Why use two wires with AC?

[efficientPV]

Even Tesla needed a return wire. That was the earth. He had a massive copper grid in the earth. There are home made RE hydro systems that use only one wire. They use a microwave oven transformer to boost the voltage up a couple thousand. Transmit very low current over a single wire and transform it down with another transformer. The earth is the return path. Saves a lot of wire and is only used for small power. It does take a very good ground and moist soil. Look up microformer. There is always a return path till you get to radio waves.

 

[svetz]

Even Tesla needed a return wire. That was the earth. He had a massive copper grid in the earth.

Impossible only means that you haven’t found the solution yet.

Fortunately for us, Tesla did find a solution and you can read about it in this article. Here's a quote:

The single-wire transmission line is not the same as the single-wire earth return system, which is not covered in this article. The latter system relies on a return current through the ground, using the earth as a second conductor between ground terminal electrodes. Thus, the earth effectively forms a second conductor. In a single-wire transmission line there is no second conductor of any form.

The article is worth a read, it's really cool stuff!

 

[gnubie]

It's really not all that special. I'll let you think about it using resonance to pass power. It is in common use, not for heavy remote loads because... copper wire... but its still exceedingly common.

 

[svetz]

I think it's special!

The ancient greeks knew about charge, leyden jars and franklin's experiments were in 1755... by Tesla's time it was well established that electricity required a circuit. It takes a lot of moxie to defy convention and experiment in areas where everyone knows it can't be done.

 

[efficientPV]

This is nothing new anyone in technology didn't know. I did say RF and you don't even need wires to transmit that power. You're right, this is the stuff of dreamers. Dream on. The days of anything coming out of a little garage are gone.

 

[svetz]

This is nothing new anyone in technology didn't know.

I disagree! It might take more than a garage to mass market a product, but all ideas start somewhere.