Wireless Energy Transfer Using Arrays of Resonant Objects

• US 20120217816A1
• Filed: 08/12/2011
• Published: 08/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc. (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc. (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Wang, Bingnan, Teo, Koon Hoo, Yerazunis, William S., Zhang, Jinyun
• Application Number:
  US13/209,297
• Publication Number:
  US 20120217816A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/104
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 7/00 Other common features of elevators
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/05 using capacitive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/40 using two or more transmitting or receiving devices H02J50/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/70 involving the reduction of electric, magnetic or electromagnetic leakage fields
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/26 using coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/263 Multiple coils at either side
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

A system for exchanging energy wirelessly includes an array of at least three objects, wherein the objects have similar resonant frequencies, wherein each object is electromagnetic (EM) and non-radiative and generates an EM near-field in response to receiving the energy. Each object is electrically isolated from the other objects and arranged at a distance from all other objects, such that upon receiving the energy, the object is strongly coupled to at least one other object via a resonant coupling of evanescent waves. An energy driver provides the energy at the resonant frequency to at least one object in the array, such that, during an operation of the system, the energy is distributed from the at least one object to all other objects in the array via the resonant coupling of the evanescent waves.

Claims

1. A system for exchanging energy wirelessly, comprising:

an array of at least three objects, wherein the objects have similar resonant frequencies, wherein each object is electromagnetic (EM) and non-radiative and generates an EM near-field in response to receiving the energy, wherein each object is electrically isolated from the other objects and arranged at a distance from all other objects, such that upon receiving the energy, the object is strongly coupled to at least one other object via a resonant coupling of evanescent waves; and

an energy driver for providing the energy at the resonant frequency to at least one object in the array, such that, during an operation of the system, the energy is distributed from the at least one object to all other objects in the array via the resonant coupling of the evanescent waves.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the coupling is inductive, capacitive coupling, or combination thereof.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the objects have quality factor greater than 100.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the objects in the array are arranged arbitrarily.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a sink connected to a load, wherein the energy in the array is transferred to the sink via the resonant coupling of the evanescent waves.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the sinks moves relative to the array while exchanging the energy.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a sink connected to a load, wherein the energy in the array is transferred to the sink via the resonant coupling of the evanescent waves.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of sinks connected to a load., wherein the energy in the array is transferred to the sink via the resonant coupling of the evanescent waves.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of sinks, wherein the sinks are connected to different loads.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the objects are arranged in two-dimensions.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the objects are arranged in three dimensions.

12. The system of claim 1, comprising:

a plurality of arrays, wherein each array has at least three objects.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein phases and amplitudes of the energy transferred to each object is controlled dynamically.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the array includes a metamaterial.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the array includes a reflector.

20. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a Faraday cage enclosing the array.

13. The system of claim 13, wherein the arrays are offset from each other.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein each array is energized independently.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the energy in the array is transferred to a single sink.

14. The system of claim 14, wherein the offset are horizontal, vertical, or combinations thereof.

21. A system for exchanging energy wirelessly, comprising:

an array of at least three objects, wherein the objects have similar resonant frequencies, wherein each object is electromagnetic (EM) and non-radiative and generates an EM near-field in response to receiving the energy, wherein each object is electrically isolated from the other objects and arranged at a distance from all other objects, such that upon receiving the energy, the object is strongly coupled to at least one other object via a resonant coupling of evanescent waves; and

an energy driver for providing the energy at the resonant frequency to at least one object in the array, such that, during an operation of the system, the energy is distributed from the at least one object to all other objects in the array via the resonant coupling of the evanescent waves.

22. A system configured to exchange energy wirelessly, comprising:

an energy source comprising a first array of objects;

a sink comprising a second array of objects, wherein the objects in the energy source and the sink have similar resonant frequencies, is electromagnetic (EM) and non-radiative, and generates an EM near-field in response to receiving the energy;

an energy driver for providing the energy at the resonant frequency to at least one object in the energy source, such that, during an operation of the system, the energy is distributed from the object in the energy source to all other objects in the energy source; and

a load for receiving the energy from the sink, wherein the first and the second arrays are strongly coupled to, respectively, at least one other object in the first and the second array, via a resonant coupling of evanescent waves, and wherein the sink is arranged to receive energy wirelessly from the energy source via the resonant coupling of one or many objects in the first array with one or many objects in the second array.

23. A method for exchanging energy wirelessly, comprising:

distributing the energy among all objects in an array of at least three objects, each object has a resonant frequency, is electromagnetic (EM) and non-radiative, and configured to generate an EM near-field in response to receiving the energy, wherein each object in the array is arranged at a distance from all other objects in the array, such that upon receiving the energy the object is strongly coupled to at least one other object in the array via a resonant coupling of evanescent waves, such that, during an operation of the system, the energy is distributed from the object to all other objects in the array; and

transmitting the energy wirelessly to a sink arranged at a distance from the array.