BEIJING, June 8 (Xinhuanet) -- Scientists may have
signaled an end to electric cords and batteries when they lit a 60-watt light
bulb from a power source seven feet away without using a physical connection.
The researchers have named their concept "WiTricity" as in "wireless
electricity."
MIT physicist Marin Soljacic started thinking years
ago about how to transmit power wirelessly so his cell phone could recharge
without ever being plugged in.
The problem with wireless power transmission is that
broadcasting energy in all directions can be very wasteful because a
vast majority of power ends up being squandered into free space.
Soljacic and his colleagues devised WiTricity based
on resonance. Two objects resonating at the same frequency tend to exchange
energy efficiently, while interacting weakly with objects not resonating at the
same frequency.
Instead of sound, the MIT physicists focused on
magnetic fields. Most common materials interact only very weakly with magnetic
fields, so little power would get wasted on unintended targets.
"The fact that magnetic fields interact so weakly
with biological organisms is also important for safety considerations," said
Soljacic's colleague, MIT physicist Andre Kurs.
The scientists designed two copper coils roughly 20
inches in diameter that were specially designed to resonate together. One was
attached to the power source, the other to a light bulb. The practical
demonstration of their earlier theoretical work managed to power the light bulb
even when obstacles blocked direct line of sight between the source and device,
findings detailed online June 7 in the journal Science.
The researchers demonstrated roughly 40 percent
efficiency in power transfer. Kurs told LiveScience they are currently working
on improving the efficiency of the power transfer as well as the maximum
distance allowed.
"For the moment, we are focusing on power transfers
on the order of 100 watts although, in principle, more power could be
transferred," he added.
(Agencies)
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