Wireless energy transfer resonator kit

Abstract

Described herein are improved capabilities for a source resonator having a Q-factor Q1>100 and a characteristic size x1 coupled to an energy source, and a second resonator having a Q-factor Q2>100 and a characteristic size x2 coupled to an energy drain located a distance D from the source resonator, where the source resonator and the second resonator are coupled to exchange energy wirelessly among the source resonator and the second resonator.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is a continuation-in-part of the following U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12 / 567716 filed Sep. 25, 2009 which claims the benefit of the following U.S. provisional applications, U.S. Application No. 61 / 100,721 filed Sep. 27,2008; U.S. Application No. 61 / 108,743 filed Oct. 27, 2008; U.S. Application No. 61 / 147,386 filed Jan. 26, 2009; U.S. Application No. 61 / 152,086 filed Feb. 12, 2009; U.S. Application No. 61 / 178,508 filed May 15, 2009; U.S. Application No. 61 / 182,768 filed Jun. 1, 2009; U.S. Application No. 61 / 121,159 filed Dec. 9, 2008; U.S. Application No. 61 / 142,977 filed Jan. 7, 2009; U.S. Application No. 61 / 142,885 filed Jan. 6, 2009; U.S. Application No. 61 / 142,796 filed Jan. 6, 2009; U.S. Application No. 61 / 142,889 filed Jan. 6, 2009; U.S. Application No. 61 / 142,880 filed Jan. 6, 2009; U.S. Application No. 61 / 142,818 filed Jan. 6, 2009; U.S. Application No. 61 / 142,887 filed Jan. 6, 2009; U.S. Application No. 61 / 1...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0011]It is important to appreciate the difference between the high-Q magnetic resonator scheme disclosed here and the known close-range or proximity inductive schemes, namely, that those known schemes do not conventionally utilize high-Q resonators. Using coupled-mode theory (CMT), (see, for example, Waves and Fields in Optoelectronics, H. A. Haus, Prentice Hall, 1984), one may show that a high-Q resonator-coupling mechanism can enable orders of magnitude more efficient power delivery between resonators spaced by mid-range distances than is enabled by traditional inductive schemes. Coupled high-Q resonators have demonstrated efficient energy transfer over mid-range distances and improved efficiencies and offset tolerances in short range energy transfer applications.

Problems solved by technology

However, this type of radiative transfer is very inefficient because only a tiny portion of the supplied or radiated power, namely, that portion in the direction of, and overlapping with, the receiver is picked up.

Such inefficient power transfer may be acceptable for data transmission, but is not practical for transferring useful amounts of electrical energy for the purpose of doing work, such as for powering or charging electrical devices.

However, these directed radiation schemes may require an uninterruptible line-of-sight and potentially complicated tracking and steering mechanisms in the case of mobile transmitters and / or receivers.

In addition, such schemes may pose hazards to objects or people that cross or intersect the beam when modest to high amounts of power are being transmitted.

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