Wireless power has become a hot topic as wireless charging of mobile devices is get getting some popularity. Wireless charging isn’t something new; the technology exists since 1981 and Nikola Tesla has made first wireless power experiments over 100 years ago. Wireless charging for Qi technology is becoming the industry standard on smartphones (pushed by Wireless Power Consortium) as Nokia, HTC and some other companies use that. There is a competing AW4P wireless charging standard pushed by Samsung ja Qualcomm. And there is more standards coming. Power Matters Alliance is heavily pushing their own wireless charging standard. It seems there is going to be fight on wireless charging in near future. It seems that right now we’re in the midst of a battle between two standards for wireless charging – Qi from the Wireless Power Consortium and Power 2.0 from the Power Matters Alliance. It seems that a common Wireless Power Standard Years Off as Battle Heats Up.
As obviously useful as wireless charging is, it suffers from a Tower of Babel problem with incompatible standards and competing interests keeping it from truly going mainstream. Wireless charging continues to be a niche category until there’s a common standard. Heavyweights are backing the idea of wireless charging capabilities embedded in phones, and public charging stations are beginning to pop up. Differing standards, however, still make for a rocky adoption. Realistically there probably isn’t room for two or more standards, which do essentially the same to end user but are incompatible, so expect some technologies to disappear in the near future. Charging portable devices without needing to carry a power adapter sounds handy when we can agree on one standard. “Wireless charging continues to be a niche category until there’s a common standard,” said Daniel Hays, a consultant with PricewaterhouseCoopers. “The hassle factor is still high.”
Qi seems to be at the moment standard that gets most attention. The news that Nokia to join Qi party with wireless-charging Lumia 920 have given lots of publicity to it. Even if the Lumia isn’t a big seller, the publicity and visibility it will provide for Qi should be enough to make everyone forget there was ever an alternative, if indeed there ever was. Also some HTC phones and Nexus 4 phone use this standard. Toyota launches the world’s first wireless charging of mobile phones in the car. Toyota’s car will get wireless mobile phone charger using Qi standard.
Qi has been here for some years. Qi has been around for a while, gaining the name and logo back in 2009. The Qi standard came out of water filtration units, which needed wireless power, and has been widely endorsed but devices are still quite rare. Under the Qi specification, “low power” for inductive transfer means a draw of 0 to 5 W, and that’s where mobile device charging solutions most probably go. The system used inductive coupling between two planar coils to transfer power from the power transmitter to the power receiver. The distance between the two coils is typically 5 mm, but can be expanded to 40mm.
The Qi system uses a digital control loop where the power receiver communicates with the power transmitter and requests more or less power via backscatter modulation. Besides low-power specification up to 5 watts, there is also a medium-power specification will deliver up to 120 watts. The frequency used for Qi chargers is located between about 110 and 205 kHz for the low power Qi chargers up to 5 watts and 80-300 kHz for the medium power Qi chargers.
Qi
Method: inductive coupling between two planar coils
Frequency: 110-205 kHz (80-300 KHz)
Communication: backscatter modulation
WiPower was a technology start-up company that used the principles of inductive coupling to develop a near-field wireless energy transfer system. Qualcomm bought WiPower in 2010 and started quietly negotiating with manufacturers to get the technology embedded in their kit. Qualcomm argues that the additional range of WiPower (which can charge devices up to 45mm away) allows new possibilities. WiPower system is based on modified coreless inductive technology and dynamically adjusts power supplied by the transmitter to power demanded by the receiver without the need for control systems or communication. WiPower chargers are claimed to operate at about 60-75 percent efficiency.
WiPower
Method: inductive coupling
Communication: no need for specific communication
Samsung and Qualcomm’s Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP) promises more flexibility in wireless charging. Instead of induction, this standard will use loosely-coupled (LC) wireless power transfer (a series resonance-tuned pair of magnetically-coupled coils) to transmit power. This construction allows that the transmitter and receiver don’t have to be in direct contact, which gives more flexibility to industrial designers. This designs will support simultaneous charging of multiple devices with different power requirements. A4WP specification takes advantage of Bluetooth 4.0. The biggest downside in this design is that currently there are no products with this technology are yet on the market.
A4WP
Method: series resonance-tuned pair of magnetically-coupled coils (loosely coupled)
Frequency: 6.78 MHz
Communications: Bluetooth 4.0
The Power Matters Alliance (PMA) is working on an open standard for wireless charging. A group of companies back up this initiative (including Google, AT&T, ZTE, Starbucks, ,McDonalds, PowerKiss). PMA uses inductive charging method used in Duracell’s Powermat product. It requires the transmitter and receiver be close together, placing the mobile device on the charging pad.
This is quite new alliance but it seems to get lots of backers: over the last few months, the PMA has seen a tenfold increase in membership. One very big thing is that AT&T is seeking from its handset vendors a commitment to one standard of wireless charging.
The PMA is working to advance the widespread acceptance of the wireless power paradigm in multiple sectors. PMA is intent on leading and organizing the Power 2.0 agenda to commercial realization, while working under the umbrella of the most trusted name in standards: the IEEE. Powermat is capable of delivering 5-to-50 watts of power. Powermat allows a built-in check for alignment via light and voice signals based on RFiD Handshake feature. When you place a Powermat-enabled device on one of its mats, the two exchange a “handshake” using RFID: The mat identifies the device, determines how much power it needs and transfers energy to it. Powermat operates at 277-357 kHz frequency. Once a device is fully charged, Powermat stops the electricity from flowing. But as much momentum as the PMA has achieved, it is far from clear whether it will be that bandwagon.
Power Matters Alliance (PMA)
Method: inductive charging
Frequency: 277-357 kHz
Communication: RFID
As obviously useful as wireless charging is, it suffers from a Tower of Babel problem with incompatible standards and competing interests keeping it from truly going mainstream. There are also attempts to support several standards on one product. Samsung Galaxy SIII wireless power supports both Qualcomm’s WiPower and Wireless Power Consortium Qi. The Samsung Galaxy S4 will support both PMA and Qi standards. NXP has developed a charging station, which allows you to use both the general mobile phone charging standards (as well as one rare third standard).
The technologies I mentioned are not the only ones trying to push to the market in the near future. Apple is trying to patent wireless charging, claiming its magnetic resonance tech is new and that it can do it better than anyone else. Digitoday writes that Finnish research organization VTT is planning to combine wireless power and NFC technologies. The reasearchers believe that in the future NFC devices could be made to work as way to get power into device and send power to other device cheaply. Technology is not ready yet, because today’s NFC antenna circuits are not optimized for power transfer and there is no standard that covers this kind of use yet. NFC operates within the globally available and unlicensed radio frequency ISM band of 13.56 MHz.
Wireless Power: Convenient, But Its Shortcomings Are Somewhat Sour article tells that close-proximity inductive coupling is commonly estimated to deliver 50 to 70% efficiency. That’s considerably worse efficiency that what you get with a well designed wired charger. Intel increases consumer-product power consumption 50% blog post says that a system that is 50% efficient on top of the ac-dc conversion, and pumps RF energy all over the place is far from ideal in world where some other parties try to conserve every single watt. In a world with 15 billion chargers, energy efficiency is a big deal. Based in that is makes me a little bit hard to believe the Power Matter Alliance claims that wireless charging could save a lots of power in the future. How Wireless Charging Will Keep Toxic Waste Out of Landfills article tries to describe how wireless power could be more eco-friendly, but it is hard to believe all those claims without good data. I can believe that wireless chargers can have better energy efficiency than some old chargers supplied with consumer devices, but I given the limitations wireless charging it is very hard to believe that wireless charger could ever be more efficient than well designed wired charger. But wireless charger could be well “good enough” to be acceptable.
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Tomi Engdahl says:
Developed by researchers from the University of Tokyo, Meander Coil++ enables safe, energy-efficient and body-scale wireless power transmission for a wide range of applications.
Meander Coil++ enables safe, wireless power transmission
https://blog.arduino.cc/2022/05/19/meander-coil-enables-safe-wireless-power-transmission/
Modern wearable devices have allowed for a wide array of smart technologies to become mobile, including health tracking, receiving notifications, and much more. But due to their small battery size, they often run out of charge within a day or two, thus requiring frequent charging. This problem is what inspired a group of students from the University of Tokyo to create the Meander Coil++ project with the goal of enabling watt-scale wireless power transmission while also remaining safe.
Meander Coil++ differs from other wireless charging solutions in that it consists of a single shirt that has a series of tubes filled with liquid metal running horizontally through it. By applying an electric current, the large coil then creates a magnetic field and can induce current in the device to be charged.
Because of this unique design, the researchers were able to achieve an efficiency of 41% for AC-to-AC transfers and a maximum power of 52W.
The coil’s design also relies on a 6.78MHz resonance frequency for power transfer, and this must be maintained no matter how the user is positioned. For this task, an Arduino Nano was combined with a bank of capacitors and relays which toggle on or off based on the values from the current monitoring module.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BGivkg6D3U0&feature=emb_logo
Tomi Engdahl says:
Researchers are learning how to beam practical amounts of power over large distances.
PRACTICAL POWER BEAMING GETS REAL
A century later, Nikola Tesla’s dream comes true
https://spectrum.ieee.org/power-beaming?utm_campaign=RebelMouse&socialux=facebook&share_id=7057190&utm_medium=social&utm_content=IEEE+Spectrum&utm_source=facebook
A power-beaming system developed by PowerLight Technologies conveyed hundreds of watts of power during a 2019 demonstration at the Port of Seattle.
To underscore how safe the system was, the host of the BBC science program “Bang Goes the Theory” stuck his face fully into a power beam.
There have been sporadic efforts over the past century to use electromagnetic waves as a means of wireless power transmission, but these attempts produced mixed results. Perhaps the golden year for research on wireless power transmission was 1975, when William Brown, who worked for Raytheon, and Richard Dickinson of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (now retired) used microwaves to beam power across a lab with greater than 50 percent end-to-end efficiency. In a separate demonstration, they were able to deliver more than 30 kilowatts over a distance of about a mile (1.6 kilometers).
Although researchers revisit the idea of solar-power satellites with some regularity, those performing actual demonstrations of power beaming have struggled to surpass the high-water mark for efficiency, distance, and power level reached in 1975. But that situation is starting to change, thanks to various recent advances in transmission and reception technologies.
Most early efforts to beam power were confined to microwave frequencies, the same part of the electromagnetic spectrum that today teems with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and various other wireless signals. That choice was, in part, driven by the simple fact that efficient microwave transmitting and receiving equipment was readily available.
For systems that use microwaves and millimeter waves, the transmitters typically employ solid-state electronic amplifiers and phased-array, parabolic, or metamaterial antennas. The receiver for microwaves or millimeter waves uses an array of elements called rectennas. This word, a portmanteau of rectifier and antenna, reflects how each element converts the electromagnetic waves into direct-current electricity.
Any system designed for optical power transmission would likely use a laser—one with a tightly confined beam, such as a fiber laser. The receivers for optical power transmission are specialized photovoltaic cells designed to convert a single wavelength of light into electric power with very high efficiency. Indeed, efficiencies can exceed 70 percent, more than double that of a typical solar cell.
You might think that a device for sending large amounts of energy through the air in a narrow beam sounds like a death ray. This gets to the heart of a critical consideration: power density. Different power densities are technically possible, ranging from too low to be useful to high enough to be dangerous. But it’s also possible to find a happy medium between these two extremes. And there are also clever ways to permit beams with high power densities to be used safely. That’s exactly what a team I was part of did in 2019, and we’ve successfully extended this work since then.
One of our industry partners, PowerLight Technologies, formerly known as LaserMotive, has been developing laser-based power-beaming systems for more than a decade. Renowned for winning the NASA Power Beaming Challenge in 2009, this company has not only achieved success in powering robotic tether climbers, quadcopters, and fixed-wing drones, but it has also delved deeply into the challenges of safely beaming power with lasers. That’s key, because many research groups have demonstrated laser power beaming over the years—including teams at the Naval Research Laboratory, Kindai University, the Beijing Institute of Technology, the University of Colorado Boulder, JAXA, Airbus, and others—but only a few have accomplished it in a fashion that is truly safe under every plausible circumstance.
Careful testing (for which no BBC science-program hosts were used) verified to our satisfaction the functionality of this feature, which also passed muster with the Navy’s Laser Safety Review Board. During the course of our demonstration, the system further proved itself when, on several occasions, birds flew toward the beam, shutting it off—but only momentarily. You see, the system monitors the volume the beam occupies, along with its immediate surroundings, allowing the power link to automatically reestablish itself when the path is once again clear. Think of it as a more sophisticated version of a garage-door safety sensor, where the interruption of a guard beam triggers the motor driving the door to shut off.
The 400 watts we were able to transmit was, admittedly, not a huge amount, but it was sufficient to brew us some coffee.
For our demonstrations, observers in attendance were able to walk around between the transmitter and receiver without needing to wear laser-safety eyewear or take any other precautions. That’s because, in addition to designing the system so that it can shut itself down automatically, we took care to consider the possible effects of reflections from the receiver or the scattering of light from particles suspended in the air along the path of the beam.
The 400 watts we were able to transmit was, admittedly, not a huge amount, but it was sufficient to brew us some coffee, continuing what’s become de rigueur in this line of experimentation: making a hot beverage. (The Japanese researchers who started this tradition in 2015 prepared themselves some tea.)
Our next goal is to apply power beaming, with fully integrated safety measures, to mobile platforms. For that, we expect to increase the distance covered and the amount of power delivered.
But we’re not alone: Other governments, established companies, and startups around the world are working to develop their own power-beaming systems. Japan has long been a leader in microwave and laser power beaming, and China has closed the gap if not pulled ahead, as has South Korea.
At the consumer-electronics level, there are many players: Powercast, Ossia, Energous, GuRu, and Wi-Charge among them. And the multinational technology giant Huawei expects power beaming for smartphone charging within “two or three [phone] generations.”
For industrial applications, companies like Reach Labs, TransferFi, MH GoPower, and MetaPower are making headway in employing power beaming to solve the thorny problem of keeping batteries for robots and sensors, in warehouses and elsewhere, topped off and ready to go. At the grid level, Emrod and others are attempting to scale power beaming to new heights.
On the R&D front, our team demonstrated within the past year safe microwave wireless power transmission of 1.6 kilowatts over a distance of a kilometer.
Companies like II-VI Aerospace & Defense, Peraton Labs, Lighthouse Dev, and others have also recently made impressive strides. Today, ambitious startups like Solar Space Technologies, Solaren, Virtus Solis, and others operating in stealth mode are working hard to be the first to achieve practical power beaming from space to Earth.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Advanced Zero-Switching Topology Addresses Wireless Power Transfer
May 25, 2022
Eggtronic’s wireless-power-transfer technologies can support existing technologies based on inductive standards like Qi, or implement application-specific capacitive solutions.
https://www.electronicdesign.com/power-management/video/21242638/electronic-design-advanced-zeroswitching-topology-addresses-wireless-power-transfer?utm_source=EG+ED+Analog+%26+Power+Source&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CPS220524015&o_eid=7211D2691390C9R&rdx.ident%5Bpull%5D=omeda%7C7211D2691390C9R&oly_enc_id=7211D2691390C9R
Eggtronic’s wireless-power-transfer technologies can support existing technologies based on inductive standards such as Qi, or implement application-specific capacitive solutions.
The company’s EcoVoltas technology boosts the performance of all FET switching devices, whether they’re based on conventional silicon or the most recent GaN or SiC wide-bandgap materials. It also helps reduce the overall bill of materials and dramatically lowers “vampire” power thanks to no-load, ultra-low-power consumption.
https://www.eggtronic.com/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Wireless Power: Here? Now?
https://hackaday.com/2022/05/27/wireless-power-here-now/
Outside of very small applications, Nikola Tesla’s ideas about transmitting serious power without wires have not been very practical. Sure, we can draw microwatts from radio signals in the air and if you’re willing to get your phone in just the right spot you can charge it. But having power sent to your laptop anywhere in your home is still a pipe dream. Sending power from a generating station to a dozen homes without wire is even more fantastic. Or is it? [Paul Jaffe] of the Naval Research Laboratory thinks it isn’t fantastic at all and he explains why in a post on IEEE Spectrum.
Historically, there have been attempts to move lots of power around wirelessly. IN 1975, researchers sent power across a lab using microwaves at 50% efficiency. They were actually making the case for beaming energy down from solar power satellites. According to [Jaffe] the secret is to go beyond even microwaves. A 2019 demonstration by the Navy conveyed 400 watts over 300 meters using a laser. Using a tightly confined beam on a single coherent wavelength allows for very efficient photovoltaic cells that can far outstrip the kind we are used to that accept a mix of solar lighting.
Wait. The Navy. High-powered laser beams. Uh oh, right? According to [Jaffe], it is all a factor of how dense the energy in the beam is along with the actual wavelengths involved. The 400 watt beam, for example, was in a virtual enclosure that could sense any object approaching the main beam and cut power.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Practical Power Beaming Gets Real
A century later, Nikola Tesla’s dream comes true
https://spectrum.ieee.org/power-beaming
A power-beaming system developed by PowerLight Technologies conveyed hundreds of watts of power during a 2019 demonstration at the Port of Seattle
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/13674-nfc-latauksen-hyoetysuhde-parani
Tomi Engdahl says:
Disney Researchers Make Wireless Power Transfer Breakthrough
https://www.iflscience.com/disney-researchers-make-wireless-power-transfer-breakthrough-40433
A team at Disney Research, though, showed how they were able to transmit power in an entire room, powering a variety of devices while remaining relatively safe for humans. They published their findings in the journal PLOS ONE.
The room built by Disney Research was lined with aluminum panels. In its center was a copper tube between the floor and the ceiling, with a current running through it. Fifteen capacitors in the pole are used to set a resonant frequency in the room and isolate electric fields from a signal generator, which outputs at 1.32 MHz. A uniform magnetic field is then run through the room at the same frequency.
The receivers use a coil of wire to resonate at the same frequency, providing power to a device. The researchers were able to deliver about 1,900 watts with an efficiency of 40 to 95 percent.
There are a couple of issues, though. First is obviously the need for an aluminum-encased room, although they note their design – 54 cubic meters (1,900 cubic feet) – can easily be scaled up or down. Also, the circular nature of the magnetic field produced means receivers only work when at right angles to it, although this can be solved with three coils pointing in different directions.
It’s safe for the most part too, although the researchers note people shouldn’t stand closer than 46 centimeters (18 inches) to the pole, which exceeds federal guidelines for how much energy a human can be subjected to, known as specific absorption rate (SAR). Oh, and if you’re pumping 1,900 watts into the room, you also need devices to be using this to remain safe.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.prointerior.fi/natiivi/3465/nakymaton-energian-ja-tiedon-siirto-high-tec-lasin-avulla?fbclid=IwAR061ok_tMgkLFR8B8bGrAM6f3bgfvhU-zNc5GqBdCziBJI-eBfkoyqX2EU
Tomi Engdahl says:
Coils In The Road Could Charge EVs While Driving
https://hackaday.com/2022/08/17/coils-in-the-road-could-charge-evs-while-driving/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.prointerior.fi/natiivi/3465/nakymaton-energian-ja-tiedon-siirto-high-tec-lasin-avulla?fbclid=IwAR2At5guk3EcSAxIcXDvmwOM_B5qpIHYUETsD12C1Z9QDC4QAcienQbyS-0
Ensimmäisiä sovelluksia ovat LED-valaistut näytehyllyt ja vitriinit museoihin sekä ”älykkäät” induktiolatausasemapöydät high-end -myymälöihin. Uudet sovellukset, joista moni on vielä keksimättä, laajentuvat koskemaan monia eri markkinoita kuten arkkitehtuuri, turvallisuus, ajoneuvoteollisuus, kauppa ja valaistus.
https://www.cohda.com/projects/power-tap
Tomi Engdahl says:
Is Wireless Power as Safe as Other Consumer Technology?
July 25, 2022
Far-field wireless-power transmission is often believed to impose safety issues. People wrongly assume any tech development is dangerous without realizing that every device around them emits radiation already tested and approved by authoritative bodies.
https://www.mwrf.com/technologies/systems/article/21247349/wigl-is-wireless-power-as-safe-as-other-consumer-technology
Tomi Engdahl says:
Tutkijat latasivat infrapunalla 30 metrin päästä
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/13960-tutkijat-latasivat-infrapunalla-30-metrin-paeaestae
Korealaistutkijat ovat kehittäneet järjestelmän, joka käyttää infrapunavaloa latausvirran langattomaan ja turvalliseen siirtämiseen jopa 30 metrin päähän. Tämän tyyppinen pitkän kantaman optinen langaton tehonsiirtojärjestelmä voisi mahdollistaa tulevaisuudessa jopa älypuhelimien ja kannettavien tietokoneiden lataamisen.
Optica Publishing -lehdessä Sejong-yliopiston tutkijat kuvaavat uutta järjestelmäänsä, joka käyttää infrapunavaloa siirtääkseen turvallisesti lataustehoja. Laboratoriotestien mukaan järjestelmällä voitiin siirtää 400 milliwatin valoteho jopa 30 metrin päähän. Tämä ei tietenkään riitä älypuhelimelle mutta useimmille antureille jo hyvin.
Pitkän kantaman langattomaan tehonsiirtoon on tutkittu useita tekniikoita. On kuitenkin ollut vaikeaa lähettää tarpeeksi voimaa turvallisesti metritason etäisyyksille. Tämän haasteen voittamiseksi tutkijat optimoivat hajautetun laserlatauksen menetelmän, joka on viime aikoina saanut enemmän huomiota tässä sovelluksessa. Se tarjoaa turvallisen tehonsiirron pienemmällä valohäviöllä.
Hajautettu laserlataus toimii tavallaan perinteisen laserin tapaan, mutta sen sijaan, että laserontelon optiset komponentit olisi integroitu yhteen laitteeseen, ne on erotettu lähettimeksi ja vastaanottimeksi. Kun lähetin ja vastaanotin ovat näköetäisyyden sisällä, niiden väliin muodostuu ontelo, jonka avulla järjestelmä voi tuottaa valoon perustuvaa tehoa. Jos este katkaisee lähetin-vastaanotinparin näkölinjan, järjestelmä siirtyy automaattisesti virransäästötilaan.
Tomi Engdahl says:
keskiaallonpituus oli 1550 nm. Tämä aallonpituusalue on spektrin turvallisimmalla alueella eikä aiheuta vaaraa ihmissilmille tai iholle
Tomi Engdahl says:
Energous, e-peas Partner on 1W Wireless Power Transmission Evaluation Kit for the Internet of Things
https://www.hackster.io/news/energous-e-peas-partner-on-1w-wireless-power-transmission-evaluation-kit-for-the-internet-of-things-a8285aa2173e
Kit bundles a 1W WattUp PowerBridge transmitter with optimized antenna and energy harvesting hardware for low-power devices.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Researchers use infrared light to wirelessly transmit power over 30 meters
https://phys.org/news/2022-08-infrared-wirelessly-transmit-power-meters.html
“The ability to power devices wirelessly could eliminate the need to carry around power cables for our phones or tablets,” said research team leader Jinyong Ha from Sejong University in South Korea. “It could also power various sensors such as those in Internet of Things (IoT) devices and sensors used for monitoring processes in manufacturing plants.”
In Optics Express, the researchers describe their new system, which uses infrared light to safely transfer high levels of power. Laboratory tests showed that it could transfer 400 mW light power over distances of up to 30 meters. This power is sufficient for charging sensors, and with further development, it could be increased to levels necessary to charge mobile devices.
In the new system, the researchers used an erbium-doped fiber amplifier optical power source with a central wavelength of 1550 nm. This wavelength range is in the safest region of the spectrum and poses no danger to human eyes or skin at the power used. Another key component was a wavelength division multiplexing filter that created a narrowband beam with optical power within the safety limits for free space propagation.
“In the receiver unit, we incorporated a spherical ball lens retroreflector to facilitate 360-degree transmitter-receiver alignment, which maximized the power transfer efficiency,” said Ha. “We experimentally observed that the system’s overall performance depended on the refractive index of the ball lens, with a 2.003 refractive index being the most effective.”
To demonstrate the system, the researchers set up a 30-meter separation between a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter was made of the erbium-doped fiber amplifier optical source, and the receiver unit included a retroreflector, a photovoltaic cell that converts the optical signal to electrical power and an LED that illuminates when power is being delivered. This receiver, which is about 10 by 10 millimeters, could easily be integrated into devices and sensors.
The experimental results showed that a single-channel wireless optical power transfer system could provide an optical power of 400 mW with a channel linewidth of 1 nm over a distance of 30 meters. The photovoltaic converted this to an electrical power of 85 mW.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.hackster.io/news/infrared-laser-wireless-power-system-delivers-usable-energy-from-around-100-feet-away-483055977767
Tomi Engdahl says:
Researchers Just Wirelessly Transmitted Power Over 98 Feet of Thin Air
https://www.sciencealert.com/researchers-just-wirelessly-transmitted-power-over-98-feet-of-thin-air
Researchers have used infrared laser light to transmit 400mW of light power over distances of up to 30 meters (98 feet). That’s enough juice to charge small sensors, though in time it could be developed to charge up larger devices such as smartphones too.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Telink Semiconductor’s TLSR8273-M-EH provides low-power wireless connectivity, energy autonomy, and power management in a compact 23×21-mm module.
http://arw.li/6184M3Nor
#EDN #DesignEngineer #LowPower #WirelessConnectivity #EnergyAutonomy #PowerManagement
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/13814-anturille-langattomasti-virtaa-36-metrin-paeaestae
Tomi Engdahl says:
Wireless power company Emrod beams 550 W across an Airbus warehouse
Demo shows promise as EU revives talk of space-based solar power
https://techcrunch.com/2022/10/04/wireless-power-company-emrod-beams-550-w-across-an-airbus-warehouse/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.edn.com/disassembling-a-wireless-charger-with-a-magnetic-personality/
Tomi Engdahl says:
“Power as a Service” Now a Possibility with Cellular-Based Remote RF Charging Platform
https://www.mwrf.com/technologies/systems/article/21251612/microwaves-rf-with-cellularbased-remote-rf-wireless-charging-platform-mobile-carriers-can-offer-power-as-a-service
Operating in the 600- to 900-MHz bands licensed by mobile carriers, the over-the-air RF wireless-charging platform enables carriers to monetize underused frequencies to offer “power as a service” for low-power devices and smart-home IoT sensors.
Powercast has created a cellular-based RF power-over-distance wireless-charging platform, built around Sequans’ Monarch cellular IoT connectivity technology. The introduction of cellular technology into the over-the-air RF wireless-charging picture creates opportunities for more manufacturers to develop environmentally friendly smart-home IoT ecosystems that eliminate disposable batteries.
Who Needs It & Why?
Operating in the lower 600- to 900-MHz frequency bands licensed by mobile carriers, the Powercast cellular-based RF wireless charging platform offers the following benefits:
Because cellular bands are licensed, or private, they have more flexibility on how much power they can transmit, on antenna gain, and on bandwidth, which enables end devices to charge faster and at greater distances when compared to unlicensed, or public, bands.
As cellular service moves increasingly to higher frequencies like 5G to increase data throughput, carriers can monetize their underused low-frequency bands and offer “power as a service.”
Ability to simultaneously charge many consumer devices at-a-distance, such as IoT sensors for smart-home security and automation, TV remotes, keyboards, earbuds, headphones, smart watches, fitness bands, and hearing aids.
Using licensed cellular frequencies to increase device charging power will allow manufacturers to create green, sustainable IoT devices that can charge more quickly and at longer distances from a cellular RF transmitter, it’s claimed.
Under the Hood
Powercast
Sequans’ Monarch 2 GM02S cellular module for IoT connectivity teams with Powercast’s RF transmitting antenna to send RF over-the-air to a Powercast PCC110 Powerharvester receiver chip embedded in end devices.
Sequans’ Monarch 2 GM02S cellular module for IoT connectivity teams with Powercast’s RF transmitting antenna to send RF over-the-air to a Powercast PCC110 Powerharvester receiver chip embedded in end devices.
The platform combines Sequans’ Monarch 2 GM02S module (see figure) with a Powercast RF transmitting antenna to send RF over-the-air to a tiny Powercast PCC110 Powerharvester receiver chip embedded in end devices. The Powerharvester harvests RF out of the air and converts it to dc (direct current) to either power a battery-free device, or charge a rechargeable battery, both of which keep disposable batteries out of landfills.
In demos at this week’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, a Sequans Monarch 2 cellular modem teams with Powercast’s 700-MHz antenna to transmit a 700-MHz RF cellular signal to Powercast’s PCC110 receiver and RF-to-dc converter chip.That then powers a battery-free sensor beacon to transmit temperature and humidity data to a gateway or phone.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Sata wattia langattomasti
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/14330-sata-wattia-langattomasti
Siinä missä pienten kannettavien laitteiden langallinen lataus kiihdyttää jo yli 200 watin tehoissa, kasvaa teho myös langattomassa Qi-latauksessa. STMicroelectronics on julkistanut langattoman tehovastaanottimen, jonka teholuokitus on 100 wattia. Kyse on korkeimmasta Qi-standardin mukaisesta lataustehosta.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.edn.com/100-w-wireless-power-receiver-ensures-fast-smartphone-charging/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Tesla’s $300 wireless charger uses coils from a company called FreePower / And it claims to let you charge devices “placed anywhere on its surface without precise alignment.” Where have we heard that before…?
https://www.theverge.com/2022/12/23/23524089/tesla-wireless-charging-platform-freepower-aira-multi-device
Tomi Engdahl says:
Filipe Espósito / 9to5Mac:NEW
The Wireless Power Consortium says it is working with Apple on a next-generation “Qi2” wireless charging standard, based on MagSafe, coming later this year
Wireless Power Consortium works with Apple on next generation ‘Qi2’ standard based on MagSafe
https://9to5mac.com/2023/01/03/wpc-apple-qi2-standard-magsafe/
Apple’s Magsafe is a more convenient way to charge the iPhone using accessories based on the Qi standard, but with strong magnets that keep the accessory aligned to the back of the device. Now the company seems willing to let its competitors have the same technology, as the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) has been working with Apple on the next generation “Qi2” standard based on MagSafe.
MagSafe coming to non-Apple devices with new Qi2 standard
The WPC announced during CES 2023 that the next generation of the Qi standard, named “Qi2,” was built with Apple’s help. The new standard aims to improve the efficiency and interoperability of the technology, which is why it will have a “Magnetic Power Profile” at its core.
As explained by WPC, this Magnetic Power Profile essentially works like Apple’s MagSafe. As a result, Qi2 accessories will be perfectly aligned with the devices, thus improving energy efficiency and fast charging. And of course, since it was developed in partnership with Apple, the Qi2 standard will also work with MagSafe by default.
Currently, MagSafe is a proprietary standard from Apple, and even accessory manufacturers have to pay to use such a standard. While Apple can still technically limit some features to MagSafe certified accessories, the announcement of the Qi2 standard is good news to ensure that this type of accessory is compatible with different phones.
The new Qi2 standard will replace its Qi predecessor once it becomes available. WPC says that one billion Qi devices are expected to be sold globally by 2023. The first Qi2 certified devices and accessories are expected to be introduced by the end of the year.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Filipe Espósito / 9to5Mac:
The Wireless Power Consortium and Apple are working on a next-generation “Qi2” wireless charging standard based on MagSafe, set to arrive by the end of 2023 — Apple’s Magsafe is a more convenient way to charge the iPhone using accessories based on the Qi standard
Wireless Power Consortium works with Apple on next generation ‘Qi2’ standard based on MagSafe
https://9to5mac.com/2023/01/03/wpc-apple-qi2-standard-magsafe/
Apple’s Magsafe is a more convenient way to charge the iPhone using accessories based on the Qi standard, but with strong magnets that keep the accessory aligned to the back of the device. Now the company seems willing to let its competitors have the same technology, as the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) has been working with Apple on the next generation “Qi2” standard based on MagSafe.
The WPC announced during CES 2023 that the next generation of the Qi standard, named “Qi2,” was built with Apple’s help. The new standard aims to improve the efficiency and interoperability of the technology, which is why it will have a “Magnetic Power Profile” at its core.
Tomi Engdahl says:
RF Power Transmitter Ushers Over-the-Air Wireless Charging into Homes
Jan. 4, 2023
Powercast’s RF power transmitter means to slash RF transmitting technology costs and make convenient, contactless power ubiquitous.
https://www.electronicdesign.com/power-management/article/21257353/microwaves-rf-rf-power-transmitter-ushers-overtheair-wireless-charging-into-homes?utm_source=EG+ED+Analog+%26+Power+Source&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CPS221229027&o_eid=7211D2691390C9R&rdx.identpull=omeda|7211D2691390C9R&oly_enc_id=7211D2691390C9R
Powercast will be at CES 2023 with its Ubiquity RF power transmitter, a device it hopes can make a pervasive presence of RF wireless power in smart homes. With this transmitter, Powercast claims to have lowered the barrier to entry into having multiple RF wireless power transmitters covering every home.
The idea of the Ubiquity transmitter is to make wireless charging a “set-and-forget” proposition, much like Wi-Fi. Powercast’s over-the-air wireless power architecture has two sides:
A transmitter sends RF over the air
A receiver embedded in end devices harvests that RF from the air and converts it into dc (direct current) to both communicate data and power devices.
On the transmitter side, Powercast’s Ubiquity will come in several forms, all able to both charge RF-enabled devices and communicate data back and forth with them throughout a home. Manufacturers have two options to turn their own products—such as home appliances, TVs, game systems, computer monitors, or AI-enabled home assistants—into Ubiquity RF transmitters
Tomi Engdahl says:
Dracula Technologies Aims to Drink Your Indoor Lighting to Power Battery-Free IoT Devices
Samples of IoT and smart home products, including a temperature logger and a remote control, have already flown over to CES 2023.
https://www.hackster.io/news/dracula-technologies-aims-to-drink-your-indoor-lighting-to-power-battery-free-iot-devices-ac42b00848ea
Tomi Engdahl says:
RF Power Transmitter Ushers Over-the-Air Wireless Charging into Homes
Jan. 4, 2023
Powercast’s RF power transmitter means to slash RF transmitting technology costs and make convenient, contactless power ubiquitous.
https://www.mwrf.com/technologies/systems/article/21257162/microwaves-rf-ces-2023-rf-power-transmitter-ushers-overtheair-wireless-charging-into-homes?utm_source=RF+MWRF+Expo+News&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CPS230105007&o_eid=7211D2691390C9R&rdx.identpull=omeda|7211D2691390C9R&oly_enc_id=7211D2691390C9R
Powercast will be at CES 2023 with its Ubiquity RF power transmitter, a device it hopes can make a pervasive presence of RF wireless power in smart homes. With this transmitter, Powercast claims to have lowered the barrier to entry into having multiple RF wireless power transmitters covering every home.
The idea of the Ubiquity transmitter is to make wireless charging a “set-and-forget” proposition, much like Wi-Fi. Powercast’s over-the-air wireless power architecture has two sides:
A transmitter sends RF over the air
A receiver embedded in end devices harvests that RF from the air and converts it into dc (direct current) to both communicate data and power devices.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Gen2 Receiver Boosts Over-the-Air Wireless Charging
Feb. 16, 2023
Enhancements reduce footprint and increase power to expand range of devices, use cases, and capabilities for wireless charging.
https://www.mwrf.com/technologies/systems/article/21260154/microwaves-rf-gen2-receiver-boosts-overtheair-wireless-charging?utm_source=RF+MWRF+Wireless+for+Consumers&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CPS230217089&o_eid=7211D2691390C9R&rdx.identpull=omeda|7211D2691390C9R&oly_enc_id=7211D2691390C9R
Tomi Engdahl says:
Yhden sirun Qi-lähetin on aiempaa turvallisempi
https://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14630&via=n&datum=2023-02-23_15:15:14&mottagare=30929
https://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14630&via=n&datum=2023-02-23_15:15:14&mottagare=30929
Tomi Engdahl says:
Lataa langattomasti 500 kilowatin teholla
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/14675-lataa-langattomasti-500-kilowatin-teholla
Göteborgilaisen Chalmersin yliopiston tutkijat ovat kehittäneet induktioteknologian, joka mahdollistaa akun lataamisen langattomasti ilman ihmisen tai robottikäden apua. Tekniikka on myös niin valmis, että se voidaan pian esitellä teollisuudelle. Kahden neliömetrin alueella tehoa saadaan 500 kilowatin verran.
Langaton lataaminen on vuosikymmeniä vanha tekniikka. Viime vuosina matkapuhelimet ja muu kannettava elektroniikka ovat omaksuneet teknologian. Mutta sähköajoneuvon akkujen lataamiseen tarvittaviin suuriin tehoihin langaton vaihtoehto on toistaiseksi näyttänyt liian monimutkaiselta ja tehottomalta.
Nyt induktiolla lataaminen näyttää kuitenkin olevan läpimurron edessä jopa akkuajoneuvoissa – ennen kaikkea silloin, kun latausta on tehtävä usein ja missä ympäristö vaatii. Tämä tarkoittaa esimerkiksi kaupunkien julkista liikennettä.
Tämä tarkoittaisi sitä, että kaupungeissa, kuten Göteborgissa ja Tukholmassa, säännöllisessä vesiliikenteessä kulkevat sähkölautat eivät tarvitse ihmisen tai robottikäden apua akkujen lataamiseen. Sama koskee teollisuudessa, kaivosteollisuudessa ja maataloudessa käytettäviä kaupunkibusseja tai kuljettamattomia sähköajoneuvoja.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2023/03/21/wireless-charging-on-a-massive-scale/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/14797-qi2-nopeuttaa-langatonta-lataamista
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/14931-50-watin-langaton-lataus-kaikenlaisiin-laitteisiin
Tomi Engdahl says:
Introduction to Wireless Power Technologies
May 11, 2023
Wireless charging, which is finally transitioning from labs into commercial deployments, means different things to different people. This article provides an overview and comparison of the various technologies and market approaches.
https://www.mwrf.com/technologies/embedded/systems/article/21265790/wicharge-introduction-to-wireless-power-technologies?utm_source=RF+MWRF+Today&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CPS230512066&o_eid=7211D2691390C9R&rdx.identpull=omeda|7211D2691390C9R&oly_enc_id=7211D2691390C9R
Tomi Engdahl says:
ntroduction to Wireless Power Technologies
May 11, 2023
Wireless charging, which is finally transitioning from labs into commercial deployments, means different things to different people. This article provides an overview and comparison of the various technologies and market approaches.
https://www.mwrf.com/technologies/embedded/systems/article/21265790/wicharge-introduction-to-wireless-power-technologies?utm_source=RF+MWRF+Today&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CPS230519073&o_eid=7211D2691390C9R&rdx.identpull=omeda|7211D2691390C9R&oly_enc_id=7211D2691390C9R
Tomi Engdahl says:
Introduction to Wireless Power Technologies
May 11, 2023
Wireless charging, which is finally transitioning from labs into commercial deployments, means different things to different people. This article provides an overview and comparison of the various technologies and market approaches.
https://www.mwrf.com/technologies/embedded/systems/article/21265790/wicharge-introduction-to-wireless-power-technologies?utm_source=RF+MWRF+Wireless+for+Consumers&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CPS230519074&o_eid=7211D2691390C9R&rdx.identpull=omeda|7211D2691390C9R&oly_enc_id=7211D2691390C9R
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/15044-nfc-latauksen-kaerkinimi-osaksi-renesasia
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Tomi Engdahl says:
Delivering 80% efficiency over a distance five times greater than their size, these loops antennas prove the value of the new model.
https://www.hackster.io/news/a-new-theory-of-wireless-power-transfer-delivers-a-big-gain-in-efficiency-over-long-distances-01a734a4f22a?fbclid=IwAR3NXPrw0mMJn4gluskz93rv2F7TJk73oToUvxakriqZZD0LtpBcNdlw0yM
Tomi Engdahl says:
Langattomassa latauksessa läpimurto: puhelimen ei pian tarvitse olla edes alustalla
Petteri Uusitalo10.8.202313:34|päivitetty10.8.202313:34LATURITTULEVAISUUDEN TEKNIIKATTEKNOLOGIA
Aalto-yliopiston tutkijat ovat tehneet läpimurron aidosti kontaktittomassa latauksessa. Energiansiirto onnistuu tyydyttävällä tasolla kymmenien senttimetrien etäisyydeltä, mikä riittäisi hyvin työ- tai yöpöytäkäyttöön.
https://www.tivi.fi/uutiset/langattomassa-latauksessa-lapimurto-puhelimen-ei-pian-tarvitse-olla-edes-alustalla/3dabe19b-b0da-4496-b4e2-e9c8cdd0f27e
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/15188-aalto-yliopistossa-venytettiin-langattoman-latauksen-kantamaa
Tomi Engdahl says:
Leveraging Wireless Power
July 20, 2023
Find out how InnoTractor’s asset tracking system takes advantage of Energous’ wireless power technology.
https://www.electronicdesign.com/technologies/power/video/21269854/leveraging-wireless-power?utm_source=EG+ED+Analog+%26+Power+Source&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CPS230713171&o_eid=7211D2691390C9R&rdx.identpull=omeda|7211D2691390C9R&oly_enc_id=7211D2691390C9R
Energous’ wireless power transmission can power IoT devices from a distance. The company has partnered with InnoTractor, which developed an asset tracking system that takes advantage of wireless power.
Energous provides an RF wireless power-delivery system that can power nearby devices like wireless sensors and tracking devices. The company offers chips as well as devices like its WattUp PowerBridge transmitter built using its chips. These can be used with sensors such as Wiliot’s IoT Pixel devices (Fig. 1). The IoT Pixel has a system-on-chip (SoC) with a 32-bit, Arm Cortex-M0+ running at 1 MHz. Featuring support for Bluetooth 5, it can sense temperature and location.
InnoTractor is also taking advantage of Energous’ technology by incorporating it into its asset tracking. Energous transmitters (Fig. 2) are located in areas where tagged assets will be located or moved through, and InnoTractor’s technology will identify and track those assets. Unlike simple RFID tags, the InnoTractor devices can support sensor information such as temperature.
The charging system leverages Energous EN4100 SoC, EN3921 power controller, and EN3913M GaN power amplifier devices. The EN2223 RF-to-dc chip is located in a remote device. It can support up to four antennas. Energous also provides 1- and 5.5-W WattUp PowerBridges.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Is the Time Right for Dynamic Wireless EV Charging?
Aug. 17, 2023
Dynamic wireless charging could revolutionize transportation and accelerate the switch to electric mobility by using copper coils fitted under the asphalt, enabling EVs to charge their batteries while on the move.
https://www.electronicdesign.com/markets/automotive/article/21271947/electronic-design-is-the-time-right-for-dynamic-wireless-ev-charging?utm_source=EG+ED+Analog+%26+Power+Source&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CPS230810119&o_eid=7211D2691390C9R&rdx.identpull=omeda|7211D2691390C9R&oly_enc_id=7211D2691390C9R
Also in the U.S.
In a patent application, titled “Roadway Charging Coil Alignment and Monitoring,” published on July 20, 2023, and originally filed on January 20, 2022, Ford discusses embedding inductive-charging coils in the road and using them to charge moving vehicles. The patent aims to apply wireless inductive charging to vehicles in motion.
As Ford points out, to ensure efficient charging, the receiver on the vehicle needs to be aligned with a line of coils in the road surface. The company further notes that drivers could maintain alignment by following lane markings or be guided by a camera or other sensors designed to read lane markings.
Tomi Engdahl says:
500 wattia langattomasti!
https://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=15223&via=n&datum=2023-08-21_14:42:57&mottagare=31202
Langaton lataaminen alkaa yleistyä myös teollisuuskoneiden kuten mobiilirobottien kohdalla. Amerikkalainen Spark Connected ja Infineon Technologies ovat lanseeranneet kaupallisesti valmiin ratkaisun, jonka teho on jo 500 wattia. Alustan nimeksi on annettu Yeti.
Yeti on langaton latausmoduuli ja tarkoitettu teollisuuskoneiden, autonomisten mobiilirobottien, automatisoitujen ohjattujen ajoneuvojen, kevyiden sähköajoneuvojen, ja muiden energiaintensiivisten sovellusten lataamiseen.
500 wattia mahdollistaa mobiilirobottien kaltaisten laitteiden lataamisen nopeasti. Yetin hyötysuhde on 95 prosenttia – tiettävästi korkein tämän kaltaisissa laitteissa. Tämä ei ainoastaan vähennä tehohäviöitä, vaan helpottaa myös lämmönhallintaa, mikä parantaa yleistä suorituskykyä ja kestävyyttä.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Is the Time Right for Dynamic Wireless EV Charging?
Aug. 17, 2023
Dynamic wireless charging could revolutionize transportation and accelerate the switch to electric mobility by using copper coils fitted under the asphalt, enabling EVs to charge their batteries while on the move.
https://www.electronicdesign.com/markets/automotive/article/21271947/electronic-design-is-the-time-right-for-dynamic-wireless-ev-charging?utm_source=EG+ED+Connected+Solutions&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CPS230817098&o_eid=7211D2691390C9R&rdx.identpull=omeda|7211D2691390C9R&oly_enc_id=7211D2691390C9R
Researchers have long theorized about devices installed in highway pavements that would deliver electrical energy to battery electric vehicles (BEVs) on the road using a magnetic field. Yet even with much progress being made in BEV technology, in terms of hardware and infrastructure, EV systems still depend on stationary recharging, which takes significantly more time than refueling an ICE- or hydrogen-powered vehicle.
However, there are signs that this may soon be changing. Dynamic wireless charging could revolutionize transportation and accelerate the switch to electric mobility by using copper coils fitted under the asphalt, enabling EVs to charge their batteries while on the move.
To transmit electricity wirelessly, inductive charging uses coils mounted in a transmitter and connected to a source of electricity as well as a receiver mounted on the vehicle. It requires the receiver on the vehicle to be aligned with the line of coils in the road surface.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2023/08/09/langaton-lataus-onnistuu-ilman-erillisalustaa/
Tomi Engdahl says:
RF Transmitter Powers Battery-Free IoT Sensors
Sept. 7, 2023
Energous’ PowerBridge sends RF energy over the air and to power battery-less IoT sensors.
https://www.electronicdesign.com/technologies/power/power-supply/video/21273019/microwaves-rf-rf-transmitter-powers-batteryfree-iot-sensors?utm_source=EG+ED+Analog+%26+Power+Source&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CPS230831078&o_eid=7211D2691390C9R&rdx.identpull=omeda|7211D2691390C9R&oly_enc_id=7211D2691390C9R
Batteries are the bane of IoT sensors, but they’re typically a requirement as conventional energy-harvesting solutions like solar panels are often impractical. One solution is to provide power wirelessly. A power transmitter can typically energize multiple devices within its range. Though the amount of power tends to be small, it’s usually sufficient enough for the sensors to operate as well as drive limited wireless communication to deliver information from the sensor.
Energous’ PowerBridge is designed to send RF energy over the air and to devices with matching chips from the company that can store the energy for use by the device. Kero Basilios, Energous’ Director of Application Engineering and Customer Support, shows the system in action (watch the video above). You can also watch Leveraging Wireless Power, which looks at InnoTractor’s use of Energous’ power technology to support an asset-tracking system that doesn’t use batteries for its mobile IoT devices.