Wireless power is emerging as a popular concept due to the need for a convenient means to power personal and portable electronic devices.
Researchers are considering several technologies for such applications.
New analysis from Frost & Sullivan, entitled ‘Wireless power supplies and contactless energy transfer’, finds that induction-based wireless power could represent the next wave in powering portable electronics. It could also enable new applications in other sectors such as healthcare for powering implants to increase patient convenience and quality of life.
“Wireless power has tremendous potential in various industries including consumer electronics, automotive and process control,” say Frost & Sullivan research analysts Sharmishta S. and Agata Jozwicka. “The power and energy industry is investing substantially in research on large-scale wireless energy transfer. Space-based solar power systems are attracting attention as an alternative form of energy to meet energy demands in the long term.”
As home automation is catching on, several companies have developed wireless power technologies such as charging pads for use in homes and offices to power personal electronic devices. Meanwhile, universities are researching ways to improve efficiency over longer ranges. Wireless power transfer is highly efficient at short distances, but there tend to be substantial power losses when the transfer distance increases.
In the case of power-hungry devices such as industry machines or even laptops, the transfer should be efficient enough to enable rapid recharging and should not interfere with the continuous working of the device during the recharge. Even wired chargers are not considered completely reliable since they heat up while charging, dissipating energy through heat.
To quell such consumer apprehensions and increase customer acceptance of the technology, scientists are studying techniques such as resonant induction, microwaves and lasers, although these methods currently limit the amount of power that can be transmitted.
“The other problem here is that some of these devices are large and so there have to be trade-offs between the size of the devices, the proximity between the transmitter and receiver, and the amount of power to be used for recharge,” note the analysts. “There is a need for complementary electronics capable of working at higher frequencies to improve the efficiency of the wireless power transfer.”
Even if all these performance requirements are met, potential users will still be wary about the safety of wireless energy transfer. “This challenge is especially pertinent for personal and household devices, where the users are concerned about the impact of electromagnetic fields, microwaves or even radio waves on their health,” the analysts observe. “In order to accelerate the adoption of this disruptive technology in a conservative end-user market, it must be ensured that energy transfer technologies operate within regulatory norms.”
For more information contact Patrick Cairns, Frost & Sullivan, +27 (0)21 680 3274, [email protected], www.frost.com
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