I've been experimenting with a radiant energy collector based on Tesla's patent and, having poor results, have begun rethinking it.
In his U.S. patent 645,576 applied for September 2, 1897 which is about transmitting energy, not radiant energy, he speaks of maintaining the elevated terminals at heights of thirty or thirty five thousand feet which he considers "comparatively small" and "easily accessible...as by the aid of captive balloons supplied continuously with gas from reservoirs and held in position securely...by steel wires..." His Colorado Springs notes also have entries in 1899 about using electricity to extract hydrogen from the atmosphere which, although not explicitly stated, we can assume to be intended to be used to maintain the balloons at altitude.
It's also interesting to note that at that time the jet stream was unknown. So even if he had attempted to use this method it would have most likely failed because of the +250 MPH winds but I don't think he ever tried those elevations. I certainly don't remember anything about it in his writings and it seems it would have been covered because it would have been such an important part of the system. He reported in his July 4, 1899 Colorado Springs notes that he discovered he could use the crust of the earth instead of the elevated balloons for transmission so I'm guessing he abandoned the elevated balloon method.
Here's where it intersects with the radiant energy patent: Did he also mean to maintain the elevated, insulated collector plate at 30,000+ feet? Does anyone recall anything he said about the actual height of the elevated plate?
Here's where it intersects with the idea of using radium: if he did propose to maintain the elevated, insulated collector plate at 30,000+ feet then the likelyhood that his later radiant energy work involved radium would be almost sure to be true. Although the Pierce Arrow was said to have an antenna it could well have been as disguise to throw people off the track as much as part of the working mechanism. At this point he was being very careful about his disclosures.
|