess Peach’s courtyard.
Rated pg13 for some dark lyrics.
The section here are links to the videos which had inspired this story.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Assa__Snvmw -RASPUTIN Meets TESLA COILS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5Oag4hISgU - Boney M - Rasputin (Lyrics)
This is the lyric video I had used.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8vIWI7GkqA - Boney M - Rasputin (Dance Video)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNC6aTSKiwk - Bad Apple !! - Tesla coil + LaserShow
(It’s a Bad Apple song not Rasputin but it’s still pretty cool light show that helped the story but bright lights warning before clicking the link.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJNPmft9Hc0 - The Sound Of Music(1965) - "The Lonely Goatherd" Puppet Show Scene
(This last video isn't Rasputin either but the concept of the main characters doing a show for the audience in The Sound of Music scene gave me an idea for Luigi's thunder-light show too.)
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"Hey guys!" Called out the green plumber to Mario, Princess Peach, Toad, and Donkey Kong, "Come over here to the courtyard, I want to show you all something!"
The four followed Luigi outside in the courtyard of Princess Peach’s castle at night..
“Mario, can you hold my hat for me please?” asked Luigi.
The red plumber had held his brother’s cap.
“What’s this about Luigi?” asked Toad.
“Yeah, why are we out in the courtyard in the middle of the night?” asked Donkey Kong as he yawned.
"What do you want to show us?" asked Princess Peach with interest, wondering why her friend was so excited.
They gathered on a bench together to observe Luigi.
“After lots of practice out here I have learned how to use my thunderhand to create music like a Tesla coil and even charge my own electricity to make my own light show just for you guys."
Luigi made two finger guns with his hands.
"Bang bang!" He said.
The green plumber had shown his surprised companions the colorful lighting that was coming from his fingertips like bullets.
He passed his green phone to Toad.
"Toad will you do the honors by doing a three second countdown and play this song in my playlist for me?"
The little fungus nodded and gave him a thumbs up.
"Okay!" Toad smiled.
Luigi went over to the middle of the courtyard and signaled to Toad that he was ready for the count down.
He was extremely anxious about how they'd react to his performance, but he took a deep breath and braced himself as he began his show for the audience despite his fears.
Toad held up his fingers.
"Three...Two....One..START!"
He pressed play on the song "Rasputin" by Boney M.
“Hey, hey, hey!" Luigi chanted as he zapped from his finger guns to the beat of the song.
The shoes he tapped from his feet as he shuffled and danced had glowed an electric blue with both speed and grace.
He created a rectangular picture frame with the palms of his electric hands to create a mini cyan colored movie screen for the viewers to watch.
Then Luigi used his thunderhand to create a marionette human figure and made the strings of the puppet move along to the melody with the electricity from his fingers who is the main character of the song:
Luigi bobbed his head as he narrated the lyrics.
“There lived a certain man in Russia long ago-”
The green plumber had animated this small electric man puppet to life.
This precise movement from his main working hand had reminded Mario, Peach, Toad, and Donkey Kong of Master Hand.
“He was big and strong, in his eyes a flaming glow!”
Luigi had moved his muscles like Donkey Kong does and changed the color of the blue eyes to scarlet while he moved his puppet on beat to the music.
The green plumber made more human electric figures who were frightened of the main character with strings of the fingers from his other thunder hand.
This other wildly moving hand also reminded his companions of Crazy Hand.
“Most people looked at him with terror and with fear!”
He illustrated with his facial expression that had reflected on the lit up puppets of how very scared they were of Rasputin.
Luigi smiled as he drew the lady puppet figures with hearts flowing out from them who had admired and leaned against the rapscallion.
“But to Moscow chicks he was such a lovely dear!”
Luigi had changed the lightning shape of Rasputin’s outfit to that of a suited pastor who held a book in his hand as he stood before a congregation in a Russian church.
“He could preach the Bible like a preacher, full of ecstasy and fire!”
The green plumber changed Rasputin's preacher clothes into that of a university professor and gave him a pair of glasses to wear.
“But he was also was the kind of teacher, women would desire!”
Rasputin was animated by Luigi to be chased by the lady puppets whose hearts trailed behind them.
"Ra ra Rasputin!"
He drew the Rasputin puppet giving a marionette lady of royalty a bouquet of flowers on the movie screen.
"Lover of the Russian Queen!"
Luigi morphed his puppet into a stray electric feline who marched in step confidently across the palace's gate.
"There was a cat that really was gone."
Luigi then had the feline transformed into a robot that shoots out hearts from his laser eyes.
"Ra ra Rasputin-"
He thunder clapped twice.
"Russia's greatest love machine."
The thunder clapped two times again on the beat of the song.
"It was a shame how he carried on."
Luigi built an electric violin with his thunder powers and played his instrument on tune with the background music.
"But when his drinking and lusting and his hunger for power-"
He then turned the violin into an accurate map of Russia with many tiny humans populating the area before them.
"Became known to more and more people, the demands to do something about this outrageous man-"
Luigi drew the little people, exclaiming as one group that they were against Rasputin.
"Became louder and louder!"
“Hey, Hey, Hey!” Luigi said as he used his finger guns to zap on beat with the song as the baseline instrumentals.
He shuffle danced with his electricity sparkling on his heels..
Luigi used his "Master Hand" to control Rasputin's foes, who all have pitchforks and pistols ready to kill Rasputin.
" "This man's just got to go!", declared his enemies "
He took out his "Crazy Hand" to move the crying marionette women who had blocked their path.
"But the ladies begged, "don't you try to do it, please!" "
Rasputin was drawn to flirting with the ladies, but the jealous men nearby had glared at him.
"No doubt this Rasputin had lots of hidden charms, though he was a brute, they just fell into his arms!"
Luigi had drawn the little guys scheming together under the full moon.
"Then one night some men of higher standing set a trap, they're not to blame..."
He had them write a letter as an invitation to Rasputin at their place.
"Come to visit us", as they kept demanding."
The Rasputin puppet read the letter and agreed to visit.
The green plumber had created a horse drawn carriage Rasputin had rode on to move across the courtyard to a model of an electric castle he had built and the main puppet came inside it.
"And he really came."
Luigi does a Michael Jackson's moonwalk to slide across the courtyard as he controls Rasputin's transportation as if he's ice skating with the lighting on the ground.
"Ra ra Rasputin, lover of the Russian Queen."
Luigi used the strings of the electricity as he pulled himself back to the center of the field.
Then he molded a rotating 3d hologram model of a glass cup with sparkling liquid poured into it.
"They put some poison into his wine!"
He made the wine glass dissolve into his hands.
"Ra ra Rasputin!"
Luigi thunderclapped twice.
"Russia's greatest love machine!"
The green plumber clapped two times again.
He drew a scene as if Mario, Toad, Donkey Kong, and Princess Peach saw a suspenseful film when Rasputin's foes watched their enemy with anticipation as he drank the wine at their dinner table but were shocked that he was still standing after drinking their concoction.
"He drank it all and said, "I feel fine" "
The green jumped on beat with the music.
"Ra ra Rasputin!"
Luigi made his finger guns shoot twice.
"Ra ra Rasputin, lover of the Russian Queen."
He made two more shots.
"They didn't quit, they wanted his head!"
The angry little people shared a skull symbol together as a thought bubble in their heads.
"Ra ra Rasputin, Russia's greatest love machine, and so they shot him 'til he was dead!"
Finally he did a ballerina spin with even more sparks zapping from his hands and feet as he spun in a circle.
Static electricity had buzzed from his brown hair and had stood on end as he bowed to signify the end of the light show.
"Oh those Russians..." Luigi stated in a surprisingly deep tone.
The four were stunned by his performance for a moment then they applauded him.
Toad whistled..
"You did a great job!" praised Mario first, for he is very proud of his twin brother. "It was perfect!"
He carefully placed his brother's hat back on Luigi's head so he wouldn't be electrocuted.
"You guys like it?" Luigi asked.
"We don't like it," said Donkey Kong. "We love it!"
"That was so cool!" laughed Toad.
He returned Luigi's phone to him.
"You have an amazing gift, Luigi!" said Princess Peach. "You should perform in front of the entire kingdom next time."
Luigi blushed.
"Thanks you guys..."
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