ChatGPT generated abstract representation of global energy transition from alternating to direct current
Electricity has been shaped by two rival ideas that have taken turns defining our world. Alternating current, or AC, became the backbone of industrial civilization, while direct current, or DC, quietly survived in the background. The story of how AC first won, and how DC is now winning again, is … [continued]
Believe it or not, there was a time over 100 years ago when EVs dominated the market. Steam power, while very problematic, accounted for around 40% of cars, 20% were gasoline, and the remaining 40% were electric. Electric vehicles had a lot of limitations, especially range, because the technology wasn’t … [continued]
Recently I had the exquisite pleasure of getting a ride in an original 1913 Detroit Electric car built by the Anderson Electric Car Company, and on several levels it was a surprising experience. The 1913 Detroit Electric First of all, the fact that this vehicle is 108 years old is … [continued]
The Maid of the Mist, the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, New York Power Authority, and ABB announced today that the Maid of the Mist, the iconic boat tour that has navigated the waters below Niagara Falls since 1846, has launched the first two new all-electric, zero-emission passenger vessels
It’s easy to look at history and judge the ignorance of past generations. We know that the earth is not flat (well, most of us do). We know that flying machines are possible. We know many things people didn’t know back in the day. But what do we not know today? Who are our eccentric geniuses? And perhaps, most importantly, are we treating them any better?
There are many reasons why Tesla has taken the automotive world by storm. Of course, one big reason is that Elon Musk decided to make his car company an electric car company. And electric cars have inherent advantages over their internal combustion engine (ICE) counterparts.
The dream of flying while recharging wirelessly from afar, or that of bringing electricity down from the stratosphere, has long been cherished. Now, a US company with a big leg in Russia is working on charging an aircraft while in flight.
Any Tesla enthusiast knows full well that the name originally chosen for what was then Tesla Motors was based on a motor design credited to Nikola Tesla, who lived in the 19th century. Virtually every car that Tesla has produced, from the Roadster to the Model S to the Model X, has been powered by a version of that venerable 3-phase AC induction motor.
So that’s HVDC and why the electricity you use will increasingly come through HVDC transmission. It gets more power delivered over longer distances, it’s increasingly economically viable, it works better underground, it works better underwater, it can dodge NIMBYs and it reduces the challenge of variable renewable generation. It’s one of the top innovations in the world of electricity, and it’s coming soon to a grid near you.
Researchers at the University of Warwick in England went back to the ideas of Nikola Tesla and Albert Einstein to create a new double glazed solar panel that could also be used as a window.
