Contribution to the Invention of Wireless Transmission - Essay Example

Witricity Student’s Name Institutional Affiliation Witricity Wireless transmission has been studied for over a century now. It has been easy to transmit electromagnetic waves such as radio waves, and a lot had been achieved in that field. However, scientists have been working tirelessly to use the technique of wireless transmission of radiations to enable wireless power transmission. Significant steps towards realizing power transmission without cables started in the 1800s when scientists such Heinrich Rudolf Hertz and Nicolas Tesla pioneered the wireless transmission. Power transmission via cables results in losses especially during transmission and distribution. Therefore, wireless power transmission inventions and innovations have been aimed at saving on the power losses and enhance safety as well. Experiments on wireless power transmission are based on electrical conductivity whereby the power is resonantly transferred with an electric field. The great journey of WiTricity/wireless transmission of signals began in the year 1888 when Heinrich Rudolf Hertz confirmed the existence of electromagnetic radiation. Hertz used James Clerk Maxwell’s theory of the electromagnetic waves to generate the electromagnetic radiation. Maxwell noticed that combining electrical and magnetic field generates electromagnetic waves. Based on that theory, Hertz set up an apparatus comprising a VHF/UHF radio wave spark gap transmitter that he used to generate and send electromagnetic waves. The spark gap was the receiving antennae and two rods as the receivers. The success of Hertz experiment confirmed the existence of the electromagnetic waves. Consequently, more scientists started working towards improving on Hertz’s apparatus for better transmission. Nicolas Tesla, an American scientist, significantly contributed to wireless transmission. He picked from Hertz’s discoveries and improved on Hertz-wave wireless transmitter as demonstrated in his patent, “System of Electric Lighting,” no.454, 622. Tesla believed that electromagnetic waves could be transmitted from one point to another without the use of wires. Although Tesla never concentrated on power generation, he was concerned about the safety of method of transmission. In 1891, Tesla demonstrated to his audience, the members of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers, in New York how the wireless transmission works (Bellows, 2010). In his demonstration, two separate gas-discharge tubes glowed despite not connected by any wire. He further explained that the electricity was being transmitted through air two metal rods he on the stage. Tesla invention was based on his believe that the earth itself is a superconductor that send charges through the entire universe. Equipped with his theories that the earth is a superconductor, Tesla embarked on a project to develop a tower transmitter for his project. He believed the tower would increase wireless transmission to a broader area. In the same year, 1891, Tesla constructed the tower in his private laboratory in Pike’s Peak in Colorado Springs. The tower was 142 feet tall with a copper sphere at its tip. The tower’s wiring was then routed to a high-voltage Tesla Coil. Tesla coil was a powerful, high-voltage air core transformer that he used to carry out various experiments on wireless transmission. Tesla coil produced high voltage with low current and high frequency current (Tesla Memorial Society of New York, 2013). The transmission tower project borrowed heavily from the Hertz, transmission model. When Tesla ran the equipment, high voltage generated arced hundreds of feet from the tower tip to the ground. The equipment was overwhelmed and ended abruptly when its power failed. The experiment resulted in shattered windows and blackout throughout Colorado Springs. Although the experimentation did not last longer,Tesla was happy that the outcome confirmed his theories that the earth can be used as an electric conductor. Later in 1893 in his experimentations, he increased the degree of success when he illuminated phosphorescent lamps at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago (Tesla, 1998). Tesla was convinced, more than ever, of the feasibility of worldwide wireless electricity. Graph Showing Tesla’s Voltage Reduction with Distance in Wireless Power Transmission Graph 1.0. Percentage voltage gain of the system with respect of voltage ratio (Herrera et al., 2010). Graph 1.0 shows that energy (in terms of voltage) transferred without wire reduces as the distance increases up to zero energy at some distance. It is the main reason why it was difficult to achieve wireless power transmission above to greaters distance with smaller coils in the 1800s Tesla experimental success prompted further development in wireless power transmission as seen in the subsequent inventions and innovations. Although Tesla pioneered wireless transmission, many other scientists became part of the historical development of power transmission. In 1894, Maurice Hutin and Maurice Leblanc demonstrated that both wireless power and resonance technique could be used for traction systems (as cited in Hui, 2013 and Prashans, Duggal, & Srivastava, 2015). In the same year, they both patented a wireless technique of powering railroad trains by using highly resonant coils, which transferred power to the rail track wire at 3 kHz by induction (Prashans, Duggal, & Srivastava, 2015). Tesla continued with his experiments and in 1894, he successfully used thermodynamics induction to light up single terminal incandescent lamps at two of his laboratory situated at 35 South Fifth Avenue and 46 E. Houston Street in New York. Improvements in wireless power transmission did not stop there. In the same year, 1894, Jagdish Chandra Bose showed that communication signals could be sent wirelessly by igniting gunpowder that then rings a bell distance away. Later in 1895, Bose transmitted signals nearly a mile away. In 1896, Telsa followed suit and transmitted signals over a distance of about 40 kilometers (Tesla, 1998). A year later, in 1897, Tesla was convinced of wireless transmission and files for patent applications dealing specifically with the wireless transmission (Tesla, 1998). In 1897, wireless power transmission took a forward step when Guglielmo Marconi, Italian physicist, accredited with radio invention, invented radio transmitter and used to transmit Morse code signals six kilometers away. Although Marconi failed in 1900 to acquire patents for radio in the United States, in 1901, he successfully transmitted signals across the Atlantic Ocean by using Tesla’s apparatus (Biography, 2010). In 1902, Tesla vs. Reginald Fessenden - U.S. Patent Interference No. 21,701 outlined wireless system signaling, which in the fundamental AND logic gate for today's electronics (Tesla, 1998). The field of wireless power transmission was now being promoted and in 1904, at St. Louis World’s Fair, there was a prize for successfully driving 75W air motor wirelessly through a space of 30 metres (Tesla, 1998). In 1926, Shintaro Uda and Hidetsugu Yagi improved on wireless transmission by publishing their first paper on Yagi antenna a tuned high-gain directional array (Cooper, 2005). Later in 1961, William C. Brown published an article outlining the possibilities of microwave power transmission, and in 1964, he demonstrated on CBS news microwave beam powered helicopter model (Naggi, 2009). Between 1969 and 1975 Brown was the director technical director of a JPL Raytheon program that successfully transmitted 30 KW over a distance of about 1 mile at the efficiency of 84 percent (Naggi, 2009). In 1968, Peter Glaser used power beaming technology to suggest a possibility to transfer solar energy from space to some distance (Yardkey, 2004). The idea was later adopted in designing solar power satellite. In 1971, at The University of Auckland, New Zealand, Professor Don Otto developed an inductively powered trolley (Nyboe, n.d). In 1988, Professor John Boys led a power electronics groups at the University of Auckland in New Zealand concluded power transmission by electrodynamics induction is achievable after developing an inverter using innovative materials and power electronics (Morton, 2013). The technology was patented by Auckland Uniservices Ltd that was later in 1989 contracted by a Japanese company, Daifuku, to develop the technology for their car assembly plants (Morton, 2013). In 1990, Prof. Boys developed a technology that enable multiples vehicles to use the same inductive power source with each vehicle having different controls, and the technology patented by Auckland's Uniservices Ltd (Morton, 2013). In 1996, Auckland Uniservices developed an electric bus power system that inductively could charge 30 to 60kW leading to the commissioning of the first commercial IPT Bus by Prof. Boys at Whakarewarewa, in New Zealand. In 1998, RFID tags were powered wirelessly via electrodynamics inductions over a few feet via (Sun, Xie, and Wang, 2013). Europe was not being left behind, and in 2001, in the UK, a splash power used coupled resonant coils to transmit several watts into consumers’ gadgets such as phone, and lamps among others. By 2004, electrodynamic induction was being used by 90 percent of a US$1 billion industry dealing in equipement in the manufacture of semiconductor, plasma and LCD manufacturing. In 2005, Professor Boys’ led team at The University of Auckland completed a 3-phase IPT Highway and pick up systems that transferred power to moving vehicles within the laboratory (Tesla Research, n.d). MIT Project of 2007 In 2007, a team of scientists led by Prof. Marin Soljacic demonstrated to the world the possibility of wireless power transfer. The idea was born out by Prof. Solijacic, who was consistently woken up by a phone rings indicating low battery. He then thought of an idea on how to charge the phone wirelessly. Given that other scientists had carried out several research studies on wireless power transmission such electromagnetic radiations by Tesla and others, Prof. Solijacic thought of a way to channel the electromagnetic radiation that tend to transmit in all directions. In their experiment, the team concentrated on magnetically coupled resonators to transfer power to a distance (Hanlon, 2007). The team studied two electromagnetic resonators that were coupled via their magnetic fields (Hanlon, 2007). They picked a strongly coupled area within the system that enable transfer of power irrespective of the distance and the size of the resonators. The teams design consisted of two copper coils, 60 centimeters in diameter, resonating independently. One coil attached to the power source and acted as the sending system while the other coil, which also resonates receives the radiated electromagnetic waves. With the experimental setup, they were able to power 60W bulb at 40% efficiency at a distance of about 2 meters (Hanlon, 2007). In 2008, Bombardier developed PRIMOVE, a new wireless transmission product to be used on trams and light-rails vehicles (Bombardier Transportation, 2012). In the same year 2008, Thanh Tran, an industrial designer based at Brunel University invented a wireless lamb of high-efficiency 3W LED (Tran, 2010). Still in 2008, Intel reproduced Teslas original 1894 work on electrodynamics inductions, and Professor Boys’ team of 1988 carried out other experiments to light up a bulb with an increased efficiency of 75 percent (The Institute of Engineering and Technology, 2012). In 2009, the Wireless Power Consortium announced near completion of their new product of low-power inductive charging. In the same year, Wireless Power & Communication company based in Norway developed an Ex certified charger and torch for offshore markets (CITE). In 2009, resonance power transfer system was used to transmit power to implantable devices. In the same year, 2009, Lasermotive used diode laser in power beaming in transmitting over a kilowatt hundreds of meters away (Huang, 2010). Sony also showed case their wirelessly powered TV set by 60W to a distance of about 50 centimeters in 2009. In 2010, Haier produced the first wireless LCD TV based on Professor Marin’s follow up research on Tesla’s electrodynamics wireless power transmission method and the wireless home digital interface (WHDI) (Tesla Research, n.d.). In 2014, WiTricity Cooperation announced a new product WiT-5000C3 for smartphone and tablets wireless charging system (WiTricity, 2014). References Bellows, A. (2010). Tesla’s tower of power . Retrieved from http://www.damninteresting.com/teslas-tower-of-power/ Biography (2010) . Guglielmo Marconi biography. Retrieved from http://www.biography.com/people/guglielmo-marconi-9398611 Bombardier Transportation (2012). Bombardier redefines e-mobility for rail and road with PRIMOVE technology. Retrieved from http://www.bombardier.com/en/media-centre/newsList/details.35913-bombardier-redefines-e-mobility-for-rail-and-road-with-primove-technology.bombardiercom.html Cooper, C.(2015). The truth about tesla: The myth of the lone genius in the history of innovation. New York: Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc. Flemming Nyboe. Wireless transfer of electrical energy. Retrieved from www.atv.dk/.../lars_lading_wireless_transfer_of_electrical_energy.pdf Hanlon, M. (2007). MIT demonstrates wireless power. Retrieved from http://www.gizmag.com/go/7418/ Herrera, et al. (2010). Experiment about wireless energy transfer. Retrieved from http://www.researchgate.net/publictopics.PublicPostFileLoader.html?id=5120a9dfe4f076d06000002f&key=d912f5120a9df38979 Huang, T.G. (2010). LaserMotive beams power to “Quadrocopter” UAV, breaks world record for electric aircraft. Retrieved from http://www.xconomy.com/seattle/2010/10/28/lasermotive-beams-power-to-%E2%80%9Cquadrocopter%E2%80%9D-uav-breaks-world-record-for-electric-aircraft/ Hui, S.Y.R. (2013). Planar wireless charging technology for portable electronic products and Q. Retrieved from http://hub.hku.hk/bitstream/10722/185841/1/content.pdf?accept=1 Morton, J. (2013). PM's Science Prize awarded to wireless pioneers. Retrived from http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=11155859 Naggi, R.K. (2009). Solar energy and its uses. Mahaveers and sons. New delhi, India. Prashans, Duggal, A. & Srivastava, K.M. (2015). An innovative design of wireless power transfer by high frequency resonant coupling. International Journal of Innovative Research in Science, Engineering and Technology, 4(7), 6031-6037. http://DOI:10.15680/IJIRSET.2015.0407121 Sun, T., Xie, X. & Wang, Z. (2013). Wireless poer transfer for the medical microsystems. Springer: New York Tesla Memorial Society of New York (2013). Tesla coil. Retrieved from http://www.teslasociety.com/teslacoil.htm Tesla, N. (1998). Guided weapons & computer technology. L. I. Anderson (eds). Colorado: Twenty First Century Books Tesla Research (n.d). Wireless transmissionof energy. Retrived from http://teslaresearch.jimdo.com/wireless-transmission-of-energy-1/ The Institute of Engineering and Technology (2012). History shapes the future in the Inspec Archive. Retrieved from http://www.theiet.org/resources/inspec/products/archive/history.cfm Tran, T.T. (2010). High-speed DSP and analog system design. Springer: New york. William Yardley (June 5, 2004). Peter Glaser, who envisioned space solar power, dies at 90. From http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/06/us/peter-glaser-who-envisioned-space-solar-power-dies-at-90.html?_r=0 Witricity (2014). WiTricity Announces Industry’s First Development Kit for Building Rezence™-Certified Wireless Charging Systems. Retrieved from http://witricity.com/news/witricity-announces-industrys-first-development-kit-building-rezence-certified-wireless-charging-systems/ Read More