Guided Surface Waveguide Probe for Energy Transmission
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Solution Overview
Problem
For over a century, there has been a lack of practical structures to efficiently launch open surface guided waves over planar or spherical surfaces of lossy, homogeneous media, with theoretical analyses remaining largely unimplemented in engineering.
Innovation Solution
Guided surface waveguide probes are configured to excite electric fields that couple into a guided surface waveguide mode along the surface of a lossy conducting medium, such as the Earth, by synthesizing a wave front incident at a complex Brewster angle, resulting in zero reflection and the launch of a guided electromagnetic field as a guided surface wave.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If conventional antenna structures are used to transmit radio waves, then radiation fields can be launched, but the field strength decays geometrically with distance and energy loss is high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental transmission parameter from radiated electromagnetic fields to guided surface waves. By using guided surface wave probes instead of conventional antennas, the system transitions from geometric field decay to exponential decay with a smaller decay constant, significantly reducing energy loss over distance while maintaining practical device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the conventional antenna radiation mechanism with a guided surface wave excitation mechanism. Instead of using traditional antenna structures that radiate energy into free space, the system uses specialized probes to excite guided waves along the Earth's surface, substituting one physical mechanism for another more efficient one
2Illumination intensity
If guided surface waveguide probes are configured to excite electric fields at complex Brewster angle, then mode-matched guided surface waves are achieved with enhanced field strength, but the device configuration becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by configuring the guided surface waveguide probes to excite electric fields at complex Brewster angles. This specific angular configuration enables mode-matching between the probe fields and the guided surface wave modes, resulting in enhanced field strength and efficient energy coupling, while the probe structure itself remains relatively simple
Solution Approach 2:
The guided surface waveguide probes are designed to self-adjust and self-optimize their field excitation characteristics. By configuring the probes to naturally excite fields at complex Brewster angles, the system achieves mode-matched guided surface waves without requiring complex external control mechanisms, allowing the structure to serve itself in optimizing performance
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables the efficient transmission of energy along the surface of lossy conducting media with exponential decay vertical to the interface, effectively overcoming the limitations of traditional radiated electromagnetic fields by achieving mode-matched guided surface waves with enhanced field strength and propagation characteristics.
Implementation Method 1
by synthesizing a wave front incident at a complex Brewster angle, resulting in zero reflection and the launch of a guided electromagnetic field as a guided surface wave
Implementation Method 2
The solution enables the efficient transmission of energy along the surface of lossy conducting media with exponential decay vertical to the interface, effectively overcoming the limitations of traditional radiated electromagnetic fields by achieving mode-matched guided surface waves with enhanced field strength and propagation characteristics
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are various embodiments of a guided surface waveguide transmit system. One embodiment of the guided surface waveguide transmit system includes a guided surface waveguide probe configured to transmit a guided surface wave along a lossy conducting medium. The system further includes a controller device configured to receive load status data and signal for the guided surface waveguide probe to adjust transmission of the guided surface wave based at least in part on the load status data.