The massive, stable power generated by the new Northern Power Dam (Chapter 36) was a triumph, but distributing it across the vast, global Syndicate Grid revealed the fundamental flaw of Direct Current (DC).
DC power, the only form Alex currently utilized (from the original Voltaic Piles and the Central Power Station dynamos), could not easily change voltage. Sending low-voltage power (safe for homes) across hundreds of miles resulted in catastrophic energy loss due to the resistance of the wire.
To compensate, Alex had to use impossibly thick, expensive Aluminum cables (Chapter 34), and even then, stations far from the dam received power at a frustratingly low, unreliable voltage.
"My Lord, the Line Loss Ratio (LLR) for the new line extending to the Eastern Agricultural Barons is 40%," Hemlock reported, pointing to the heat-dissipated power figures. "We are generating immense energy only to waste it heating the air. This is a massive systemic leak."
Alex understood the problem. To transmit power efficiently, they had to send it at an extremely high voltage (low current), which minimized line resistance, and then step it down to a low, safe voltage near the consumer.
DC could not do this easily; it required the invention of the transformer and the systematic adoption of Alternating Current (AC).
Alex tasked Marcus and the AMR (Applied Magic Research, now Advanced Mechanics and Research) division with the most profound electrical shift yet: moving from steady, unidirectional current to a rapidly oscillating, two-directional current.
* The AC Generator: Marcus adapted the huge dynamos at the Northern Power Dam. Instead of forcing the current to flow one way, the coils were wired to allow the electrical potential to periodically reverse direction, creating a sine wave of power. This required complex mathematical synchronization across all generators—a new field of electrical phasing.
* The Transformer Principle: The core insight was exploiting the relationship between electricity and magnetism.
Alex explained the fundamental principle: "If electricity is changing direction (AC), it creates a fluctuating magnetic field. If we wrap a second coil around that magnetic field, the fluctuation induces current in the second coil. By adjusting the ratio of the wire turns, we can change the voltage without physically touching the power."
This concept led to the invention of the Transformer , a simple, reliable, and static device with no moving parts.
***
The implementation of the AC grid required a complete overhaul of the Syndicate's electrical philosophy and a massive investment in new infrastructure, funded by the profits from the Arren Soil Enricher and the Kerosene sales.
* Step-Up Stations: At the Northern Power Dam, Step-Up Transformers converted the raw, low-voltage electricity into massive, ultra-high-voltage current for long-distance transmission.
* Thin Aluminum Lines: The high voltage, traveling at low current, allowed the Syndicate to replace the prohibitively thick DC cables with far thinner, cheaper Aluminum lines for the long-distance runs. The LLR plummeted from 40% to an acceptable 5%.
* Step-Down Stations: Near every city and factory, Step-Down Transformers converted the dangerous high voltage back to the safe, low-voltage power required for homes and lights.
The successful switch to the AC system solved the distance problem, enabling the Syndicate to power cities hundreds of miles away from the dam cheaply and reliably.
The switch to AC had another critical benefit: the invention of the AC Induction Motor. The DC motors were complex, requiring constant maintenance due to fragile copper brushes. The AC motor, built around the oscillating current, was simpler, quieter, and virtually maintenance-free.
These powerful, reliable motors were immediately integrated into the automated factories, replacing the remaining steam engine reliance and ushering in the age of full industrial automation (Chapter 36).
More significantly, these small, clean motors could be installed in the home, leading to the creation of the first high-value consumer appliances:
* Electric Fans: To cool the humid factory cities, improving worker comfort and EWH.
* Electric Pumps: To supply clean, running water directly to the upper floors of urban housing, drastically improving sanitation.
The General Assembly immediately purchased and subsidized thousands of these devices for the capital, seeing the measurable improvements in public health and morale. Alex had successfully monetized the home.
**
The only remaining resistance to the AC system came from the remnants of the traditional noble families who invested heavily in the old DC systems, seeing their assets depreciate overnight.
Lord Cassian, a powerful DC investor, confronted Alex at a state dinner. "Viscount, your oscillating power is unstable! It confuses the eye and frightens the horses! Why this constant change?"
Alex merely smiled. "Lord Cassian, the universe itself is based on oscillation and wave theory. We are simply aligning our power system with the fundamental efficiency of natural law.
Your system (DC) is based on a rigid, single-point truth. Ours (AC) is based on flexible, wave-like potential. One is static and limited by resistance; the other is dynamic and limited only by physics."
Lord Cassian, baffled by the philosophical defense of a power system, quickly sold his DC assets to the Syndicate at a loss. Alex had eliminated the final technological constraint, securing the infrastructure for the next century.
Next priority: The reliance on the centralized General Assembly for political protection is still inefficient. To secure the long-term survival of the Syndicate against future political shifts, Alex needs to decentralize his power structure and ensure that the economic stability of the global system transcends any single government. He must invent the concept of the Transnational Corporation and International Economic Law.