Guided surface waveguide probes

• US 10,062,944 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2016
• Issued: 08/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quantum Wave LLC
• Original Assignee: Cpg Technologies, LLC
• Inventors: Corum, James F., Corum, Kenneth L., Pinzone, Jr., Basil F., Pinzone, Joseph F., Carlton, Jr., Paul Kendall
• Primary Examiner(s): Takaoka, Dean
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wong, Alan
• Application Number:
  US15/240,218
• Publication Number:
  US 20170069948A1
• Time in Patent Office: 740 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/08 for linking dissimilar lines or devices H01P1/16, H01P5/04 take precedence; linking lines of the same kind but with different dimensions H01P5/02
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/1242 Rigid masts specially adapted for supporting an aerial
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/06 with core of ferromagnetic material H01Q7/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/52 Systems for transmission between fixed stations via waveguides
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

Disclosed a guided surface waveguide probe including a charge terminal configured to generate an electromagnetic field and a support apparatus that supports the charge terminal above a lossy conducting medium, wherein the electromagnetic field generated by the charge terminal synthesizes a wave front incident at a complex Brewster angle of incidence (θ_i,B) of the lossy conducting medium.

Claims

1. A guided surface waveguide probe comprising:

a charge terminal configured to generate an electromagnetic field to launch a Zenneck surface wave; and

a support apparatus that supports the charge terminal above a lossy conducting medium;

wherein the electromagnetic field generated by the charge terminal synthesizes a wave front incident at a complex Brewster angle of incidence (θ

_i,B) of the lossy conducting medium at a distance from the guided surface waveguide probe greater than or equal to a Hankel crossover distance at a frequency of operation to cause a Zenneck surface wave to be launched in the lossy conducting medium.

2. The probe of claim 1, wherein the support apparatus comprises a non-conductive vertical support.

3. The probe of claim 2, wherein the non-conductive vertical support is a non-conductive vertical pole.

4. The probe of claim 3, wherein the vertical pole is made of a polymeric material.

5. The probe of claim 2, wherein the support apparatus further comprises non-conductive tensioned lines that reinforce the vertical pole.

6. The probe of claim 5, wherein the tensioned lines are made of a polymeric material.

7. The probe of claim 1, wherein the support apparatus comprises multiple non-conductive vertical supports.

8. The probe of claim 7, wherein the vertical supports comprise non-conductive vertical poles.

9. The probe of claim 8, wherein the vertical poles are made of a polymeric material.

10. The probe of claim 8, wherein the support apparatus further comprises non-conductive cross-members that extend between the poles.

11. The probe of claim 10, wherein the cross-members are made of a polymeric material.

12. The probe of claim 8, wherein the support apparatus further comprises non-conductive tensioned lines that extend between the vertical poles and the charge terminal.

13. The probe of claim 12, wherein the tensioned lines are made of a polymeric material.

14. The probe of claim 1, wherein the support apparatus comprises multiple non-conductive diagonal supports.

15. The probe of claim 14, wherein the diagonal supports comprise non-conductive diagonal poles.

16. The probe of claim 15, wherein the diagonal poles are made of a polymeric material.

17. The probe of claim 15, wherein the support apparatus further comprises non-conductive cross-members that extend between the poles.

18. The probe of claim 17, wherein the cross-members are made of a polymeric material.

19. The probe of claim 1, further comprising a feed network electrically coupled to the charge terminal, the feed network providing a phase delay (Φ

) that matches a wave tilt angle (Ψ

) associated with the complex Brewster angle of incidence (θ

_i,B) in the vicinity of the guided surface waveguide probe.

20. The probe of claim 19, wherein the feed network comprises a conductive coil and wherein the support apparatus comprises a vertical support, the vertical support comprising the coil and a non-conductive vertical pole that extends between the coil and the charge terminal.

21. The probe of claim 20, wherein the vertical pole is made of a polymeric material.

22. The probe of claim 20, further comprising non-conductive tensioned lines that reinforce the vertical support.

23. The probe of claim 22, wherein the tensioned lines are made of a polymeric material.

24. The probe of claim 20, wherein the conductive coil is encased in reinforcement material.

25. The probe of claim 24, wherein the reinforcement material comprises concrete.

26. The probe of claim 20, further comprising a feed line connector that electrically couples the conductive coil with the charge terminal.

27. The probe of claim 26, further comprising a stake that electrically couples the conductive coil to the lossy conducting medium.

28. A method for generating guided surface waves comprising:

with a charge terminal supported above a lossy conducting medium by a support apparatus of a guided surface waveguide probe, generating an electromagnetic field that synthesizes a wave front incident at a complex Brewster angle of incidence (θ

_i,B) of the lossy conducting medium at a distance from the guided surface waveguide probe greater than or equal to a Hankel crossover distance at a frequency of operation to cause a Zenneck surface wave to be launched in the lossy conducting medium.