![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Can Edison still win the power wars?
Feb. 29th, 2024 10:35 amBack at the dawn of human electricity use there was a fight between Edison and Tesla over whether it should be delivered as AC or DC.
Tesla won. AC was more efficient for transmitting long distances.
But, nowadays, electricity is frequently transmitted long distances using High Voltage DC. And more and more devices are powered by DC (either by batteries or increasingly by USB).
The local grid that connects to your home is still AC though, and the complication and expense of running a whole separate set of cables to your home probably isn't worth it, when you can do the conversion in lots of little boxes internally.
Although maybe we will start to get central converters in people's homes that then power all of their USB sockets. And slowly Edison will take over your power supply from within!
Not this week though - USB tops out at 240W, which isn't enough for a washing machine. And the maximum cable length is 4m, which isn't going to let you mow the lawn. It'll be a while before DC can do everything, if it's ever feasible (or desirable).
Tesla won. AC was more efficient for transmitting long distances.
But, nowadays, electricity is frequently transmitted long distances using High Voltage DC. And more and more devices are powered by DC (either by batteries or increasingly by USB).
The local grid that connects to your home is still AC though, and the complication and expense of running a whole separate set of cables to your home probably isn't worth it, when you can do the conversion in lots of little boxes internally.
Although maybe we will start to get central converters in people's homes that then power all of their USB sockets. And slowly Edison will take over your power supply from within!
Not this week though - USB tops out at 240W, which isn't enough for a washing machine. And the maximum cable length is 4m, which isn't going to let you mow the lawn. It'll be a while before DC can do everything, if it's ever feasible (or desirable).
