Wireless Energy Transfer with Negative Index Material

• US 20110133565A1
• Filed: 12/03/2009
• Published: 06/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc. (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc. (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Huang, Da, Teo, Koon Hoo, Iyer, Vishwanath, Wang, Bingnan
• Application Number:
  US12/630,543
• Publication Number:
  US 20110133565A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/104
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 7/00 Other common features of elevators
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention disclose a system configured to exchange energy wirelessly. The system includes a structure configured to exchange the energy wirelessly via a coupling of evanescent waves, wherein the structure is electromagnetic (EM) and non-radiative, and wherein the structure generates an EM near-field in response to receiving the energy; and a negative index material (NIM) arranged within the EM near-field such that the coupling is enhanced.

Claims

1. A system configured to transfer energy wirelessly, comprising:

a source configured to transfer the energy wirelessly to a sink via a coupling of evanescent waves, wherein the source is an electromagnetic (EM) and a non-radiative structure; and

a negative index material (NIM) arranged such as to enhance the coupling.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the source is a resonant structure having a resonant frequency, and wherein the sink is a resonant structure having a substantially the same resonant frequency.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the source is configured to transfer energy over a distance in an order of a wavelength of the energy.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the NIM is arranged such as being between the source and the sink during the coupling.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a driver configured to supply the energy to the source.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the source generates an EM near-field in response to receiving the energy, and wherein the NIM is arranged within the EM near-field.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein the NIM has a refractive index equals to −

1 at the resonant frequency of the system.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of NIMs arranged to increase amplitudes of the evanescent waves during the coupling.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of NIMs arranged on a path of an evanescent wave such that the evanescent wave travels through each NIM in the plurality of NIMs during the coupling.

10. The system of claim 2, wherein the NIM is arranged such as to enclose the source.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the NIM has a negative permittivity property and a negative permeability property.

12. The system of claim 3, wherein the distance varies within a range of order of the wavelength.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the source is a resonant structure, and the sink is not resonant structure.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the source is a resonant structure, and the sink is resonant structure, wherein a resonant frequency of the source differs from a resonant frequency of the sink.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the source is a non resonant structure, and the sink is resonant structure.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the source is configured to transfer energy to a plurality of sinks.

17. A method for transferring energy wirelessly, comprising steps of:

transferring the energy wirelessly via a coupling of evanescent waves of a source and a sink, wherein the source is an electromagnetic (EM) and a non-radiative structure; and

increasing amplitudes of the evanescent waves using a negative index material (NIM), such that the coupling is enhanced.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

supplying the energy to the source.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

consuming the energy from the sink by a load.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the NIM is arranged such as to enclose the source