My copper lightning rod/weathervane dedicated to Nikola Tesla.
Tesla's Dragon, Electrodraconem teslaii, is an extremely rare species of the electromagnetic family of dragons. Also known as Tesla's Thunder; Omega Dragon; Ohms Dragon; Corona Dragon; Amp-Giver; Gridhopper; Substation Dragon; Electrical Engineer's Dragon.
These dragons are born on high-tension power lines during intense thunderstorms at midnight. Because they breathe ozone and convert it to static electricity, these beneficial dragons are a protected species. They are often seen clinging to electrical towers or insulators
where their highly conductive copper-based bodies arc with the high-voltage current to form a glowing corona. Sometimes they make a sound like crashing thunder as the current arcs to the conductors on their bodies.
These dragons are fond of electrical substations where they rest their slender bodies between cooling fins on step-down transformers. They generate enormous amounts of excess static electricity which is off-loaded or "donated" to the public grid
when these dragons join on to power lines--a beautiful example of symbiosis.
This species has a distinctive Omega or "Ohms" symbol on its cooling fins. Not to be confused with Edison's Dragon (Electrodraconem edisonii), an inferior species that prefers direct current (DC),
and lacks the characteristic Ohms symbol. Tesla's dragons are always heavily oxidized from heat and ozone associated with prolonged high-voltage arcing and corona discharge.
(Notes: The first-ever incorporation of an antique Hemingray glass insulator in a lightning rod/weathervane design.)
"All peoples everywhere should have free energy sources. Electric power is everywhere present in unlimited quantities and can drive the world's machinery
without the need for coal, oil or gas." --Nikola Tesla, 1933"Tesla's Dragon" ~Lightning Rod/Weathervane~ (2014)
Copper/silver alloy/antique Hemingray No. 40 glass insulator; 27" length. This piece resides at The Tesla Science Center and Museum at Wardenclyffe. Located in Shoreham, New York, Wardenclyffe is where Tesla moved his laboratory in 1902 and began work on the
Wardenclyffe Transmission Tower that would have provided worldwide wireless transmission of free electrical power. The Science Center will feature Tesla's inventions and their impact on people's lives today. It will also include a hacker lab where people can build
prototypes of their own inventions, and an innovation station where entrepreneurs can turn their ideas into real products. Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla Motors, has pledged $1 million for construction of the new Museum and has also promised to build a supercharging
station for Tesla Motors' electric cars at the Wardenclyffe site.)
Designated a Texas Original by The Texas Commission on the Arts
Description text and images Copyright © 2001-2015 David Smith