Wireless Energy Transfer using Magnetic Resonance

Introduction In 1891 Nikola Tesla developed a type of resonant transformer circuit. He named it Tesla Coil. It is used to produce high voltage, low current, and high frequency alternating current electricity. Tesla used these coils for a variety of applications like electrotherapy, X ray generation, experiments in electrical lightning, phosphorescence and transmission of electrical energy without wires.

Working of Tesla Coil A Tesla coil transformer operates in a totally different manner than a conventional transformer. In a conventional transformer, windings are tightly coupled and voltage gain is determined by the ratio of the number of turns in the windings. This works well at normal voltages but at high voltages, the insulation between the two windings are easily broken down and thus prevents the iron

cored transformer to run at extremely high voltages without consuming much damage. In a Tesla coil, the windings are loosely coupled with a large air gap and thus the primary and secondary are typically sharing only 10-20% of their magnetic fields. So instead of a tight coupling, the coil transfers energy via loose coupling from a primary resonant circuit to the secondary over a number of RF circuits. The advantage of Tesla coil over normal transformer is that it has greater voltage gain.

Why The Experiments by Tesla were Shelved In 1899 Tesla transferred millions of volts of energy through his Tesla coil transformer. But experiments on these lines were soon shelved. The reason behind this was that Tesla coil produces high voltage arcs. Theses arcs cause permanent damage to electrical devices on contact. Many devices can also incur damage without directly struck by the arc due to the sheer amount of voltage being transferred. Tesla coil also destroys hearing aids, cardiac pacemakers in its vicinity.

Why it deserves another look With the arrival of a number of portable entertainment and communication devices, the technology warrants another look. In a new proposal, use of phenomenon of magnetic resonance for energy transfer may be effectively utilized. The idea is to use two copper coils, one at transmitter section connected to the power supply and other at the receiver section which is strongly coupled to magnetic field of the first.

Principles and Circuitry Involved

Near Field Inductive Coupling

A near field region is the region around the source of the electromagnetic radiation within a radius r, such that r<<; wave. where is the wavelength of transmitted

Total energy per unit area is proportional inversely to r2.Since the receiver is very near to the transmitter, most of the transmitted energy is receipted by the receiver implying lesser losses.

Also energy is available to the receiver only if energy is tapped and this is sensed by transmitter by means of answering electromagnetic near fields emanated by receiver.

The energy transfer here is mediated through Evanescent wave.

Evanescent Wave

Evanescent wave is a damped wave whose power decreases exponentially with distance. The wave is most intense within a distance of /3 from the source.

Evanescent wave coupling is achieved by placing 2 or more electromagnetic elements in such a fashion so that the field generated by one element does not decay much before it reaches other element.

In evanescent wave coupling both receiver and transmitter emit evanescent waves of same frequency. But they travel in opposite direction, forming a standing wave, which facilitates energy transfer. When energy is utilized by the receiver, the standing wave collapses. This process is repeated and energy is transmitted in bursts. Transmitter Circuitry

Transmitter consists of a clock generator and a phase shift network. Clock generator can be formed by any resonant oscillator circuit and an amplifier-simple or complex. Phase shift network convert low frequency A C input signal to high frequency directional ultra sound wave.

Receiver Circuitry

Receiver contains a voltage regulator which regulates the received voltage as per the requirements of the device.

Choice of Coil Ideal inductors would be having zero capacitance and zero resistance in theory. But practically it is impossible. It will be having parasitic resistance and capacitance.

Self Resonant frequency of an inductor is the lowest frequency at which the inductor resonates with self capacitance.

F= (29.85 x (H/D)1/5)/(NxD)

Where,

F is resonant frequency H is height of coil D is diameter of coil N is the number of turns of the coil The above formula is valid only when H/D<1. We choose coil whose F is at least twice the operating frequency.

Application Wireless charging of all portable devices

Drawbacks Energy theft becomes a possibility Standardization of Equipments will be required