Bright Future for Wireless Power

Analysis from Frost & Sullivan, Wireless Power Supplies and Contactless Energy Transfer, finds that induction based wireless power could represent the next wave in powering portable electronics.

“Moreover, natural deposits such as coal and petroleum are rapidly depleting, and one day, alternative energy sources will be needed,” say Technical Insights Research Analysts Sharmishta S. and Agata Jozwicka. “If Earth-based natural energy sources will not satisfy the world's energy needs, space solar power systems could become the only alternative.”

As the home automation trend 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; however, there tends 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.

“The other problem here is that some of such devices are often large and so, there have to be trade-offs among the size of the devices, the proximity between the transmitter and receiver, and the amount of power to be used to recharge the device,” notes Jozwicka. “There is a need for complementary electronics capable of working at higher frequencies to improve the efficiency of the wireless power transfer.”

“This challenge is especially pertinent for personal and household devices, where the users are concerned about the impact of electromagnetic field, microwaves, or even radio waves on their health,” observes Sharmishta. “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 regulation norms.”

Wireless Power Supplies and Contactless Energy Transfer provides a technology overview and outlook for wireless energy transfer systems. The study provides insights into technologies such as electromagnetic induction, microwave, lasers, and resonance that can aid energy transmission wirelessly to power devices used in home, offices, and industries.