Excitation and use of guided surface wave modes on lossy media

• US 9,910,144 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2013
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cpg Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: Cpg Technologies, LLC
• Inventors: Corum, James F., Corum, Kenneth L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Thienvu
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sun, Pinping
• Application Number:
  US13/789,525
• Publication Number:
  US 20140252865A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,825 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/0218 Very long range radars, e.g. surface wave radar, over-the-horizon or ionospheric propagation systems for meteorological use G01S13/95
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/88 Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications electromagnetic prospecting or detecting of objects, e.g. near-field detection, G01V3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/04 Adaptation for subterranean or subaqueous use
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/36 Structural form of radiating elements, e.g. cone, spiral, umbrella; Particular materials used therewithH01Q1/08, H01Q1/14 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/30 with feed to end of elongated active element, e.g. unipole H01Q9/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type

Abstract

Disclosed are various embodiments systems and methods for transmission and reception of electrical energy along a surface of a terrestrial medium. A polyphase waveguide probe that transmits electrical energy in the form of a guided surface wave along a surface of a terrestrial medium. A receive circuit is used to receive the electrical energy.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

positioning a receive circuit relative to a terrestrial medium; and

receiving, via the receive circuit, energy conveyed in a form of a Zenneck surface wave propagating on a surface of the terrestrial medium in a guided transmission line mode, the Zenneck surface wave launched by electromagnetic fields generated by a polyphase waveguide probe, where the electromagnetic fields are substantially mode-matched to a guided surface wave mode of the terrestrial medium, wherein the guided surface wave mode is substantially expressed as

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the receive circuit loads an excitation source coupled to the polyphase waveguide probe that generates electromagnetic fields which synthesize a wave front incident at a complex Brewster angle of the terrestrial medium surrounding the polyphase waveguide probe thereby launching the Zenneck surface wave.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the energy comprises electrical power, and the method further comprises applying the electrical power to an electrical load coupled to the receive circuit, where the electrical power is used as a power source for the electrical load.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising impedance matching an electrical load to the receive circuit.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising establishing a maximum power transfer from the receive circuit to the electrical load.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the receive circuit comprises a magnetic coil positioned to couple with electromagnetic fields of the Zenneck surface wave.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the receive circuit comprises a linear probe positioned to couple with electromagnetic fields of the Zenneck surface wave.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the receive circuit comprises a tuned resonator coupled to the terrestrial medium, the tuned resonator positioned to couple with electromagnetic fields of the Zenneck surface wave.

9. An apparatus, comprising:

a receive circuit that receives energy conveyed in a form of a Zenneck surface wave propagating along a surface of a terrestrial medium in a guided transmission line mode, the Zenneck surface wave launched by electromagnetic fields generated by a polyphase waveguide probe, where the electromagnetic fields are substantially mode-matched to a guided surface wave mode of the terrestrial medium, wherein the guided surface wave mode is substantially expressed as

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the receive circuit is configured to load an excitation source coupled to the polyphase waveguide probe that generates electromagnetic fields which synthesize a wave front incident at a complex Brewster angle of the terrestrial medium surrounding the polyphase waveguide probe thereby launching the Zenneck surface wave.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the energy comprises electrical power, and the receive circuit is coupled to an electrical load, and wherein the electrical power is applied to the electrical load, the electrical power being employed as a power source for the electrical load.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the electrical load is impedance matched with the receive circuit.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the receive circuit comprises a magnetic coil that couples with electromagnetic fields of the Zenneck surface wave.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the receive circuit comprises a linear probe that couples with electromagnetic fields of the Zenneck surface wave.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the receive circuit comprises a tuned resonator that couples with electromagnetic fields of the Zenneck surface wave.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the tuned resonator comprises a series tuned resonator.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the tuned resonator comprises a parallel tuned resonator.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the tuned resonator comprises a distributed tuned resonator.

19. A power transmission system, comprising:

a polyphase waveguide probe that transmits electrical energy in a form of a guided surface wave along a surface of a terrestrial medium, where the polyphase waveguide probe generates electromagnetic fields that are substantially mode-matched to a guided surface wave mode of the terrestrial medium, wherein the guided surface wave mode is substantially expressed as

20. The power transmission system of claim 19, wherein the receive circuit loads the polyphase waveguide probe.

21. The power transmission system of claim 19, wherein an electrical load is coupled to the receive circuit and the electrical energy is used as a power source for the electrical load.

22. The power transmission system of claim 21, wherein the electrical load is impedance matched to the receive circuit.

23. The power transmission system of claim 21, wherein a maximum power transfer is established from the receive circuit to the electrical load.