Stanford University researchers are working on a wireless EV charging technology that could eventually lead to highways that automatically charge vehicles as they drive over them. Such a technology could lead to a basically infinite range for EVs.
The wireless power transfer that the scientists are working on uses magnetic resonance coupling. Two copper coils are placed a few feet apart and tuned to resonate at the same frequency. One coil is connected to an electric current that generates a magnetic field that causes the other coil to resonate. This process leads to an electric current being transferred invisibly from the first coil to the second.
Previous studies have found the technology to be safe. The current is only transferred between the two in-tune resonators. People or objects standing near or between the coils would not be affected at all and even with obstacles in between, the two coils will still transfer the current without interruption.
MIT researchers have already been working on a stationary version of this technology for EV charging that transfers 3 kW to a parked car, but the Stanford researchers are taking the concept and modifying it to transfer 10 kW over a distance of 6.5 feet, or enough to charge an EV cruising down the highway. A series of coils connected to a current would be embedded in the highway with a receiving coil installed on the bottom of an EV. The receiving coils would resonate as the car drove along the road, continuously feeding the battery.
After running different mathematical models, the researchers figured out that a coil bent at 90 degrees and attached to a metal plate can transfer 10 kW to a twin coil 6.5 feet away. They say the efficiency of this wireless power transfer is 97 percent!
The researchers have filed a patent and will now move on to testing it in labs and then in real-world driving conditions to make sure it's completely safe and doesn't have any negative affects on other cars or drivers. Check out a video explaing the technology above.
via Physorg
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written by justaguy, February 06, 2012
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written by Jamie Irwin, February 06, 2012
The concept is a bit vague though, I'd love to hear more particularly about the energy efficiency.
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written by Fencerdave, February 06, 2012
As such, the charging coils would always be resonating, regardless of whether something was being charged. However, unless the flow is being resisted (by the coil in the car as it charges), it is almost entirely "frictionless" to do this resonance and does not draw any significant amount of power.
This means that there will be some constant loss of energy due to essentially macro-waving charged air particles back and forth, but as the article says this would be negligible and probably quite safe.
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written by Simon, February 07, 2012
I would be interested to know the frequency at which the coils are resonant. One certainly wouldn't want to be wearing anything which was resonant at an harmonic of the fundamental frequency.
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written by recycling electronics, February 07, 2012
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written by Meower68, February 07, 2012
Yes, it would be very nice around town. And it would significantly extend your range on the highway. And the efficiency is very nice. I can only guess that the other 3% turns into heat (the usual form of energy which didn't get converted to a useful form) which might help keep the roads free of ice in colder seasons. By all means, put this into use. But recognize, up front, that this will probably an "around town" application before it becomes a highway application.
I've been envisioning something like this powering busses, embedded in the pavement at bus stops, for a couple years. If the bus could pick up enough charge to travel a mile or so, every time it stopped, you wouldn't need an engine, you wouldn't need a large battery and you wouldn't need expensive support infrastructure built into every foot of every route. Adding the ability for personally-owned EVs to charge up while sitting at a stop light would be a logical next step. Giving those vehicles to ability to charge while in motion would be the next logical step. Highways would be further off.
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written by KenZ, February 07, 2012
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written by Fencerdave, February 07, 2012
As much as I dislike the man, however, J.P. Morgan once made a very salient point when Tesla proposed the (very real) possibility of supplying the entire world with wireless power:
"If you are going to supply the world with wireless power, then where can I put the meter?"
I love the notion of universal power, but be prepared for cries of 'evil socialism' when you suggest who has to pay for the electricity...
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written by Jordan Palmer, February 08, 2012
I was keeping this idea on the down-low until I could build a full scale version, but I knew it would only be a matter of time before someone else came up with the same vision. Now that it's in the public domain, this is my two cents - for all it's worth.
To all the nay-sayers... don't kid yourselves, this will obviously happen at some point. yes, of course there are technical challenges, but they also said an airplane would never fly - this is what engineers and designers are for.
Addressing the pacemaker comment, a valid point, but there is a tech called EM shielding. The passenger area of a car would need to be shielded from electromagnetic radiation.
Another challenge is maximizing the charging interval (distance between coils imbedded in the road) Think of street lights, it wouldn't make any sense to put them any closer together than they had to be.
To the guy who said this is a socialist idea, you are so wrong. This is pure capitalism. Ever heard of a toll highway? or a power meter? or an RF ID tag? When you drive your car, you would get billed by the mile, or volt...
The real challenge is setting up the billion dollar infrastructure and geting the hydro people to work directly with the car people and government to get this idea off the ground.
Good luck. If you have any questions, hit me up.
Jordan
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written by Jordan Palmer, February 08, 2012
Having it at an intersection is a good idea though, and again, proximity switching.
J
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written by Cindy, February 14, 2012
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written by Bob, February 18, 2012
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written by BJohnson, February 19, 2012
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written by Tim, March 06, 2012
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