Wireless power supply pole

Abstract

Provided is a wireless power supply pole 1 comprising, as a part in a height direction, a microwave power transmission unit 10 for microwave wireless power supply in which a power transmission antenna 12 is accommodated in a housing 11. The power transmission antenna 12 has directivity and is arranged to transmit microwaves in the horizontal direction or downward from the horizontal direction, and the microwaves transmitted from the power transmission antenna 12 are transmitted to the outside through a microwave-transparent part of the housing 11. The power transmission antenna 12 is installed in an upright state on the ground.

Description

Wireless power supply pole

[0001] The present invention relates to a wireless power supply pole having a microwave wireless power supply function.

[0002] Conventionally, battery charging devices have been known that are installed on utility poles that support power lines and have the function of charging a vehicle's traction battery and the function of wireless charging that complies with standards such as Qi (registered trademark) (see Patent Document 1).

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a form in which the above-mentioned battery charging device is installed inside the interior space of a hollow utility pole, and a form in which it is installed outside the utility pole.

[0004] JP 2023-46750 A

[0005] However, existing utility poles are made of stone or metal, which means microwaves cannot penetrate them. Therefore, the battery charging device installed inside the utility pole described in Patent Document 1 cannot provide wireless power supply using microwaves. Furthermore, battery charging devices installed on the exterior of utility poles face the risk of damage and deterioration of the power transmission antenna due to wind and rain.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a wireless power feeding pole that has a microwave wireless power feeding function and can effectively prevent damage and deterioration of the power transmission antenna due to rain and wind.

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, one aspect of the present invention provides the following wireless power supply pole.

[0008] [1] A wireless power feeding pole comprising a microwave power feeding unit for microwave wireless power feeding, the power feeding antenna housed in a housing, as part of its height, the power feeding antenna having directionality and arranged to transmit microwaves horizontally or below the horizontal, the microwaves transmitted from the power feeding antenna passing through a microwave-transparent portion of the housing and transmitted to the outside, and installed in an upright position on the ground. [2] The wireless power feeding pole according to [1] above, having a polygonal cross-sectional shape in the horizontal direction. [3] The wireless power feeding pole according to [2] above, wherein the power feeding antenna is a planar antenna, and the multiple power feeding antennas are installed in the microwave power feeding unit so as to respectively follow multiple different side surfaces of the housing. [4] The wireless power feeding pole according to [1] above, wherein the microwave power feeding unit comprises multiple power transmitting antennas that transmit microwaves in different directions, and transmits microwaves from one of the multiple power transmitting antennas with the highest power transmission efficiency based on position information of a microwave power receiving device sent from the power receiving device. [5] The wireless power feeding pole according to [1] above, wherein the housing of the microwave power feeding unit has a circular cross section in the horizontal direction, the power transmitting antenna is a planar antenna, and a film on which the power transmitting antenna is printed is wrapped around a cylindrical base material inside the housing. [6] The wireless power feeding pole according to any one of [1] to [5] above, further comprising, as part of its height direction, at least one of a wireless power feeding unit for wirelessly feeding power using a method different from that of the microwave power feeding unit, an illumination unit having a light source that illuminates the periphery of the wireless power feeding pole, a communication unit that functions as a base station that transmits and receives radio waves for wireless communication, a monitoring unit having a sensor that monitors the periphery of the wireless power feeding pole, and an environmental sensing unit having an environmental sensor that senses the environment around the wireless power feeding pole.

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a wireless power feeding pole that has a microwave wireless power feeding function and can effectively prevent damage and deterioration of the power transmission antenna due to rain and wind.

[0010] Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a wireless power feeding pole according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2A is a perspective view of a microwave power feeding unit included in the wireless power feeding pole. Fig. 2B is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the microwave power feeding unit, schematically showing the arrangement of a power transmitting antenna within a housing. Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a microwave power feeding unit and a power receiving device for microwave wireless power feeding. Fig. 4A is a perspective view showing the appearance of a cylindrical wireless power feeding pole. Fig. 4B is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the microwave power feeding unit, schematically showing the arrangement of a power transmitting antenna within a housing when the wireless power feeding pole is cylindrical. Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a modified example of the wireless power feeding pole.

[0011] Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a wireless power feeding pole 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2A is a perspective view of a microwave power feeding unit 10 included in the wireless power feeding pole 1. Fig. 2B is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the microwave power feeding unit 10, schematically showing the arrangement of a power transmitting antenna 12 inside a housing 11.

[0012] 1 , the wireless power feed pole 1 is installed upright on the ground, and typically, the length direction of the wireless power feed pole 1 is parallel to the vertical direction. The wireless power feed pole 1 includes, as part of its height direction, a microwave power feeding unit 10 for microwave wireless power feeding, in which a power transmitting antenna 12 is housed in a housing 11.

[0013] The microwave power transmitting unit 10 is stacked in the height direction and fixed to other parts of the wireless power feeding pole 1. The microwave power transmitting unit 10 can be separated and removed from the other parts.

[0014] The wireless power feeding pole 1 can wirelessly feed microwave power to devices such as an electric bicycle 50, a drone, and a mobile terminal that are equipped with a power receiving device 30 for microwave wireless power feeding, using the microwave power transmitting unit 10.

[0015] The power transmitting antenna 12 included in the microwave power transmitting unit 10 has directionality and is positioned to transmit microwaves horizontally or downward from the horizontal. This allows microwave wireless power to be fed to devices such as an electric bicycle 50 equipped with a microwave wireless power receiving device 30 located around the wireless power feeding pole 1. Microwave wireless power feeding is a contactless method of feeding power without cables, and therefore there is no risk of short circuits.

[0016] For example, the diameter of the wireless power feeding pole 1 is 30 to 40 cm, and the height is 4 to 8 m. To prevent submersion in floods, the microwave power transmitting unit 10 is preferably installed at a position some distance from the ground surface, for example, at a height of 2 m or more from the ground surface.

[0017] Although the horizontal cross-sectional shape of the wireless power feeding pole 1 is not particularly limited, a polygonal shape can increase rigidity. In the example shown in Fig. 1 , the wireless power feeding pole 1 is a hexagonal prism whose horizontal cross-sectional shape is a regular hexagon. Note that, because the microwave power feeding unit 10 is part of the height of the wireless power feeding pole 1, the horizontal cross-sectional shape of the housing 11 of the microwave power feeding unit 10 is the same as the horizontal cross-sectional shape of the wireless power feeding pole 1.

[0018] The power source of the microwave power transmitting unit 10 is, for example, an underground power transmission cable or an electric wire strung on a utility pole. For example, the microwave power transmitting unit 10 receives a power supply of about 200 W from the power transmission cable or electric wire and transmits about 40 W of power by microwaves. An appliance equipped with a power receiving device 30 for microwave wireless power transmission, such as an electric bicycle 50, receives about 10 W of power.

[0019] Furthermore, a solar cell may be installed on the top plate of the wireless power feeding pole 1 or on the side of the microwave power transmitting unit 10 other than the housing 11, and used as part of the power source. ２ For example, a flexible solar cell can be wound around the side of the wireless power supply pole 1 and installed.

[0020] At least the portion of the housing 11 of the microwave power transmitting unit 10 that covers the power transmitting antenna 12 on the outside of the power transmitting antenna 12 is made of a microwave-transparent material such as resin. Therefore, the microwaves transmitted from the power transmitting antenna 12 are transmitted to the outside through the microwave-transparent portion of the housing 11. This makes it possible to suppress attenuation of the microwaves when they pass through the housing 11.

[0021] Furthermore, by using resin as the material for the housing 11, it is possible to reduce the weight of the housing 11. Furthermore, by forming the surrounding portion of the housing 11 around the installation position of the power transmitting antenna 12 from resin, additional insulation processing is not required when installing the power transmitting antenna 12. Furthermore, by using resin as the material for the housing 11, it is possible to suppress the rise in internal temperature in the hot sun compared to when metal is used.

[0022] The resin that can be used to form the housing 11 includes, for example, polycarbonate, AES (acrylonitrile-ethylene-propylene-diene-styrene), acrylic resin, cellulose nanofiber, ASA (acrylonitrile-styrene-acrylic ester), and the like.

[0023] It is possible to reduce the weight of the housing 11 while maintaining its strength by reinforcing it with a resin fiber cloth attached to the inside surface of the housing 11. Furthermore, if the body of the housing 11 and the resin fiber cloth are made of the same type of resin (for example, nylon-based resin), the housing 11 can be efficiently recycled.

[0024] Furthermore, in order to reduce the weight while maintaining strength, the housing 11 may have a honeycomb structure with hexagonal ribs lined up on the inner side surface. For example, in the manufacturing process of the housing 11, when the housing 11 is divided into two parts in the vertical direction and each part is formed by injection molding, ribs extending parallel to the direction in which the two parts of the housing 11 are removed from the mold can be provided on the inner side surface of the housing 11.

[0025] The housing 11 may have an uneven surface having a mesh-like shape or the like on the outer side surface thereof in order to enhance heat dissipation.

[0026] The power transmitting antenna 12 is, for example, a patch array antenna that is composed of a plurality of patch antennas (microstrip antennas) arranged in an array.

[0027] The microwave power transmitting unit 10 preferably includes a plurality of power transmitting antennas 12 that transmit microwaves in different directions. For example, when the horizontal cross section of the wireless power feeding pole 1 is polygonal, i.e., when the horizontal cross section of the housing 11 of the microwave power transmitting unit 10 is polygonal, and when the power transmitting antenna 12 is a planar antenna such as a patch array antenna, the plurality of power transmitting antennas 12 are installed along different side surfaces of the microwave power transmitting unit 10 (specifically, for example, so as to be positioned parallel to the side surfaces or so as to be tilted downward from a position parallel to the side surfaces), as shown in Fig. 2B .

[0028] The position of the power transmitting antenna 12 may be set depending on the direction in which the microwaves are emitted, etc. For example, if it is expected that microwave wireless power feeding will be performed only in a specific area around the wireless power feed pole 1, the power transmitting antenna 12 may be placed only at a position where the microwaves are transmitted toward the periphery of that area.

[0029] The frequency of the microwaves emitted by the microwave power transmitting unit 10 is set within the range of, for example, 5.7 to 90 GHz depending on the size of the antenna of the power receiving device 30 and the distance over which the microwaves are transmitted.

[0030] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the microwave power transmitting unit 10 and a power receiving device 30 for microwave wireless power feeding provided on an electric bicycle 50 or the like.

[0031] The microwave power transmitting unit 10 and the power receiving device 30 transmit and receive microwaves for contactless power supply between the power transmitting antenna 12 of the microwave power transmitting unit 10 and the power receiving antenna 32 of the power receiving device 30. The power receiving device 30 receives the microwaves transmitted from the microwave power transmitting unit 10 and uses the obtained power to operate an appliance equipped with the power receiving device 30, such as an electric bicycle 50, or to charge a battery 35 equipped in the power receiving device 30, which will be described later.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 3 , the microwave power transmitting unit 10 includes, for example, a power transmitting antenna 12 , a communication unit 13 , a conversion unit 14 , a battery 15 , and a control unit 16 .

[0033] The power transmitting antenna 12 can be used for transmitting microwaves to the power receiving device 30 as well as for various communications with the power receiving device 30 such as communications related to beacon signals and the like.

[0034] The communication unit 13 performs various controls related to communication with the power receiving device 30. For example, the communication unit 13 controls the power transmitting antenna 12 and receives a beacon signal transmitted by the power receiving device 30.

[0035] When microwave wireless power feeding is performed, the converter 14 converts power into microwaves and transmits them via the power transmitting antenna 12. The converter 14 may convert power supplied from a power source (not shown) into microwaves, or may convert power stored in a battery 15 (described later) into microwaves.

[0036] The battery 15 stores power supplied from a power source (not shown). The power capacity of the battery 15 when fully charged is, for example, a power capacity that is sufficient to supply power to a plurality of power receiving devices 30.

[0037] The control unit 16 controls each component included in the microwave power transmitting unit 10. The control unit 16 is realized, for example, by a hardware processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executing a program (software). Some or all of these components may be realized by hardware (including circuitry) such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or may be realized by a combination of software and hardware. The program may be stored in advance in a storage device including a non-transitory storage medium such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or flash memory included in the microwave power transmitting unit 10.

[0038] The control unit 16 can adjust the phase of the power transmitting antenna 12 based on the position information of the power receiving device 30 received by the communication unit 13 in order to efficiently perform microwave wireless power feeding.

[0039] Furthermore, when the microwave power transmission unit 10 is equipped with multiple power transmission antennas 12 that transmit microwaves in different directions, as shown in Figures 2A and 2B, microwaves can be transmitted from one of the multiple power transmission antennas 12 that has the highest power transmission efficiency based on the location information of the power receiving device 30 received by the communication unit 13.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 3 , the power receiving device 30 includes, for example, a power receiving antenna 32 , a communication unit 33 , a conversion unit 34 , a battery 35 , and a control unit 36 ​​.

[0041] The power receiving antenna 32 can be used for receiving microwaves from the microwave power transmitting unit 10 as well as for various communications with the microwave power transmitting unit 10 such as communications related to beacon signals and the like.

[0042] The communication unit 33 performs various controls related to communication with the microwave power transmitting unit 10. For example, the communication unit 33 controls the power receiving antenna 32 and transmits position information of the power receiving device 30 to the microwave power transmitting unit 10.

[0043] The converter 34 converts the microwaves received by the power receiving antenna 32 into DC power. The battery 35 stores the DC power converted by the converter 34. The power receiving device 30 operates using the power stored in the battery 35.

[0044] The control unit 36 ​​controls each unit included in the power receiving device 30. The control unit 36 ​​is realized, for example, by a hardware processor such as a CPU executing a program (software). Furthermore, some or all of these components may be realized by hardware (including circuit units) such as an LSI, ASIC, FPGA, or GPU, or may be realized by a combination of software and hardware. The program may be stored in advance in a storage device including a non-transitory storage medium such as an HDD or flash memory included in the power receiving device 30.

[0045] Fig. 4A is a perspective view showing the appearance of the cylindrical wireless power feeding pole 1. Fig. 4B is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the microwave power feeding unit 10, schematically showing the arrangement of the power transmitting antenna 12 inside the housing 11 when the wireless power feeding pole 1 is cylindrical.

[0046] When the wireless power feeding pole 1 is cylindrical, the horizontal cross-sectional shape of the wireless power feeding pole 1, i.e., the horizontal cross-sectional shape of the housing 11 of the microwave power transmitting unit 10, is circular as shown in FIG. 4B.

[0047] When the horizontal cross-sectional shape of the housing 11 of the microwave power transmission unit 10 is circular, as shown in Figure 4B, a film 17 on which a planar power transmission antenna 12 such as a patch array antenna is printed can be wrapped around a cylindrical substrate or the like inside the housing 11 and installed, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of the microwave power transmission unit 10.

[0048] 5 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a wireless power feeding pole 2, which is a modified example of the wireless power feeding pole 1. The wireless power feeding pole 2 is a multifunctional smart pole that further includes a unit having a function different from the microwave power transmitting unit 10.

[0049] In the example shown in FIG. 5 , the wireless power feeding pole 2 includes a wireless power feeding unit 21 for wireless power feeding using a method different from that of the microwave power transmission unit 10, a lighting unit 22 equipped with a light source for illuminating the area around the wireless power feeding pole 2, a communication unit 23 functioning as a base station for transmitting and receiving radio waves for wireless communication, a monitoring unit 24 equipped with a sensor for monitoring the area around the wireless power feeding pole 2, and an environmental sensing unit 25 equipped with an environmental sensor for sensing the environment around the wireless power feeding pole 2.

[0050] In the wireless power feeding pole 2, the environmental sensing unit 25, the monitoring unit 24, the communication unit 23, the microwave power transmitting unit 10, the lighting unit 22, and the wireless power feeding unit 21 are stacked and fixed to one another in the height direction of the wireless power feeding pole 2. That is, the wireless power feeding pole 2 includes the microwave power transmitting unit 10, the wireless power feeding unit 21, the lighting unit 22, the communication unit 23, the monitoring unit 24, and the environmental sensing unit 25, each of which occupies a part of the height direction.

[0051] The wireless power feeding unit 21 is, for example, an electric field coupling type wireless power transmission unit capable of feeding power to a device such as a drone 51 mounted on its top surface, and has a power feeding device including a power transmission coil and the like built into a housing having a configuration similar to that of the housing 11 of the microwave power feeding unit 10. For example, when wireless power feeding using the electric field coupling type is performed, touch-and-go power feeding to the drone 51 can also be performed.

[0052] The lighting unit 22 is a unit for illuminating the area around the wireless power supply pole 1, and is, for example, a unit in which a light source such as an LED light-emitting device is built into a housing having a configuration similar to that of the housing 11 of the microwave power transmission unit 10.

[0053] The communication unit 23 is a unit that functions as a base station for a mobile communication system such as 5G or 6G, and is a unit that has equipment such as a radio and an antenna built into a housing having a configuration similar to that of the housing 11 of the microwave power transmission unit 10.

[0054] The monitoring unit 24 is a unit for monitoring the surroundings of the wireless power supply pole 1, and is, for example, a unit in which monitoring equipment such as an infrared camera, a LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) sensor, and a sound-collecting microphone are built into a housing having a configuration similar to that of the housing 11 of the microwave power transmission unit 10.

[0055] The environmental sensing unit 25 is a unit for detecting environmental information around the wireless power feeding pole 1, and includes, for example, a biosensor for detecting viruses, a CO ２ This unit has built-in environmental sensors such as a PM2.5 sensor.

[0056] There is no particular limitation on the number or functions of units other than the microwave power transmission unit 10 included in the wireless power feeding pole 2. Therefore, it is possible to selectively install only the necessary functions in the wireless power feeding pole 2. Furthermore, each unit can be freely separated, and the type of unit used and the stacking order of each unit can be set appropriately depending on the function of each unit, etc.

[0057] Effect of the embodiment In the wireless power feeding poles 1 and 2 according to the above-described embodiment of the present invention, at least the portion of the housing 11 of the microwave power transmitting unit 10 that covers the power transmitting antenna 12 on the outside thereof is made of a microwave-transparent material such as resin, which can reduce attenuation of microwaves when they pass through the housing 11. Furthermore, because the power transmitting antenna 12 is housed within the housing 11, it is possible to effectively prevent damage and deterioration of the power transmitting antenna 12 due to wind and rain.

[0058] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, the components of the above-described embodiments can be combined in any manner without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0059] Furthermore, the above-described embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention as claimed, and it should be noted that not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the means for solving the problems of the invention.

[0060] To provide a wireless power feeding pole having a microwave wireless power feeding function and capable of effectively preventing damage and deterioration of a power transmission antenna due to wind and rain.

[0061] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1, 2 Wireless power feeding pole 10 Microwave power transmitting unit 11 Housing 12 Power transmitting antenna 21 Wireless power feeding unit 22 Lighting unit 23 Communication unit 24 Monitoring unit 25 Environmental sensing unit 30 Power receiving device

Claims

1. A wireless power supply pole comprising: a microwave power transmission unit for microwave wireless power supply, the microwave power transmission unit having a power transmission antenna housed in a housing, as part of the height direction; the power transmission antenna having directionality and being arranged so as to transmit microwaves in the horizontal direction or below the horizontal direction; the microwaves transmitted from the power transmission antenna are transmitted through a microwave-transparent part of the housing and transmitted to the outside; and the wireless power supply pole is installed in an upright state on the ground.

2. The wireless power supply pole according to claim 1, wherein the horizontal cross-sectional shape is a polygon.

3. The wireless power supply pole according to claim 2, wherein the power transmission antenna is a planar antenna, and a plurality of the power transmission antennas are arranged in the microwave power transmission unit so as to extend along different side surfaces of the housing.

4. The wireless power supply pole as described in claim 1, wherein the microwave power transmitting unit is provided with a plurality of transmitting antennas which transmit microwaves in different directions, and transmits microwaves from one of the plurality of transmitting antennas which has the highest power transmission efficiency based on position information of the power receiving device sent from the microwave power transmitting power receiving device.

5. The wireless power supply pole as described in claim 1, wherein the horizontal cross-sectional shape of the housing of the microwave power transmitting unit is circular, the power transmitting antenna is a planar antenna, and a film on which the power transmitting antenna is printed is wrapped around a cylindrical substrate inside the housing.

6. The wireless power feeding pole according to any one of claims 1 to 5, comprising, as part of its height direction, at least one of the following: a wireless power feeding unit for wireless power feeding using a method different from that of the microwave power transmission unit; a lighting unit having a light source for illuminating the area around the wireless power feeding pole; a communication unit that functions as a base station for transmitting and receiving radio waves for wireless communication; a monitoring unit having a sensor for monitoring the area around the wireless power feeding pole; and an environmental sensing unit having an environmental sensor for sensing the environment around the wireless power feeding pole.

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