Single-contact transmission for the quasi-wireless delivery of power over large surfaces

• Published in: Wireless power transfer Vol. 1; no. 2; pp. 75 - 82
• Main Authors: Van Neste, C.W., Hawk, J.E., Phani, Arindam, Backs, J.A.J., Hull, Richard, Abraham, Tinu, Glassford, S.J., Pickering, A.K., Thundat, Thomas
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge Cambridge University Press 01.09.2014
• Subjects: Electricity distribution; Wireless networks
• ISSN: 2052-8418; 2052-8418
• DOI: 10.1017/wpt.2014.9

A method of power transmission is proposed that delivers power through the resonance of a helical receiver with its surrounding stray capacitance. The system operates in a quasi-wireless state where power is transferred over a single connection to a surface much larger than the dimensions of the receiver. This ensures high-efficiency energy transfer over large areas without the need of strong coupling electromagnetic fields. Standard power connectors such as tracks, plugs, and cords may be easily replaced with conductive surfaces or objects such as foil sheets, desks, and cabinets. Presently, the method is experimentally demonstrated at the small scale using loads of up to 50 W at an efficiency of 83% with both bare and insulated surfaces. Simple circuit modeling of the system is presented which shows close agreement with experimental results.