Thomas Edison Muckers

Thomas Edison and the first Electronic Patent

Edison Innovation Foundation — Tue, 14 May 2013 08:47:43 +0000

Edison Holding an Edison Effect Tube (West Orange)

The science books today call it “thermionic emission” [the conversion of heat directly to electricity], but its original name was the Edison effect. It began with the emission of electrons from a hot light bulb filament, soon to become the very basics of vacuum tubes, which led to practical radio, electronic signal amplification, telecommunications, and TV. Vacuum tubes were replaced later in the 1960s by transistors—and then even later, integrated circuits. All this led to today’s ubiquitous computers and hand held devices. It all started with Thomas Edison.

While working to improve the longevity of his light bulb filaments (1882), Edison and his staff were noticing a certain blackening of early light bulbs. Experimenting, Edison inserted another wire into the light bulb, above the filament itself. When the light bulb was switched on, this configuration allowed a current to flow from the hot filament thru the vacuum inside the bulb, to the newly inserted wire. Edison soon learned he could control the thru vacuum flow by how much positive voltage he applied to the wire.

Named the Edison effect, what Edison really discovered was that “electrons” could be literally boiled off the hot filament and collected by the wire. Electrons were not specifically named as such at that time, and would not be so until 1897 (J. J. Thomson). Edison had stumbled upon the modern electronic age.

Although not able to comprehend the vast potential and theory behind his discovery, he did file a patent that used this finding in what has come to be known as the first electronic patent, “Electrical Indicator”, U.S. patent 307,031–November 15, 1883. The electrical indicator was envisioned by Edison to be used to detect changes in voltage within an electrical distribution network. At this time he was working on his Pearl Street electric distribution demonstration system as well as other similar projects, so it is natural he saw an application here first.

Edison Patent Diagram

John Ambrose Fleming (1904) and Lee De Forest (1906) would later build upon Edison’s discovery and introduce the diode and triode vacuum tubes respectively, setting the stage for modern radio and electronics. On Christmas Eve, 1906, Reginald Aubrey Fessenden [later to become a giant in electronics and a very famous inventor], made the first radio broadcast. Fessenden had worked at Edison’s legendary West Orange labs from 1886-1890.

Vacuum Tube Amplifier

Miniature Vacuum Tubes

In a way, Fessenden closes the loop from Edison’s thermionic emission discovery in 1882. In just about one generation, 24 years, Edison’s discovery becomes an integral part of what would become the greatest industrial revolution, the telecommunications revolution…still robust and rapidly evolving today.

“The man who doesn’t make up his mind to cultivate the habit of thinking misses the greatest pleasure in life.”

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Fuel Cells with a Thomas Edison Connection

Edison Innovation Foundation — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 07:32:28 +0000

So here is the deal. These devices make very little pollution, and can be a way to reduce our use of foreign oil. They work on clean domestic sources of fuel like natural gas; have high efficiency, and can provide electrical power to almost anything from vehicles to buildings. Know what it is? It is fuel cells, a technology that has been known since the 1840s, and achieved notoriety in the space program and lunar missions.

Fuel Cells with a Thomas Edison Connection

A fuel cell is a device that produces electricity through a chemical reaction. A source fuel and an oxidant are the two reactants, but the source fuel must contain hydrogen in some form, either, pure hydrogen or simple hydrocarbons like methane (natural gas), propane or methanol. Usually, fuel cells are run on methane and oxygen from the air to produce electricity, heat, and byproducts like water vapor and very small amounts of nitrous oxide. Fuel cells are technological cousins to batteries…..deriving electric power from complex chemical activity known as oxidation-reduction reactions. Unlike a battery, a fuel cell’s chemical reactants are external, and as long as these reactants are supplied, the fuel cell generates electricity. You could say a fuel cell is re-fueled, rather than a battery which is re-charged.

Fuel cells have been used to power homes and commercial applications in sizes generally ranging from about 5 kW to 250 kW. Larger applications in the 1 to 10 MW size range have also been installed. Currently, high costs and long-term lifetimes of these devices keep them from seeing widespread application, but their potential is huge as R&D continues aggressively on these potentially game-changing devices. This is an alternate energy technology with the capability to work 24/7/365. Recent huge finds of natural gas locked in reachable shale rock formations could make this an ideal way to capitalize on this cheap, abundant, clean and domestic new fuel resource.

South County Hospital Fuel Cell (Rhode Island)

USPS Installation in Anchorage, AL

Imagine this. Many homes have a natural gas pipe already entering their home. This pipe could supply a fuel cell that provides electricity and heat to the home; and of course air conditioning. Since the pipes come in via underground, there is very little chance that weather is going to knock out the electric supply to the home as often happens. How about a fuel cell powered car? Fuel cell powered buses are already performing useful service. Fuel cells can be made quite small as well, to provide power to computers and other sensitive electronic devices.

Fuel Cell Powered Bus

Major Components of a Fuel Cell Car

Thomas Edison performed early work in trying to convert coal directly into electricity. Although he received several patents on this fuel-cell-like technology, practical application eluded him.

Editor’s Deep Dive:

“My desire is to do everything within my power to free people from drudgery and create the largest measure of happiness and prosperity.”

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Thomas Edison and Geothermal Heating

Edison Innovation Foundation — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 06:40:02 +0000

They are not obvious like other alternate energy technologies-no spinning wind turbine blades or cool solar panels on the roof of a home-but they get the job done and save energy and costs for the consumer. We are talking about geothermal heating systems.

Heat from the earth is collected and used to heat the home-see photo below. Coils filled with water or antifreeze are circulated via drilled wells or direct burial around the home [about 6-8 feet underground in a trench system] to collect low grade heat in the earth. This low grade heat is “bumped-up” with an electrically powered, efficient, heat pump to make it compatible with the temperatures required to heat the home. Check it out at You Tube.

Geothermal coils trenched into the earth.
[source: www.completesyscorp.com/hvac_Geothermal.html]

The size and layout of a geothermal heating and cooling system all depends upon the design of the home, geographical location, sub-surface soil conditions, and whether the home already exists or is to be built new. Its operation is simple to understand, not much different than how a refrigerator or air conditioner works [see Editor’s Deep Dive below]. For a traditional size home, the amount of equipment will easily fit inside the home’s basement area, not all that different from conventional home heating systems. Geothermal heat pumps are making big headway in new school construction and commercial buildings too.

Photo- Geothermal Loop Field for Residential Home
[source: Wikipedia Article]

The cost of a geothermal heating system in a new home is roughly about twice that of conventional heating systems, a premium on the cost of a new home—an amount that could be easily included into the mortgage of the home. Retrofit situation costs may be higher, as house and site conditions may vary significantly. In a simple installation scenario, geothermal systems might achieve an economic payback in 3-5 years. The EPA estimates homeowners can save 30 to 70 percent on heating and 20 to 50 percent on cooling with a geothermal system.

[chart source: http://www.tristategt.org/NewsCenter/NewsItems/Ground-SourceHeatPumps.cfm]

Thomas Edison and his lovely wife Mina shared a love for nature—she for the biological world, conservation, bird-watching, and horticulture; and he for the use of natural products in his inventions, and a fondness for natural earth energy sources. This life-long natural credo, along with the need to control the temperature and humidity swings in their historic and spacious mansion at Glenmont, motivated the 2005 renovation of their beautiful twenty-nine and-a-half room Queen Anne Victorian style home [see photo] to include a geothermal heating and cooling system.

Geothermal Heating System and Heat Pumps in Glenmont Basement

In the summer, heat is extracted from the house using five heat pumps with a sixth functioning as a spare. The extracted heat is deposited deep into the mountain soil surrounding the home via a closed-loop water distribution system. Each well is approximately 5 inches in diameter, and 350 feet deep. The well field is about 150 feet away from the house. In the winter, this stored heat is brought back into the house to help warm the structure. The earth acts like an energy bank from which deposits and withdrawals may be made.

Keep an eye out for this technology to make big inroads into the nation’s energy mix. Like Edison, it’s a sure-fire winner, and a way to keep our environment green! According to the U.S. Dept. of Energy, about 50,000 geothermal heating systems are installed each year……with an estimated total of about one-million systems in operation.

Editor’s Deep Dive

“I never did a day’s work in my life, it was all fun.”

Time ® is a registered trademark of Time Inc.

Thomas Edison’s Glenmont Home – a Showcase for Home Illumination

Edison Innovation Foundation — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 05:33:51 +0000

The main way to illuminate homes in the second half of the 1880s was through the use of oil lamps; or if the home was in the vicinity of a gas manufacturing plant, then gas became the fuel of choice for lighting the house. Much like we use natural gas today in our homes for heating, cooking and making hot water, at one time it was used to illuminate our homes. Open flames of gas were common in homes in urban areas, where gas manufacturing plants were usually located.

Here is how it worked. Coal was burned slowly at a gas manufacturing plant in what is known as a coking process (charred slowly in an oxygen starved environment). This drove off methane, the primary constituent of natural gas. Such low grade methane [about 500 Btu per cubic foot] was stored in large, cylindrical, steel containers that still may dot some urban area landscapes. This gas under pressure was then distributed to nearby homes and businesses for their use. If you lived in a suburban or rural area, you used oil lamps, maybe even candles, when the sun went down.

Large homes owned by people of means could rely on another method for gas illumination, a private system where a carbureted vapor fuel was made on-site and this vapor drawn into the home and used for illumination. One such system was called the Springfield Gas Machine, often used in large Victorian style homes of the period, including the Edison home, Glenmont, built in 1882. In the photo below, one sees the lovely Glenmont, a Queen Anne Victorian style mansion, with 29 ½ rooms.

Edison’s Glenmont home

About 100 feet away from this home an underground vault was located that contained a gasoline vaporizing system that connected with an air pump in the basement via underground piping. A large stone weight was cranked to a certain height in the basement of the home and this weight via mechanical gearing turned the centrifugal air pump, drawing gasoline vapors into the home to be used for illumination as needed. The diagram below shows the layout of the system. In the basement of Glenmont, one still sees the air pump and weight system remaining, along with the piping that led to the underground vault.

Edison purchased Glenmont in 1886, and soon bypassed the gasoline vapor system sometime in 1887/88, electrifying his beautiful home. The gasoline vapor system was most likely installed by the original famed architect of the home, Henry Hudson Holly. Edison installed underground electric lines from his nearby West Orange Labs-about ½ mile away. The massive home at one time had 500 light bulbs in service. Several large ceiling chandeliers originally designed for gas illumination have been converted to electricity and are in-service today at the mansion for visitors to see.

Original gas light chandelier at Glenmont [the library], long ago converted to electricity. Each bulb would have been an open flame.

“The three things that are most essential to achievement are common sense, hard work and stick-to-it-iv-ness…..”

Time ® is a registered trademark of Time Inc.

Thomas Edison’s R&D Legacy and Economic Impact

Edison Innovation Foundation — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 07:22:04 +0000

Every Fortune 500 company has one, or has ready access to similar facilities—R&D labs where new product development gestates the next new big things for companies to commercialize. How much R&D is done is a good indicator of the vibrancy of our economy, and a company’s outlook for the future. Such labs are the direct descendents of the “invention factory” that Thomas Edison honed to a fine art at his legendary West Orange Labs. At West Orange, Edison accrued the majority of his patents; carefully documenting and protecting his intellectual property. His notebooks are chock-full of tests, ideas, schematics, and experimental results used to support his many patent filings, and to serve in defense against those who tried illegally to move in on his accomplishments.

We know now how important intellectual property [IP] is for our nation. In a 2012 U.S. Dept. of Commerce Study that examined 75 IP-intensive industries that together directly and indirectly employed 40 million workers, their findings showed IP-intensive industries accounted for $5.0 trillion in value added, representing 35.5% of U.S. gross domestic product in 2009. Fully 1/3 of our national economy is driven by intellectual property. Additionally, in 2010, merchandise exports of IP-intensive industries totaled $775 billion, equating to 60.7% of total U.S. merchandise exports. The creativity of our nation has great economic value both here and abroad-something Thomas Edison viscerally understood.

Take a look at the recent record of national R&D expenditures used to support the creativity of major organizations in the private, federal, public, and academic sectors:

2012 – $436 Billion
2011 – $427
2010 – $415
2009 – $400
2008 – $403
2007 – $377
2006 – $350
2005 – $325

These numbers exceed the annual revenue of our biggest national corporations.

All this R&D-fueled creativity manifests itself in our patent system. Look at the table below chronicling the number of patents [one powerful form of IP] awarded to U. S. inventors since the creation of the U.S. Patent Office in 1792 [the U.S. Constitution empowered Congress to establish such an office].

1792 – 0 (Doubling Time)
1911 – 1,000,000
1935 – 2,000,000 (143 years)
1961 – 3,000,000
1976 – 4,000,000 (41 years)
1991 – 5,000,000
1999 – 6,000,000
2006 – 7,000,000
2011 – 8,000,000 (35 years)

Notice how the doubling time for U.S. patents issued is decreasing. This is exponential growth showing no sign of abating; which is exactly what you would expect as more countries vigorously engage in globally competitive business activities. Another way to interpret the table above is….over 70% of the U.S. patents ever issued, did so since 1935. Edison had 1093 domestic patents; and his powerful charisma inspires yet today many other inventors young and old.

What vision Thomas Edison possessed to link commercial R&D and economic growth. Here is a 2012 quote about how valuable Edison is to our world. According to Ted Landphair, Voice of America:

“In fact, it is said of him that one quarter of all the jobs – not just in the United States but in the world – can be traced to something he thought of and made in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.”

Thanks, Tom!

“I find out what the world needs. Then I go ahead and try to invent it.”

Time ® is a registered trademark of Time Inc.

The MOOCS are Coming, The MOOCS are Coming!

Edison Innovation Foundation — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 11:11:06 +0000

The MOOCS are Coming, The MOOCS are Coming!

Yes they are, and with the potential to redefine education. A product of the Internet revolution, MOOCS are “Massive, Open, On-line Courses” designed to reach as many students, formal and informal, as possible. Think of them as super webinars for the world, distance learning on steroids.

Universities are experimenting with them as a way to reach larger audiences, leveraging their intellectual capital on campus; and as a potential way to reduce the spiraling costs of on-campus education. Big name schools like Stanford University, Princeton University, University of Pennsylvania, City University of New York, The University of Michigan, MIT, Harvard and others are developing delivery platforms with strategic partners. Even high schools are potential application areas for MOOCS.

What could this mean for the traditional bricks and mortar, red brick schoolhouses of yesteryear? Might this be a way to reduce high school costs at all levels? What could this mean for how our “kids” gain socialization through the interactions of fellow students? Certainly such questions remain to be answered, just like they did when the Internet began re-defining how business does business. Big change, gale force winds, could be coming to our education system.

Because of many potential learners at once, i.e. very high student teacher ratios, MOOCs can use several approaches for feedback and interaction; such as peer-review, group collaboration or online assessments, quizzes, and exams; and in the future there is likely to be even more ways for on-line students to interact.

Thomas Edison, a devoted and disciplined life-long learner would certainly applaud this technology. To him it would be a massive way to digest new information and keep a-pace with changing times. Remember, this was the man who thought so much about information being the key to invention/innovation/entrepreneurship that he put his business office in his library. Imagine what this great man could have done with an Internet connection! Imagine what it would be like if we could teach many kids around the world, through MOOCS, about inventing like Edison. Go MOOCS!

Editor’s Deep Dive

Thomas Edison – Man of the Millennium – said … “I find out what the world needs. Then I go ahead and try to invent it.”

Time® is a registered trademark of Time Inc.

Solar Energy – the Fabric of Your Life

Edison Innovation Foundation — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 06:11:18 +0000

Some really cool solar “thread” is being developed at Penn State University. Currently, researchers there believe these “threads”- actually fiber optic strands- can be as long as about 10 meters in length, and thinner than a human hair. Each strand is a long solar cell integrated into a fiber optic structure. By itself, it can convert solar energy to electricity; and these strands/fibers can be woven into flexible fabric that can collect/convert even more solar energy into electricity.

Penn State University’s Solar Cell Fiber/Strand/Thread

According to John Badding, project leader, and a professor of chemistry at Penn State University….”Long, fiber-based solar cells give us the potential to do something we couldn’t really do before: We can take the silicon fibers and weave them together into a fabric with a wide range of applications such as power generation, battery charging, chemical sensing, and biomedical devices.” This material could then be connected to electronic devices to power them and charge their batteries. This would be of special interest to the military and other highly portable applications.

Another advantage of this technology is its ability to better respond to incoming light. A typical solar cell has only one flat surface, and that is what responds to the ambient solar radiation. If the light does not strike it at the right angles, that solar radiation is lost. A flexible, curved solar-cell fabric would not be as dependent upon where the light is coming from or where the sun is in the sky, thus making for more time during the day in which solar energy can be collected and converted to electricity.

Imagine where else such fabric might be employed to convert solar energy into electricity. You might be able to sit in a sunny field, connect your jacket to your cell phone and use it all afternoon without drawing down your battery; or maybe even run your laptop!

“I’d put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don’t have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that. I wish I had more years left.”

Time ® is a registered trademark of Time Inc.

Happy Birthday Thomas Edison! (February 11th)

Edison Innovation Foundation — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 06:55:23 +0000

Born: Milan, Ohio

Occupation: Inventor, entrepreneur, project manager, technology leader, manufacturer, businessman

Accomplishments: 1,093 patents

Major industries impacted:

music industry (phonographs)
motion pictures (camera to projector)
power industry/electric light bulb
the West Orange invention factory [R&D labs]

Championed and built [100 years ago]:

electric vehicles
storage batteries
in-garage charging stations
revamped the concrete industry with new and larger kiln designs (Portland Cement)
major improvements to telephone in collaboration with Alexander Graham Bell

Most Recognized Edison Quote: “I have not failed 10,000 times. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”

Impact on the World:

The technology, inventions and industries that he created still account for $1.5 trillion of U.S. economy [about 10% of U.S. GDP]; about 4 times that for world economy
Life Magazine [1996] proclaimed him the “Man of the Millennium”
TIME Magazine featured him on cover of special July 2010 history issue-proclaiming him so relevant to our world today
Voice of America claims Edison’s technology is responsible for one-fourth of all the world’s jobs
He is the human icon for invention and creativity
Inspiration to generations of inventors and entrepreneurs

His multi-dimensional, multi-disciplinary method of problem solving has become the taproot for the hands-on, problem solving paradigm known as STEM, now sweeping the nation’s schools

FANS – Acknowledged Edison during their career

Steve Jobs, Apple
Jeff Bezos, Amazon
Google Team, Innovators
Bon Jovi, Musician
Tony Hsieh, Zappos CEO

FURTHER INFORMATION ON THOMAS ALVA EDISON
WWW.THOMASEDISON.ORG
WWW.EDISONMUCKERS.ORG

Breaking News!

Edison Innovation Foundation — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 05:46:43 +0000

Now there’s more information available on Thomas Edison; and the Edison Innovation Foundation.

Check it out at www.thomasedison.org

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Learn how the Foundation licenses its trademarks, works with teachers and students, and spreads the Edison legacy.

Feel the Power, with Power Felt!

Edison Innovation Foundation — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 07:47:49 +0000

Thermoelectric power conversion, the conversion of temperature differences into electricity, is not new, but has been receiving increasing attention. New materials and technologies are propelling this technology forward. Now researchers at Wake Forest University have developed something very practical. They call it Power Felt, a kind of nano material, that can use body heat to generate useful amounts of electricity—the ability to charge a cell phone; and with further refinements, you could see them in toys as well.

Power Felt is composed of tiny carbon nano tubes locked within flexible plastic fibers, made to look like fabric. It creates a charge by using temperature differences, such as room temperature versus body temperature. Actually, anyplace there are small temperature differences, Power Felt fabric will harness them and generate minute amounts of electricity. Think about car seats, the inside lining of jackets, coats, clothing….etc. Can you see applications for the military?

Power Felt in an iPhone

Here comes a big bonus. What’s that you say, no temperature difference….not to worry. Power Felt also has the ability to collect power from mechanical noise, any vibration that’s around it – the motion of the body or the vibration of a car, bus, truck, railroad car can be turned into small amounts of electricity. Think of the interesting possibilities. What about remote sensors powered by this fabric and then having power to transmit data…the ability to monitor critical infrastructure like bridges, buildings, equipment– a limitless ability for on-line, real-time monitoring. What about motion detectors and homeland security applications?

Such technology can change lots of things; and boy would Thomas Edison have loved this!

Editor’s Deep Dive:

Thomas Edison said … “I never perfected an invention that I did not think about in terms of the service it might give others… I find out what the world needs, then I proceed to invent…. “

Time ® is a registered trademark of Time Inc.