Guided Surface Wave Transmitter Receiver for Lossy Media
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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
1Illumination intensity
If conventional antenna structures are used for signal transmission, then radio waves can be transmitted, but field strength decreases significantly with distance and reflection losses occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter of wave propagation mode from radiation fields to guided surface waves. By exciting surface wave modes along the Earth's surface rather than radiating spherical waves, the field strength decay is dramatically reduced, allowing signals to maintain strength over much longer distances without requiring higher transmission power.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces the Earth's surface as an intermediary guiding medium for electromagnetic wave propagation. Instead of waves traveling through free space, the electromagnetic energy is guided along the Earth's surface using surface wave modes, similar to how optical fibers guide light. This intermediary medium enables long-distance transmission with maintained field strength.
2Productivity
If signals are transmitted using radiation fields, then communication can be established, but reflection causes energy loss and reduced efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the propagation mode from radiation to guided surface waves, which fundamentally alters how the waves interact with the Earth's surface. Surface waves travel along the interface between the Earth and atmosphere, experiencing minimal reflection and energy loss, thereby dramatically improving transmission efficiency and reducing energy waste.
3Illumination intensity
If guided surface wave modes are excited, then field strength near the source increases significantly, but specialized probe structures are required
Solution Approach 1:
The guided surface wave probe is divided into distinct functional segments: a vertical monopole element for electromagnetic excitation, a horizontal rod element for surface wave guidance, and a grounding system. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently while working together to achieve efficient surface wave excitation with enhanced field strength near the source.
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 with significantly higher field strength near the source and reduced reflection, overcoming the limitations of existing technologies.
Implementation Method 1
by synthesizing a wave front incident at a complex Brewster angle, resulting in zero reflection
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
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are various embodiments of a guided surface wave transmitter/receiver configured to transmit a guided surface wave at a first frequency and to receive guided surface waves at a second frequency, concurrently with the transmission of guided surface waves at the first frequency. The various embodiments can be configured to retransmit received power and applied the received power to an electrical load. The various embodiments of the guided surface wave transmitter/receiver also can be configured as an amplitude modulation (AM) repeater.