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WiTricity: MIT tests breakthrough theory on wireless electricity

June 8, 2007

Using magnetically coupled resonators, a team of MIT students and professors have successfully tested their newly developed system for wireless electricity. The concept has been around for a while and even practiced using different transfer methods such as radio waves and lasers. The problem, however with radio waves is that there is no control of dispersion, which emits wasted energy into the atmosphere, and the problem with lasers is that there needs to be an uninterrupted line of sight (not to mention that lasers can be dangerous).

The team from MIT, led by professor Marin Soljacic, was able to power a 60W bulb without any physical connection between the bulb and the power source. This works by having two electromagnetic resonators, in the form of copper coils that share the same frequency. The resonators are placed within a relative proximity of each other, and the source resonator, also called the sending unit, can then transmit energy to the detached resonator across their shared frequency and not interfere with objects of differing frequencies.

Besides the wasteful nature of dispensing energy in a non-controlled direction (i.e. radio waves), there is also concern for safety. One property of WiTricity is that released energy remains within a magnetic field surrounding the source resonator until it is picked up by an object sharing the same frequency.

This technology is being toted as the answer to recharging portable devices, which makes perfect sense, but there is even greater potential with recent advances in wireless USB, or even remote controls. Imagine never having to change the batteries in your TV remote, and therefore never having to reprogram it.

As this technology will inevitably take off, it becomes the role of the designer to think of where these properties can appropriately be used, and to ensure that non-powered components within a facility don’t share the same resonant frequencies; everything has a resonant frequency.

The only foreseeable downside to this breakthrough is if your cat fluffy shares the same resonant frequency as your cell phone’s power coil, but only then do I see a problem

Posted by Sean Snyder on June 8, 2007 | Comments (14)

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February 18, 2008

In response to: WiTricity: MIT tests breakthrough theory on wireless electricity
Tesla Fan commented:

Tesla had it right...His funding was taken away by Morgan and Westinghouse. They had too much at stake with the AC power generation and transmission business. Wireless transmission would have reduced the demand on copper (Morgan) in the US. Hopefully the MIT guys will get it right...the public deserves the technology. If history had been better, we would have been wireless for the past 100 years.

December 24, 2007

In response to: WiTricity: MIT tests breakthrough theory on wireless electricity
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December 24, 2007

In response to: WiTricity: MIT tests breakthrough theory on wireless electricity
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December 22, 2007

In response to: WiTricity: MIT tests breakthrough theory on wireless electricity
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November 1, 2007

In response to: WiTricity: MIT tests breakthrough theory on wireless electricity
Alex Fetcher commented:

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August 29, 2007

In response to: WiTricity: MIT tests breakthrough theory on wireless electricity
Kurt commented:

This is a extremely inefficient way to transfer power over a distance. It might be convenient, but it will certainly be expensive when compared to delivering electricity by wire.

August 13, 2007

In response to: WiTricity: MIT tests breakthrough theory on wireless electricity
bill robishaw commented:

lets not dwell on why it wont work and get on with the business of making it work.

July 10, 2007

In response to: WiTricity: MIT tests breakthrough theory on wireless electricity
Sean commented:

It is sad how commerce is often required to give good technology the push it needs to become mainstream. Look at the electric car, it has been suppressed for years, but now that there is a stronger market for sustainable options, the idea has come back to life. However to say that Tesla's ways would be free for the whole world is a bold statement. The companies that generate the electricity would probably have something to say about that, whether or not it was wireless.

July 10, 2007

In response to: WiTricity: MIT tests breakthrough theory on wireless electricity
EngineerWiz commented:

Personally, I like what eCoupled is doing better. It seems closer to commercialization. What with all their partnerships and their having been doing it for 10+ years.

July 6, 2007

In response to: WiTricity: MIT tests breakthrough theory on wireless electricity
Jagerballs commented:

I cannot understand why Tesla''s ways were not adopted in the late 1800''s....let alone how this will be anywhere near as convenient, as Dr. Nikola Tesla''s ways would have been totally free for the whole world. I can guarantee that whoever makes this available to the public will become filthy rich, where it should have happened over one hundred years ago.

June 20, 2007

In response to: WiTricity: MIT tests breakthrough theory on wireless electricity
tanstaafl commented:

OK, this definitely sounds interesting, but not new, as has been noted. What exactly has been developed? How are eddy currents in nearby conductors prevented (are iron laminates involved?)? Are they commercializing this by replacing AC power plugs in the walls, or have I totally mis-understood?

June 14, 2007

In response to: WiTricity: MIT tests breakthrough theory on wireless electricity
John Dodge commented:

Can I throw away the 50 battery chargers I have now?

June 11, 2007

In response to: WiTricity: MIT tests breakthrough theory on wireless electricity
Sean commented:

As far as I can tell, this is a significantly more efficient method for wireless power transfer than Tesla's 19th-20th century experiments. The use of resonant magnetic fields appears to be what contains the energy before releasing it out to its power-needing component. Does anyone else know more on the subject? If so please comment here to offer your insights.

June 10, 2007

In response to: WiTricity: MIT tests breakthrough theory on wireless electricity
Rorschach commented:

And how exactly does this differ from Tesla's experiments?

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