History of 3-phase Electricity & Distribution

Who invented 3-phase electrical distribution? Nikola Tesla? Mikhail Dolivo-Dobrovolsky? In this video I go through the detailed history from primary sources of this important EE discovery, how it works, and why it is important. Links: My mailing list (with a link for a video on the history of 2 phase) My Patreon Page: As usual, a big thank you to the fabulous Kim Nalley for singing “electricity“ and some background music. Citations: Alfred, R “Aug 14, 1888: I Sing the Meter Electric” Wired Magazine (Aug 14, 2008) Thompson, S Polyphase Electric Currents and Alternate-current Motors (1900) p. 444 “Mr. Nikola Tesla on Alternating Current Motors” The Telegraphic Journal and Electrical Review vol. xxiv (June 7, 1889) p. 648 Carlson, W Tesla: Inventor of the Electrical Age (2013) Tesla, N “Tesla’s Tribute to Westinghouse,” The Age of Steel LXXXVIII, no. 10 (September 1900), 9. William Stanley “The Induction Motor” Engineering News (Oct 2, 1902) vol. XLVIII No. 14 p. 279 Frank Sprague to Sprague Executive Board (leaked to Edison) (April 29, 1890) Edison Papers Digital Edition [X120CBN] Jonnes, J Empires of Light (2003) p. 223 Leupp, F George Westinghouse: His Life and Achievements (1919) p. 159 Skrabec, Q George Westinghouse: Gentle Genius (2007) p. 130 “Mikhail Dolivo-Dobrowolsky (1862-1919)” [in Russian] Vavilov, S People of Russian Science: Essays on Outstanding Figures of Natural Science [Люди русской науки: Очерки о выдающихся деятелях есте- ствознания и техники] (1948) Dolivo-Dobrowosky, M “Transmission of power by rotary-phase alternate currents“, Electrical Engineer (London), vol. 7, p 369, (April 10, 1891) “The invention of the electric motor 1856-1893” Elektrotechnisches Institut (ETI) Thompson, S Polyphase Electric Currents (1900) p. 173 Thompson, S Elementary Lessons in Electricity and Magnetism, (1894) p. 507 Ushakov, V “Electrical Power Engineering” (2017) p. 16 Allerhand, A “The Earliest Years of Three-Phase Power” Proceedings of the IEEE vol. 108 (Jan, 2020) p. 215-6 Herausgegben vom Vorstand der Ausstellung Offizieller Bericht über die Internationale elektrotechnische Ausstellung in Frankfurt am Main, 1891 (1894) p. 324 Lightning: Volume 1 (April 28, 1892) p. 509 “The Transmission of Power at Frankfort” The Electrical Engineer (Sept 18, 1891) p. 286 Brown, C “Reasons for the Use of the Three-Phase Current in the Lauffen-Frankfort Transmission” The Electrical World (Nov 7, 1891) vol. XVIII No. 19 p. 345 Nikola Tesla patent US 382,280 “Electrical Transmission of Power” (May 1, 1888) “Mr. Tesla’s Experiments” (April 6, 1892) Electrical Engineer vol 13-14, p. 350 Lamme, B “The Story of the Induction Motor” (March 1921) Electrical Engineering (New York) vol. XL p. 205 Tesla’s patent was co-owned by supporters Alfred Brown and Charles Peck, according to Carlson, B Tesla: Inventor of the Electric Age p. 130 “Since they had shrewdly handled the business negotiations and assumed all of the financial risk in developing the motors, Tesla gave Peck and Brown five-ninths of the proceeds from the deal while retaining four-ninths for himself” Lamme, B Benjamin Garver Lamme, Electrical Engineer, An Autobiography (1926) p. 61 Lamme, B “The Story of the Induction Motor” (March 1921) Electrical Engineering (New York) vol. XL p. 212 Davis, L Fleet Fire: Thomas Edison and the Pioneers of the Electrical Revolution (2012) “Westinghouse paid Tesla $216,600” “Annual Report of the Board of Directors of the Westinghouse Electric” Electricity (June 30, 1897) p. 387 Gordenker, A “Japan’s incompatible power grids” Japan Times vol. 19 (July, 2011) p. 9 Dolivo-Dobrowolsky “Transmission of Power by Rotary-Phase Alternative Currents” The Electrical Engineer (April 3, 1891) p. 336