A revolutionary discovery made by a team of researchers from the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (Unist). South Korea is preparing to change the way we charge our phone: it will no longer be necessary to use cables or position it adjacent to the charging point, given that the operation can also take place at a certain distance and while keeping the electronic device in your pocket.
Professor Franklin Bien and his team from the Department of Electrical Engineering at Unist have announced the creation of an innovative wireless power transfer system based on electrical resonance (ERWPT), marking a deep gap with the past. Thanks to this cutting-edge technology, every electronic device, including the telephone, can be recharged anywhere within a single three-dimensional space, a “3D environment including walls, floors and air”. This makes it possible to overcome the problems associated with traditional magnetic resonance wireless power transfer (MRWPT), thanks to the transmission of efficient power without the constraints of precise positioning of the device.
MRWPT had the merit of paving the way in this area, however colliding with the limitations due to the constraints of the magnetic fields on the arrangement of the receiver: this resulted in a reduced sensitivity in the power transfer efficiency (PTE) as the positioning of the telephone varied , making it difficult to find efficient solutions. ERWPT instead manages to exploit the monopolar characteristic of electric charges, overcoming the barriers that blocked traditional methods based on the magnetic field.
Korean technology has achieved remarkable “non-radiative” power transfer up to 50 watts and a PTE of 46% over a distance of 2 meters, maintaining constant efficiency regardless of variations in the arrangement of the receiver device. To understand the significance of the discovery, just think that in 2007 MIT experts, using magnetic resonance methods, achieved a transmission efficiency of 40% at the same distance from the transmitter.
“While MIT research has indicated the feasibility of medium-range charging using a self-resonant method”explains Professor Bien, “Our technology represents a true innovation that allows charging everywhere within a three-dimensional space”. “This development will provide wireless charging solutions for logistics robots and automation systems in smart factories”adds the expert.
Thanks to the open bifilar coil configuration of the transceiver, the electrical resonance is facilitated, and the PTE power transfer does not undergo flexions even if the position of the phone or device you want to charge is changed, even at greater distances. Another key aspect of ERWPT is the fact that it allows you to trade simultaneously on more electronic devicesagain without the signal weakening within the “3D charging environment”.
“The ERWPT system introduces a new method of energy transmission that uses electromagnetic force, showing a new approach to understanding electromagnetic phenomena.”considers Dr. Bonyoung Lee of Unist.