Wireless power could revolutionize highway transportation, Stanford researchers say

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://news.stanford.edu/news/2012/february/wireless-vehicle-charge-020112.html

[font face=Times, Times New Roman, Serif]Stanford Report, February 1, 2012
[font size=5]Wireless power could revolutionize highway transportation, Stanford researchers say[/font]
[font size=4]Stanford researchers have designed a new technology that could lead to wireless charging of electric vehicles while they cruise down the highway.[/font]

BY MARK SHWARTZ

[font size=3]A Stanford University research team has designed a high-efficiency charging system that uses magnetic fields to wirelessly transmit large electric currents between metal coils placed several feet apart. The long-term goal of the research is to develop an all-electric highway that wirelessly charges cars and trucks as they cruise down the road.

The new technology has the potential to dramatically increase the driving range of electric vehicles and eventually transform highway travel, according to the researchers. Their results are published in the journal Applied Physics Letters (APL).

"Our vision is that you'll be able to drive onto any highway and charge your car," said Shanhui Fan, an associate professor of electrical engineering. "Large-scale deployment would involve revamping the entire highway system and could even have applications beyond transportation."

…

"That's fast enough to maintain a constant speed," Fan said. "To actually charge the car battery would require arrays of coils embedded in the road. This wireless transfer scheme has an efficiency of 97 percent."

…[/font][/font]

[Scuba]

1. Cool, now use the free, endless supply of sun, wind and wave and we're rockin' and rollin'.

[msongs]

2. is stanford gonna pay to wire a million miles of hiway lol nt

[TheWraith]

4. No...

...but they'll pay to buy you an actual sense of humor that involves more than pointless, snarky comments.

The reality is that you wouldn't do all the highways at once. Highways are constantly being resurfaced and rebuilt due to use, so you'd only go through and upgrade a stretch as it was slated for maintenance. It would take time, probably a number of years before all the highways were improved this way, but its not all that unreasonable IF the technology works. That's the real question.

[TheWraith]

3. This would be great, but I'll wait and see.

Traditionally, schemes to deliver power without wires have been very lossy. Even with induction charging systems like this, the power loss is proportional to the distance between the transmitting and receiving devices. If the magnetic resonance system remains in tune and functioning as they describe, it could be interesting, but the question is can it really be effective in a real-world environment with wear and tear, or possible sources of interference.

[OKIsItJustMe]

5. "This wireless transfer scheme has an efficiency of 97 percent."

http://www.technologyreview.com/read_article.aspx?ch=specialsections&sc=emerging08&id=20248

…

So Soljačić started searching for ways to transmit power wirelessly. Instead of pursuing a long-distance scheme like Tesla's, he decided to look for midrange power transmission methods that could charge--or even power--portabl­e devices such as cell phones, PDAs, and laptops. He considered using radio waves, which effectively send information through the air, but found that most of their energy would be lost in space. More-targeted methods like lasers require a clear line of sight--and could have harmful effects on anything in their way. So Soljačić sought a method that was both efficient--able to directly power receivers without dissipating energy to the surrounding­s--and safe.

He eventually landed on the phenome­non of resonant coupling, in which two objects tuned to the same frequency exchange energy strongly but interact only weakly with other objects. A classic example is a set of wine glasses, each filled to a different level so that it vibrates at a different sound frequency. If a singer hits a pitch that matches the frequency of one glass, the glass might absorb so much acoustic energy that it will shatter; the other glasses remain unaffected.

Soljačić found magnetic resonance a promising means of electricity transfer because magnetic fields travel freely through air yet have little effect on the environment or, at the appropriate frequencies, on living beings. Working with MIT physics professors John Joannopoulos and Peter Fisher and three students, he devised a simple setup that wirelessly powered a 60-watt light bulb.

The researchers built two resonant copper coils and hung them from the ceiling, about two meters apart. When they plugged one coil into the wall, alternating current flowed through it, creating a magnetic field. The second coil, tuned to the same frequency and hooked to a light bulb, reso­nated with the magnetic field, generating an electric current that lit up the bulb--even with a thin wall between the coils.

…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resonant_inductive_coupling

[TheWraith]

10. In the lab, yeah.

What happens when you actually build it into a car? Does it still work just as efficiently at 65 miles per hour? Behind a layer of steel to protect it from pebbles and other damage? How about after 10,000 miles worth of wear and tear, road salt, bumps, getting out of alignment, etcetera? It's easy for something to be really efficient in a lab where it's carefully tuned. I want to know if it's still efficient in the real world.

[OnlinePoker]

6. And how is this wireless technology going to effect people with EM sensititivity?

If these people can't even handle the broadcast of data from Smart Power Meters on their houses, how could they exist in a world where they are bombarded by EM energy the moment they leave their homes.

[OKIsItJustMe]

7. They already “are bombarded by EM energy the moment they leave their homes”

You may have heard of radio? cell phones? It reminds me of a Heinlein short, famous for other reasons…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waldo_%28short_story%29

…

The atmosphere is cordial, but once Grimes reveals Stevens' purpose, Waldo turns hostile. Nothing, not even the collapse of Earth society, would persuade him to help NAPA. Stevens leaves, but Grimes has a few words with Waldo, pointing out where his food comes from and so forth. Waldo reluctantly takes the case, but Grimes insists on one more condition: Waldo must figure out what effect broadcast power has on humans. Grimes is seeing a slow weakening of the human physique, and he blames the radiant power industry.

…

Waldo realizes that Stevens' and Grimes' problems are related. Radiant power is affecting the human nervous system. People feel weak, rundown, fretful, and somehow transfer their malaise to the deKalbs. He also realizes something that Stevens has not noticed. The repaired deKalbs work without broadcast power! Apparently they draw energy from Schneider's "Other World".

…

[saras]

8. Not to mention all the electronics in those cars.

And I wonder what a short circuit does - convert your car to a giant, shorted transformer turn and see how much power it sucks up from the roadway.

Or what if a bicycle frame is the right size and shape to be resonant?

My guess is that we will implement it in ten years, and spend the next hundred after that learning about health and environmental costs.

[TheWraith]

9. Same way they handle the rest of their completely fictional condition.

By making up symptoms and beating their chests in the media over how horrible the world is being to their imaginary disease.

[wtmusic]

12. The MagneCharge (EV1) inductive system had an efficiency of 86%

and that was using coils a few millimeters apart.

This story has a pungent aroma.

[OKIsItJustMe]

16. Mitsubishi is working on a (stationary) charging system with WiTricity

http://media.mitsubishicars.com/index.php?s=16874&item=66241

…

Wireless charging systems allow transfer of energy from a source placed on or under the ground, to a vehicle equipped with an energy capture device. Charging occurs automatically when the vehicle is parked, with no physical contact between the vehicle and the charging source. WiTricity has already developed and brought to market its patented magnetic resonance wireless charging system. The system that WiTricity has developed can transfer energy further and more efficiently in comparison to conventional systems such as electromagnetic induction and microwave transmission, pushing the possibilities of wireless charging by being able to deliver up to 3.3 kW of charging power over distance of 20cm (almost 8 inches) at an efficiency rate of more than 90%, in manner that is safe and very user friendly. Systems based on WiTricity technology offer smaller size and lighter weight as compared to conventional systems, and operate with no moving parts.

…

The Magne Charge system (to my knowledge) used/uses conventional inductive charging.

[wtmusic]

17. Both are inductive

They both "induce" current using a magnetic field. Using resonance to increase the efficiency makes sense for a stationary charger, but I don't understand how they expect to make this viable with moving vehicles on the highway - especially since it wouldn't work at all behind anything metallic.

Applying this concept to rail transit would be a different story - you'd have a "third rail" which is harmless. Trains could be charged at stops with a great deal of control over the placement of the coils, and no overhead wires or problems with corrosion between conductors.

[OKIsItJustMe]

18. They’re not the only ones working on it

For example: Check out Bombardier Transportation’s “PrimoveCity Solution”

http://primovecity.bombardier.com/en/shared/downloads/PrimoveCity-Unlimited_e-mobility_for_buses_and_cars.pdf

[wtmusic]

19. Interesting. nt

[LeftyMom]

14. You mean hypochondriacs?

[wtmusic]

11. And the momentum of the car will help charge it!

But not under the road - the coil should be in a tower...

[kristopher]

13. News on parallel research

Clemson University and Duke Energy to Trial Wireless Electric Vehicle Charging Technology
Clemson University’s International Center for Automotive Research announced as the first of five participants in the Apollo Trial Program to test Plugless Power™ technology

GREENVILLE, S.C., Feb. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ – Clemson University’s International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) announced today that it will participate in the 2012 Apollo Launch Program hosted by Evatran™, the developer of Plugless Power wireless electric vehicle recharging systems. The Apollo Program aims to encourage electric vehicle adoption across the United States through the launch of a convenient recharging alternative to the repetitive plug-in, unplug process.

The Plugless Power system allows a user to avoid the plug-in process traditionally required by electric vehicles (EV). The wireless system provides the driver with parking guidance upon approach and automatically begins charging once the vehicle is in position. When the driver is ready to depart, the system automatically discontinues the recharging process.

Clemson University, as one of the Department of Energy’s GATE Centers of Excellence, is participating in the Program to research technologies that may influence the development of advanced drivetrains and electric mobility as a whole. CU-ICAR is actively developing a portfolio of research activities and services around the ecosystems for sustainable mobility and the networked vehicle. To that end, Clemson University is also collaborating with Duke Energy, another Apollo Program participant, to understand how electric vehicles may interface with the electrical grid.

“The Apollo Program fits perfectly with CU-ICAR’s efforts in a holistic view of alternative power train solutions and their infrastructure implications,” said Dr. Joachim Taiber, Research Professor at Clemson University’s International Center for Automotive Research. “We are very pleased to be part of the trial and are confident the Program will lead to significant advances in understanding key aspects of wireless infrastructure.”..

http://www.pluglesspower.com/clemson-university-and-duke-energy-to-trial-wireless-electric-vehicle-charging-technology/

[Maslo55]

15. ...

this is pretty awesome.

[hunter]

20. I'm more of a "KISS" engineer...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bumper_car

Hang a wire on top, like an electric trolley, and a grounding plate on the center divider which would also serve as a guide rail for the electric vehicles on the "diamond" lane.

Electric cars and transport vehicles would have sleek retractable arms to pick up the power whenever it was available, and drive themselves once connected.

[OKIsItJustMe]

21. Simple, but ugly

That’s why Bombardier developed the PriMove system

[hunter]

22. That's marketed for expensive real estate or historic districts.

Most highway or other mass transit corridors are what they are -- ugly.

An overhead wire hardly makes it worse, and maybe even adds interest if artfully done.



Could wires and "T" poles make something like this any uglier than it already is?

[OKIsItJustMe]

23. Years ago, I took a whirlwind tour of Europe

While riding a train in Spain (we stayed mainly on the plain) we heard this klunk-klunk-klunk noise running down the roof of our car, and my friend (in jest) asked “Do you suppose that was important?” as the train came to a halt.

We stayed there for a few hours, first waiting for a repair crew to arrive, and then for them to fix the overhead wire which had broken…


Pardon me if I envision problems on a highway powered by overheads wires…

[hunter]

24. I've seen wires come down in San Francisco a few times.

Still, the maintenance problems on underground power components would be brutal. Even passive sensing wires for traffic lights don't last long under the pavement and are rapidly being replaced by overhead cameras.

Hmmm, so maybe put two conducting rails along the center divider.... which might make crossing the freeway on foot even more exciting. If you make it half way across without getting run over, you'll get electrocuted when you try to jump the divider.



A single rail with alternating sections insulated from one another might also work.

[Dead_Parrot]

25. Slot cars, FTW! nt

[OKIsItJustMe]

26. No, the maintenance should be minor, compared to overhead wires

There’s no friction involved here, no flexing, no storms. (It seems like storm damage to normal power lines is becoming more and more common.)

http://www.kmbc.com/r/30401618/detail.html

[font face=Times, Times New Roman, Serif][font size=5]Independence Crews Bury More Power Lines[/font]
[font size=4]Project Aimed To Limit Outages In Winter Storms[/font]
POSTED: 4:30 pm CST February 7, 2012
UPDATED: 6:22 pm CST February 7, 2012
[font size=3]INDEPENDENCE, Mo. -- Work crews in Independence are taking steps that could help prevent power outages in a winter storm.

Independence Power and Light, with help from a $1.7 million grant from the Missouri State Emergency Management Agency, is busy burying more power lines that run from the power pole to residents' homes.

"We have less outages this way," Daggett said.

…

Daggett said the move to bury the home service lines, which started about 10 years ago, helps the entire utility.

…[/font][/font]

[hunter]

27. Here's an unremarkable highway underpass in America.

All it had to do was sit there:

[OKIsItJustMe]

29. So, you’re saying that the power system would require routine maintenance as well?

I can’t argue with that.

[happyslug]

28. Broadcast electrcity again, first advoated bu Tesla around 1900

The biggest problem with Broadcast Electricity was how do you charge for it and it the alternative how do you prevent someone from "stealing" it? That and the short distances involved (measured in feet NOT miles of usage) is what has killed broadcast electricity ever since Tesla first came up with it around 1900. Great Concept, but almost impossible to get to work.

Please note, this may be a new method of sending the actual electric current, but such movement through the air is very old technology.

Some other article on Wireless electricity transmission:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wireless_energy_transfer

Tesla work on it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wardenclyffe_Tower
http://journal.borderlands.com/2010/the-broadcast-power-of-nikola-tesla-part-3/

List of Tesla's patents:
http://www.hbci.com/~wenonah/new/tesla.htm

Any good Sci-fi story always has a Tesla component, most of these are just made up fiction, some use Tesla's actual invention for more then they were ever intended by Tesla to be used, but here is a cite where many of the more possible of these stories are cited:
http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/esp_tesla.htm#inicio

Another site with what appears to have actual uses of Tesla inventions as Tesla intended them to be used:
http://www.tfcbooks.com/default.htm

As to the article itself, it is so vague it may be reinventing Tesla's inventions all over again, or may be something new. More data is needed to see if this is something new, or another one of Tesla old inventions being reinvented.

[OKIsItJustMe]

30. Well, this isn’t “broadcast.”

Instead, it’s very focused.

How could you charge for it? I can imagine a number of ways.

Let’s say we have a charging turnpike. (If you want to drive on the charging turnpike, you’ll need to pay a charge.) People could be charged at toll booths, or chargebacks could be done in much the same way as an E-ZPass is done (except, every charger you drive over measures the amount of current it delivers to your car’s serial number.)

Personally, I would be leery of such a system, since the highway would (potentially) “know” everywhere I went. On the other hand, I seem to be unusual in this regard. Many people seem to be quite willing to use an E-ZPass. They sacrifice a a degree of privacy in exchange for convenience.

The same would be true here.

[Nihil]

31. So it's not a retrofit but a complete new network of roads?

> Let’s say we have a charging turnpike. (If you want to drive on the
> charging turnpike, you’ll need to pay a charge.)

I think that idea would put the gravestone on the concept of wireless charging.

(I also think the concept sucks anyway but this would be the icing on the cake.)

[OKIsItJustMe]

33. I guess we need to define "retrofit" -vs- "completely new"

If you look at the discussion, significant road work would be required.

Then again, in my experience, significant road work is done on a periodic/systematic basis anyway.

[ananda]

32. But would it be safe for plants and wildlife?

nt

[OKIsItJustMe]

34. Bombardier claims…

http://primovecity.bombardier.com/en/shared/downloads/PrimoveCity-Unlimited_e-mobility_for_buses_and_cars.pdf

[font face=Times,Times New Roman,Serif]…

[font size=4]Fully safe[/font]

[font size=3]With electric cables under the road surface, there is no exposure to the elements, people or animals. The cables consist of independent segments that are only energised when activated and fully covered by a vehicle that is equipped with PRIMOVE technology.

At all other times, the segments are inactive with no electromagnetic emissions. The magnetic field is found under the vehicle and presents no risk to passengers or bystanders. At the same time, it does not interfere with other systems or other electrical devices such as mobile phones and heart pacemakers.

[font size=4]Fully compliant[/font]

The PrimoveCity system is compliant with all applicable codes and standards for electromagnetic compatibility (EMC). It meets all industry requirements for magnetic field emissions.

…[/font][/font]