Wireless Energy Transfer Using Arrays of Resonant Objects

Abstract

A system for exchanging energy wirelessly includes an array of at least three objects, wherein the objects have similar resonant frequencies, wherein each object is electromagnetic (EM) and non-radiative and generates an EM near-field in response to receiving the energy. Each object is electrically isolated from the other objects and arranged at a distance from all other objects, such that upon receiving the energy, the object is strongly coupled to at least one other object via a resonant coupling of evanescent waves. An energy driver provides the energy at the resonant frequency to at least one object in the array, such that, during an operation of the system, the energy is distributed from the at least one object to all other objects in the array via the resonant coupling of the evanescent waves.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]The present invention claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application 61 / 447599, “Wireless Energy Transfer Using Array of Resonant Objects,” filed by Wang et al. on Feb. 28, 2011, and is related to U.S. Patent Applications (MERL-2421), “Tuning electromagnetic fields characteristics for wireless energy transfer using arrays of resonant objects,” co-filed herewith by Wang et al. on ______, 2011, and U.S. Patent Application (MERL-2429) “System and method for automatically optimizing wireless power, co-filed by Yerazunis et al, on ______, 2011, all incorporated herein by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]This invention relates generally to transferring energy wirelessly, and more particularly to transferring energy using an array of resonant objects.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Wireless Energy Transfer[0004]Inductive coupling is used in a number of wireless energy transfer systems, such as a cordless electronic toothbrush, or vehicle batteries. I...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0013]The embodiments of the invention use an array of strongly coupled resonant objects to extend a range of efficient wireless energy transfer, and facilitate an energy transfer to mobile receiving objects.

[0014]If the energy is provided to at least one object of an array of strongly coupled resonant objects, the energy oscillates among all objects in the array with reasonable losses. If the energy is provided to at least one object in the array, then the energy is distributed from the object to all other objects in the array. Thus, an energy sink can receive energy wirelessly from any object of the array. Accordingly, the embodiments of the invention provide a novel way to store and distribute energy for subsequent wireless retrieval of the energy at any desired direction and distance from an energy source.

[0015]In conventional energy distribution systems, the energy is transmitted over a closed loop to return the unused energy back to the energy source, or to other specially designed energy storages. That was not considered as a problem, but rather as a fact of the energy transfer. The embodiments of the invention eliminate this requirement by allowing arbitrarily arrangements of the objects, and thus, enabling arbitrarily configurations of energy distribution topography.

Problems solved by technology

To optimize the energy, a distance between the source and the sink should be as small as possible, because over greater distances the inductive coupling method is ineffective.

However, the resonant coupling transfers energy from the source to the sink over a mid-range distance, e.g., a few times of the resonant frequency wavelength, inefficient when the distance becomes greater.

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