Guided Surface Waveguide Probes for Efficient Power Distribution
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Solution Overview
Problem
For over a century, there has been no practical structure for efficiently launching open surface guided waves over planar or spherical surfaces of lossy, homogeneous media, despite theoretical possibilities.
Innovation Solution
Guided surface waveguide probes are configured to excite electric fields that couple into a guided surface wave 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 launching 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 signals by radio waves, then radiation fields can be launched, but energy loss increases and transmission efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional radiating antenna structures with guided surface waveguide probes that launch electromagnetic waves along the Earth's surface as guided waves rather than radiating them into free space. This substitution of the transmission mechanism reduces energy loss by confining the electromagnetic energy to propagate along the lossy conducting medium (Earth) where it can be more efficiently guided and delivered to distant receivers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces the Earth's surface (lossy conducting medium) as an intermediary to guide electromagnetic waves. By using the Earth itself as a waveguide, the system achieves efficient energy transmission over long distances without requiring traditional radiating antennas that lose energy to free space propagation.
2Productivity
If guided surface waveguide probes are used to launch open surface guided waves, then transmission efficiency improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs specific parameter adjustments in the guided surface waveguide probe design, including operating at complex Brewster angles and using particular probe geometries (such as elevated monopoles or dipole configurations). These parameter changes enable efficient coupling to guided surface wave modes while maintaining relatively simple probe structures that can be implemented with standard antenna elements.
3Loss of energy
If radiated waves are used for transmission, then coverage area increases, but energy loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from three-dimensional free-space radiation to two-dimensional surface-guided propagation along the Earth's surface. This dimensional change allows electromagnetic energy to travel much farther with less attenuation by confining it to propagate along the lossy conducting medium, achieving both reduced energy loss and extended effective coverage area.
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 propagation of guided surface waves along lossy conducting media, achieving significant field strength at close distances and exponential decay with distance, resembling transmission line propagation, while avoiding energy loss common in radiated waves.
Implementation Method 1
by synthesizing a wave front incident at a complex Brewster angle, resulting in zero reflection and launching a guided electromagnetic field as a guided surface wave
Implementation Method 2
Guided surface waveguide probes are configured to excite electric fields that couple into a guided surface wave mode along the surface of a lossy conducting medium
Implementation Method 3
achieving significant field strength at close distances and exponential decay with distance, resembling transmission line propagation
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects of a hierarchical power distribution network are described. In some embodiments, a first guided surface waveguide probe launches a first guided surface wave along a surface of a terrestrial medium within a first power distribution region. A guided surface wave receive structure obtains electrical energy from the first guided surface wave. A second guided surface waveguide probe launches a second guided surface wave along the surface of the terrestrial medium within a second power distribution region using the electrical energy obtained from the first guided surface wave.