Wireless Energy Transmission

Max Seidman
 What is Wireless Energy Transmission?

• Wireless Energy Transmission is the transmission of energy through

the air.
• Wireless electricity will truly herald our arrival into the wireless age.
Wired electricity is the last thing to keep our “wireless” devices
dependent on wires, and with its elimination comes the possibility to
free our mobile devices from ever needing to be plugged in.
• Currently, wired electricity powers nearly everything. It travels
through wires in the form of Alternating Current electricity, and
powers most of our devices in the form of Direct Current electricity.
• There are 3 major types (1), each with different ranges, methods of
transfer, and pros and cons:
– Short range; Inductive Coupling
– Medium range; Resonant Induction
– Long range; Electromagnetic Wave Power Transfer
 Short Range Wireless Energy Transmission: Inductive Coupling

What Is Inductive Coupling?

• Inductive Coupling is a method for short range wireless energy

transfer.
• Its range can vary, but it’s often very short.
• Because of its short range it usually is used when the device
containing the receiver and the device containing the transmitter are
touching.
 Short Range Wireless Energy Transmission: Inductive Coupling

How does Inductive Coupling Work?

• Inductive coupling works on the principles of

electromagnetism (3):
– When a current (electricity) passes through a wire, it
generates a magnetic field perpendicular to the wire.
– This effect can be magnified through coiling the wire
– When a wire is in proximity to a magnetic field, it
generates a current in that wire.
• Transferring energy between wires through magnetic
fields is inductive coupling (3)

• Magnetic fields decay quickly (2), making inductive

coupling effective only at very short ranges.

(3)
 Short Range Wireless Energy Transmission: Inductive Coupling

Applications for Inductive Coupling

• Pros: safe, efficient. Cons: Limited range.
• Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) tags (4) are a widespread use for
inductive coupling. These tags are used for everything from identifying
livestock to anti-theft mechanisms on products in stores.
• Inductive coupling is also used for wireless
charging of electronic devices. Although its
short range is limiting, several products use
inductive coupling to charge, such as electric
toothbrushes (1), and charging mats such as
Splashpower (5).

(5)
 Medium Range Wireless Energy Transmission: Resonant Induction

What Is Resonant Induction?

• A group of engineers at MIT came

up with the idea to use resonant
induction to transmit power
wirelessly. They deemed their
result “WiTricity” (like WiFi) (2).
• WiTricity can transmit electricity
wirelessly at 40% efficiency to
about 7 feet.
 Medium Range Wireless Energy Transmission: Resonant Induction

How does Resonant Induction Work?

• Resonant induction still uses the same principles as magnetic

induction (magnetic fields to transfer current) (1), but it uses
resonance to increase the range at which the transfer can efficiently
take place (2).
• Everything resonates at a certain frequency, based on its shape and
material.
• Energy transfers easily between resonating objects. An example of
this is when an opera singer shatters wine glasses by singing at the
frequency at which the glasses resonate.
• With resonant induction, power is transmitted between two
resonating coils.
 Medium Range Wireless Energy Transmission: Resonant Induction

Applications for Resonant Induction

• Pros: Safe, fairly efficient, good

range:
– Magnetic fields interact weakly
with biological masses (humans),
and energy is only transmitted
between resonating objects.
– Efficiency can be increased with
time, most of the 60% lost is from
heat (2) radiated from the coils.
• Theoretically one stationary coil in
a room could power multiple
devices with receiving coils (1).
No more messy wires, and with
widespread enough use it could
even eliminate costly batteries. (1)
 Long Range Wireless Energy Transmission: Microwave Power
Transfer
What is Microwave Power Transfer?

• Microwave Power Transfer (MPT)

is a form of wave power transfer
that, obviously, sends energy
through the air in the form of
microwaves (other forms can use
lasers and visible light).
• MPT has a range miles longer
than its inductive counterparts,
and it’s being investigated as a
way to beam power to space or
vice versa (1).

(1)
 Long Range Wireless Energy Transmission: Microwave Power
Transfer
How does Microwave Power Transfer Work?

• First, microwaves are converted from DC power, and sent via a

large transmitter. On the other end, the are “caught” by an even
larger receiver and converted to AC power.
• The technology for the disk shaped rectifying antenna or “rectenna”
is relatively new.
• Pros: very efficient, very long range
– The conversion on either side is about 90% efficient, and the
transmission is about 95% efficient (8).
• Cons: Size of antennae, safety?
– According to a study done by NASA (9), to transmit energy from space
to earth would require a 1km diameter transmitter and a 10km diameter
receiver.
– Possible health risks associated with beams of microwaves.
 Long Range Wireless Energy Transmission: Microwave Power
Transfer
Applications for Microwave Power Transfer

• Recently a Canadian program sent up

SHARP (Stationary High Altitude Relay
Platform), a small unmanned aircraft
powered completely by energy beamed to
it from the ground through microwaves (7).
It could stay in the air for months at a time,
flying in a 1km radius circle around the
power station at an altitude of 21km (7). It
could be used to broadcast in a 600km
radius, and would be much faster for 2-
way communications than using satellites
(7).
• Solar Power Satellites (SPS) could also be
an application for MPT. Beaming solar
energy collected from satellites or solar
panels on the moon to Earth could be a
solution to our clean energy issues.
 The Future
• Wireless energy transmission holds great
potential for the future. Magnetic
induction, resonant induction, and
electromagnetic wave power transmission
all have applications that could
revolutionize the way we live and use
electricity. Keep your eyes open for
wireless energy technology in new
products, and look forward to when
everything will truly be wireless.
 Sources
(1) http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/wireless-power.htm
(2) Castelvecchi, D. (July 21, 2007) The Power of Induction, Science News. Vol. 172, Iss. 3;
(3) http://science.howstuffworks.com/electromagnet1.htm
(4) http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/smart-label1.htm
(5) http://www.splashpower.com/
(6) http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2007/wireless-0607.html
(7) http://www.friendsofcrc.ca/Projects/SHARP/sharp.html
(8) http://www.hq.nasa.gov/webaccess/CommSpaceTrans/SpaceCommTransSec38/CommSpacTransSec38.html
(9) http://www.nss.org/settlement/ssp/library/1997-Mankins-FreshLookAtSpaceSolarPower.pdf
(Background Lightning Bolt) http://www.ellison.com/images/productimages/Lightning-Bolt_13839.gif