I Want Wireless Power

I think the Next Big Thing is going to be Wireless Power. I want it now. Tesla among others established that wireless power is possible, so why hasn't anyone started a venture to provide it? Wireless power is going to be essential to the next generation of mobile devices. I think it's only a matter of time before we have it. Whomever figures out how to do it is going to make a fortune. Here are my thoughts on some approaches to this opportunity...

There are several interesting approaches to wireless power. One is to build a broad spectrum radio receiver that can absorb ambient energy from all the microwave and radio transmissions that constantly bombard us. But chances are, a single device of this nature would not be able to tap very much energy since radio energy decreases inversely with distance from the transmitter. Another approach might be a peer-to-peer wireless energy grid. A set of devices that are near to one another all suck down ambient energy and contribute it to a local wireless energy grid. Devices can beam energy to other nearby devices that need it more efficiently than is possible via radio -- perhaps using a laser or local induction etc. All the devices in the collective could cooperate to tap ambient energy -- sort of like a radio telescope array -- which could then be routed locally to devices that were out of power or needed extra energy. Ideally however, using ZPE, or perhaps magnetically generated energy, is probably going to be better. ZPE can theoretically deliver performance that is as or more efficient than a solar cell, but without needing any light! I am also be interested in Tesla's ideas for transferring energy through the atmosphere or through the earth itself. Tesla once claimed that with his technology you could stick a light bulb in the dirt anywhere on Earth and it would glow. I wonder what became of that work? Is it classified along with his other notes in some US Government warehouse?

Comments

[Suchit Shah]

hello sir,
In reference to your blog on 16 dec. regarding SPS i would like to ask you sir if we use Radio waves instead of using Microwaves then the problem of hygeine would be minimized. Is it feasible to use such a medium for transmission of power sufficiently to give power to the whole city. Also using such wireless medium of distribution of power how will the problems of blackout or maximum demands and power flows be eliminated. Please guide.

[Nova Spivack]

When I was a grad student at the International Space University in 1992 in Japan, we did a large design project called the "Space Solar Power Program" which studied the feasibility of collecting solar power in space and then converting it to microwaves and beaming them down to rectennas on earth. The main considerations that must be addressed are the potential life-sciences issues. In order to bring power levels down to biologically insignificant levels, you must use very large area rectennas. This may not be feasible for individual houses. However, perhaps an array of rectennas on the roofs of all of the homes in a neighborhood could function as a single integrated rectenna and gather enough power to be useful to the participants in that local power grid. This might be a profitable direction for further research and development -- it would enable the deployment of very large rectennas over highly populated areas with minimal power levels at any particular point.

[Suchit Shah]

hello,
i am an engineering students at Gujarat University, India. I want to make a WPT model for my semester project. What i want to propose is that all generating stations should transmit power wireless to the city and each home should have a rectenna installed on its roof which catches power directly so no hazzles of transmission lines and distribution stations. What do u propose the feasiblity of the project. WE have a generating station very near to the city just 5 kms from the city. Its the Torrents AEC Thermal Station. so from this i got the ideal how should i go about for making a mini model fo my project. Please help me out. Seaking for answer.

[Green_Ears]

I don't know if this is bogus or not, but apparently Tesla's writings (particularly those about "wireless power") are availible in print for almost nothing:

http://www.borderlands.com/catalog/tesla.htm

[Chang]

fortunately the field of biomedical engineering is just starting. Its much better to invest time to understand in how wireless power does not work rather than tryin to make the current knows of wireless work.

[Nova Spivack]

Yeah that's true, the sun is a form of wireless power, but laptop is not capable of photosynthesis unfortunately.

[Chang]

What do you think the sun is? Isn't that wireless power for plants?

[Tombstone]

Hi Nova,

Good thoughts above. I tend to believe that scientists look in the obvious yet wrong places to find their solutions. This could explain why most of our great discoveries were found while the scientist was actually looking or testing for something else.

ZPE is fascinating - but I don't know how you can harness Quantum Mechanics Theory in a Newtonian World and get it delivered in bubble-packs to WalMart for $14.99. That one is a head-scratcher.

I realize that some great minds are tackling Wireless Power now. However, from what I've read, they are all leaving the elegant and simple approaches on the laboratory floor.

I would vote to stop, take a step backwards, and actually study the base technology: Batteries and other electrical storage devices.

Breakthroughs in this venue will have far-reaching consequences: Might one be the freedom from needing to recharge all the time?

[Nova Spivack]

Hey thanks for the comments and welcome to the world of blogging! Keep us posted on your thoughts on this issue. Wireless Power is a huge, multi-billion dollar business opportunity -- but more than that, it's something I really need! And I refuse to believe that nature requires wires. There's got to be a better way. We are still so primitive, sadly. Eventually, the best solution will probably be nano-scale zero-point energy extraction in every device. Until then, some sort of safe wireless energy transmission would be a good compromise. Yes, the life-sciences issues must be looked at very carefully and solved beyond doubt -- but I think this can be accomplished. Perhaps one approach might be to have a combination of batteries and wireless-drip-recharging. The amount of RF energy could be relatively low, but over time it would "drip" into your device's battery and accumulate. It might not be enough to power a device with a fully-discharged battery, but it would be enough to keep batteries charging all the time, even when devices are idle. This low-power solution might be a good start and could perhaps avoid the biological issues. Thoughts?

[Tombstone]

Interesting comments and article. I hope you all are aware of the health exposure problems regarding being in the path of medium to high energy magnetic or RF fields. The dangers start way down in the 30 Hz range.

Also, if you want to get a kick-start on this project, you should talk to a few amateur radio operators who are running long wire and large loop antennas. You would be surprised at the high voltages we have to bleed off of our antennas. Yes, there is not a lot of current - but this concept alone is not well understood and could get your intellectual compass pointed in the right direction.

I just stumbled across this blog. It's very good! I've just started a journal of my own - but it's still in its pre-natal stage. Strange to bare your soul to strangers. I expect my writings to get more technical as soon as I get the usual fuzzy items out of the way.

http://www.forumgarden.com/forums/showthread.php?t=720

[Richard Symonds]

Like the rest of you i have also thought of the idea of wireless power. However i do not have the experience or the background to develop such technology.
Athough i am the owner of a successful Importing and distributing company and i am more than capable of the distribution of such an invention. If there are any inventions that need worldwide distribution then please do not hesitate to contact me via my email.

[Richard Symonds]

Like the rest of you i have also thought of the idea of wireless power. However i do not have the experience or the background to develop such technology.
Athough i am the owner of a successful Importing and distributing company and i am more than capable of the distribution of such an invention. If there are any inventions that need worldwide distribution then please do not hesitate to contact me via my email.

[Earl Timmerman]

I intend on solving this problem by the end of this year. Those interested in helping me and cashing in on this technology can contact me through my email. This has got to be done and I want to be one of the ones to do it. The satellite dish idea is probably our best bet, but the whole project isn’t feasible unless we can get power to smaller devices such as cell phones and PDA’s. I have some ideas on this.
There are more problems then we might think. Electromagnetic energy can be a danger to those with pace makers. We need to do this in a way that will keep environmentalists off our back. This is definitely possible and we can do it. But we need to do it right. All interested in assisting in the development of this technology please contact me thru my E-mail. ViperStreetracer@hotmail.com

[anon]

I'm working on wpt too, although I don't want to go into to much detail on the project, it is a reality and has been done already. The trick is to make one efficient enough to stand on it's own.

[Frank]

Um, how does an artificial heart get power, discovery channel mentioned the Wireless Power Pack worn around the waist.

[pushpendra kumar]

halo sir,
i am an final year electrical engg. student and i have so interest in wpt i want make a project on this topic . so plz tell me more about TESLA`S demo. and other information.

[Okafor Paul]

I thought of
this idea of
wireless
electricity and
stumbled on
this site.
Please,what does
i do to start a research on the subject.Thanks

[Tom Blakely]

I'm a electrical engineering student currently tinkering with some ideas about wireless power. I'm thinking as wireless power as a system of inputs and outputs. What do you think about using satellite dishes to focus radio waves. Input any waveform into a modified transmitting dish aimed at a receiving dish. Output the signal from the receiving dish. I’m basing this system on the fact that radio waves carry a current, but the current is usually (depending on the transmission distance and strength) in the micro amps, which is completely useless. The signal is so small because the radio antenna sends the signal every where (within range); it sends it in a complete sphere. If you could channel the signal (using such a device as a satellite dish) to transmit it, and then receive the signal with the same focus as it was originally sent, I think most of the power (or current) in the radio signal would be kept, thus making it useful.
The only real problem I’m having with this is finding actual technical specs of dish construction so I can develop a transmitter and receiver.

You could even use existing TV satellite systems, but instead of descrambling the signals into an image, use the signal as a source of power its self.

Any thoughts???

[jat]

Hello, I have just stumbled onto your website in search for my final year undergraduate project which is on.... drum roll... wireless power transmission. it is amazing how much is going on in this field. I enjoy your webpage and the discussions on it. i hope to get more information for my research and maybe in future contribute back

[hemangajit dutta]

hi,I'm an engineering student doing a project on this topic in India. your's is great. i need some more information on this topic.
thanks
hemangajit

[Darien]

this technology is closer than you think....

http://splashpower.com/

[Chris]

I have been working on a wireless power project involving running i-Cybies (robotic dogs) off a central helix transmitter at a frequency of 322kHz. Power can couple as high as a potential of 100W, but each machine, on average, uses 10W. With all the technology these days, revamping Tesla's Wardenclyffe is rather simple--although the mathematics behind it is not. To me, why isn't this technique used more redily?

[Nova]

Thanks, Matthew, you are welcome to add me.

[Matthew Welty]

You hit this right on the nose, Mr. Spivack! I really enjoy your weblog and I was so fascinated to find you discussing this exact issue after having had a conversation with a friend on the topic last night. I'll be visiting here often, do you mind if I add you to my blog list?