Electrotechnical Museum

The Electrotechnical museum in Budapest was a wonderful site. It was filed with replicas and original items from the times of advancements in electrical technology. Most of these technologies were advancements in motors and included some of the first. One of the replicas there was of the very first electric motor invented by Jedlik Anyos in the 1800's. This motor was a very basic version of a series wound D.C. motor, which is commonly used today for forklifts.

The most interesting invention there was a flat plate with a certain pattern of wire coiled below it. When you run an alternating current through the wire, it creates a magnetic field. With a copper egg places on the surface, the egg sits with the widest part down. When the coil is activated, the egg starts spinning on its side. Eventually the egg will invert itself and begin spinning on its tip. This invention was made by Nikola Tesla and led to the invention of the Asynchronous Alternating Current Induction motor. Which is used today for almost everything in industry.