Adjustable DC 1800

[gar]

181010-2438 EDT

If you needed a continuously variable DC voltage supply to run experiments in the early 1800s what would you use to perform this function?

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[rambojoe]

im not sure but i am sure you had to make it. and i bet it resembled a speed control for a lionel train! how much d.c. voltage are we talking? im sure they used a home made variac with windings..

[Besoeker]

181010-2438 EDT

If you needed a continuously variable DC voltage supply to run experiments in the early 1800s what would you use to perform this function?

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A DC generator with a variable speed prime mover possibly?

[Besoeker]

im not sure but i am sure you had to make it. and i bet it resembled a speed control for a lionel train! how much d.c. voltage are we talking? im sure they used a home made variac with windings..

A variac wouldn't do you much good on DC.

[gar]

181011-0759 EDT

A little study of electrical history shows that the above mentioned items did not exist.

Some references:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electricity
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeli...ic_engineering

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[retirede]

Depends on the voltage range you need. I have built such an animal using an LM317 chip. I believe it’s limited to about 36V max.

Edit: I thought you wanted a modern alternative to run some old stuff....I see now you want to know what they used then.....never mind.

[electrofelon]

How about a variable resistor? That may have "steps " depending in the design, not sure if that meets your criteria. It wouldn't be hard to make a truly variable one using conductive fluid.

[Besoeker]

181011-0759 EDT

A little study of electrical history shows that the above mentioned items did not exist.

Some references:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electricity
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeli...ic_engineering

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DC machines were around since the 1830s.

[gar]

181011-1006 EDT

In the early 1800s little was known about resistance. There were no alloys for making high resistance resistors. There were no variable wirewound resistors with a sliding contact. The concept of a potentiometer may not have existed.

It is hard to make a constant voltage source with resistance. This really only became feasible with the advent of the vacuum tube.

Instruments for measuring current were very crude. The earliest was a wire and a compass.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galvanometer
The concept of current was in its development stage.

Much common knowledge today was a mystery in 1800.

Generators https://ethw.org/Generators

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[Frank DuVal]

Circa 1800 would be Leyden Jars.....

Growing up in Richmond and fascinated with electricity, I knew we had the world's first electric street car system in the world.

1888 (January 9) – Company opened its first electric line with six cars. This first electric streetcar system served as a demonstration model for municipalities and countries from all over the world.

Started by the predecessor to Dominion Energy: VEPCO (Virginia Electric and Power Co., Virginia Railway and Power Company, Richmond City Railway Company. Et all.

Power (electricity) was made by hydro electric, tapping the James River.

So, I'm with Besoeker, variable energy input (wind, hydro, steam, belt) to a DC generator capable of the loads.