Wireless Power Transmission

Contents

Introduction

Wireless transmission of power, also called wireless power transfer (WPT), is a means of delivering power to an end-use device without wires or contacts. As wireless data transmission eliminates the need for wires to carry data, there is a growing need to find ways to provide power without wires making devices truly portable and mobile. With the explosive growth in wireless data applications, the market potential for wireless energy transfer technologies has seen a dramatic increase.
It is the latest technology for direct powering and wireless charging of cell phones, game controllers, laptop computers, mobile robots, electric vehicles, Flat screen TV?s and digital picture frames that hang on the wall?without requiring a cord or an adaptor. Industrial systems and medical devices made more reliable by eliminating trouble prone wiring and replaceable batteries.

Benefits of WPT

Convenience and cost

Benefits WPT.JPG

Enabling new technologies

Clean technology



Categories and Classification

By Technology

Classification WPT.JPG

By Sector

  1. Automatic wireless charging of mobile electronics (phones, laptops, game controllers, etc.) while devices are in use and mobile.
  2. Direct wireless powering of stationary devices (flat screen TV?s, digital picture frames, home theater accessories, wireless loud speakers, etc.) eliminating expensive custom wiring & unsightly cables
  3. Direct wireless powering of desktop PC peripherals: wireless mouse, keyboard, printer, speakers, display, etc and eliminating disposable batteries and cabling.
  1. Direct wireless power and communication interconnections across rotating and moving joints (robots, packaging machinery, assembly machinery, machine tools), thus, eliminating costly and failure-prone wiring.
  2. Direct wireless power and communication interconnections at points of use in harsh environments (drilling, mining, underwater, etc.) where it is impractical or impossible to run wires.
  3. Direct wireless power for wireless sensors and actuators, eliminating the need for expensive power wiring or battery replacement and disposal.
  4. Automatic wireless charging for mobile robots, automatic guided vehicles, cordless tools and instruments & eliminating complex docking mechanisms, and labor intensive manual recharging and battery replacement.
  5. Direct wireless power interconnections and automatic wireless charging for implantable medical devices (ventricular assist devices, pacemaker, defibrilator, etc.).
  6. Direct wireless powering and automatic wireless charging of smart cards.
  1. Automatic wireless charging for existing electric vehicle classes: golf carts, industrial vehicles.
  2. Automatic wireless charging for future hybrid and all-electric passenger and commercial vehicles, at home, in parking garages, at fleet depots, and at remote kiosks.
  3. Direct wireless power interconnections to replace costly vehicle wiring harnesses and slip ring.
  1. Automatic wireless charging and for high tech military systems (battery powered mobile devices, covert sensors, unmanned mobile robots and aircraft, etc.).



By Transmission Types


Current status of wireless power industry

Industries are investigating the latest wireless power technologies to improve versatility, reduce costs, maintain connectivity, and eliminate the need to replace batteries. Large and continually operating industries such as electric power plants are interested in evaluating WPT as a power source alternative for sensors and transducers. The portable electronics industry is perhaps the most revolutionary in terms of the rapid progress in the application and commercialization of WPT. A subset of portable devices that utilize wireless data communications such as mobile phones, iPods, and wireless computer peripherals, find WPT particularly appealing. WPT is seen as a natural complement to wireless data communications, completing the promising of a truly wireless device. The wireless power charger market is becoming competitive, with several companies developing commercial devices and for powering portable electronics. The surge in the growth of mobile electronics in the past decade has greatly increased the market potential for wireless power chargers.
The maturity of technology refers to the degree of commercialization of a specific technology. For the purposes of this report, commercialization of a technology is determined based on the availability of a product. According to the maturity, WPT technologies can be classified as ?commercial?, ?near commercial? and ?research?. Commercial and near-commercial technologies are either very short range or short range. Electromagnetic induction (or inductive transfer) is by far the most mature commercial WPT technology available today.
According to a report from Pike Research, the wireless power market will reach an inflection point when it crosses the $1 billion revenue mark in 2012, and by 2020 wireless power system revenues will exceed $30.8 billion worldwide.

Wireless Power Revenue Share by Region

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Source Pike Research Richard Martin and Clint Wheelock, 4Q 2010

Wireless Power Revenue Share by application

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Source Pike Research Richard Martin and Clint Wheelock, 4Q 2010

Wireless Charging: The most dominant Technology

Renue forecast.png

Source Revenue Forecast by IHS iSuppli May 2011

Key Market Drivers

The market potential for wireless energy transfer technologies has improved in recent times due to development in technology and due to the increasing market for mobile devices. The points given below show the key motivating factors that account for an increase in interest in the WPT technology.

Market growth

Developments in technology

Limits (delays) to competing technologies

User expectation

An average user of electronic devices carries at least three different chargers and at least an equal number of cables for energy charging and data transfer functions. There is a change in consumer expectations to charge mobile devices wirelessly, potentially eliminate the use of cables and chargers, and help mitigate the ?inconvenience? associated with carrying external chargers and cables.

Key Business Issues

Collaboration with WPC

Radio frequency (RF) ? Safety Concern.

Biological Safety

Beyond human safety is a concern for the biological safety of other living organisms. These topics have been far less studied and therefore represent a relatively unknown business risk. Environmental impact is also a relatively unstudied area and an area in which future findings could have an adverse impact on WPT.

Interference with other Electronic Equipment

RF interference with other electronic equipment is another area business issue. A particular and important subset of the RF interference issue is the potential for there to be interference with medical equipment. Implanted medical devices such as pacemakers are one particular area to be evaluated. The risk here is that WPT could induce currents creating a shock or a spark hazard. WPT that creates significant magnetic fields would be of concern for equipment, such as HDD (Hard Disk Drives), credit cards or other devices using magnetic strips because of the potential impact from magnetic fields.

Wireless Power Applications




Sources

Pike Research Richard Martin and Clint Wheelock, 4Q 2010

Wireless Power Consortium

Revenue Forecast by IHS iSuppli May 2011

ECCE,2011-IEEE Energy Conversion Congress & Exposition Sept. 2011

Wireless Power Transmission-Next Generation Power Transmission System

Program on Technology Innovation: Impact of Wireless Power Transfer Technology;Initial Market Assessment of Evolving Technologies

Pike Research-Wireless power transmission for Mobile Devices, Consumer Electronics, Electric Vehicles, Industrial Markets, and Military Applications