Proposed Planning of Wireless Power Transmission Demonstration

I. INTRODUCTIONis enormous. It has the potential to become a
In our present electricity generation system we wastemulti-billion dollar per year market.
more than half of its resources. Especially theThe increasing demand for electrical energy in industrial
transmission and distribution losses are the mainnations is well documented. If we include the demand
concern of the present power technology. Much ofof third world nations, pushed by their increasing rate
this power is wasted during transmission from powerof growth, we could expect an even Faster rise in the
plant generators to the consumer. The resistance ofdemand for electrical power in the near future. These
the wire used in the electrical grid distribution systemsystems can only meet these requirements with
causes a loss of 26-30% of the energy generated.90–94 %efficient transmission [3, 8].
This loss implies that our present system of electricalHigh Transmission Integrity and Low Loss: - To
distribution is only 70-74% efficient. We have to thinktransmitwireless power to any distance without limit. It
of alternate state - of - art technology to transmit andmakes no difference what the distance is. The
distribute the electricity. Now- a- days global scenarioefficiency of the transmission can be as high as 96 or
has been changed a lot and there are tremendous97 per cent, and there arepractically no losses.
development in every field. If we don’t keep pace 
with the development of new power technology we3.2. Demerits
have to face a decreasing trend in the development 
of power sector. The transmission of power withoutBiological Impact: - One common criticism of the Tesla
wires may be one noble alternative for electricitywireless power system is regarding its possible
transmission.biological effects. Calculating the circulating reactive
William C. Brown, the leading authority on wirelesspower, it was found that the frequency is very small
power transmission technology, has loaned thisand such a frequency is very biologically compatible [3,
demonstration unit to the Texas Space Grant8].
Consortium to show how power can be transferred 
through free space by microwaves. A block diagram3.3.Economic Impact
of the demonstration components is shown below. 
The primary components include a microwave source,The concept looks to be costly initially. The investment
a transmitting antenna, and a receiving rectenna.cost of Tesla Tower was $150,000 (1905). In terms of
Fig.1 Block of wireless power transmissioneconomic theory, many countries will benefit from this
The microwave source consists of a microwave ovenservice. Only private, dispersed receiving stations will
magnetron with electronics to control the outputbe needed. Just like television and radio, a single
power. The output microwave power ranges from 50resonant energy receiver is required, which may
W to 200 W at 2.45 GHz. A coaxial cable connectseventually be built into appliances, so no power cord
the output of the microwave source to awill be necessary! Monthly electric utility bills from
coax-to-waveguide adapter. This adapter is connectedold-fashioned, fossil-fuelled, lossprone electrified
to a waveguide ferrite circulator which protects thewire-grid delivery services will be optional, much like
microwave source from reflected power. The“cable TV” of today. In the 21st century,
circulator is connected to a tuning waveguide section“Direct TV” is the rage, which is an exact
to match the waveguide impedance to the antennaparallel of Tesla’s “Direct Electricity.”
input impedance.IV. ADDITIONAL REMARKS
The slotted waveguide antenna consists of 8Many concepts, research papers, patents are available
waveguide sections with 8 slots on each section.on wireless transmission of electricity but most
These 64 slots radiate the power uniformly throughresearch work were carried out in isolation, so it needs
free space to the rectenna. The slotted waveguidea joint collaborative efforts to get a very useful results
antenna is ideal for power transmission because of itson this advanced technology on power transmission
high aperture efficiency (> 95%) and high powerfor the benefit of mankind globally in future. Whatever
handling capability.the future may bring, the universal application of these
A rectifying antenna called a rectenna receives thegreat principles is fully assured, though it may be long in
transmitted power and converts the microwavecoming. With the opening of the first power plant,
power to direct current (DC) power. Thisincredulity will give way to wonderment, and this to
demonstration rectenna consists of 6 rows of dipolesingratitude, as ever before.
antennas where 8 dipoles belong to each row. EachThe world is still not able to achieve the benefit of the
row is connected to a rectifying circuit which consistsGod gifted potential of Dr N.Tesla. People neglected
of low pass filters and a rectifier. The rectifier is ahim and his good work. He deserved much better
GaAs Schottky barrier diode that is impedancetreatment from the tycoons of his age, than to spend
matched to the dipoles by a low pass filter. The 6the last 40 years of his life in abject poverty. However,
rectifying diodes are connected to light bulbs forhe was too much of a gentleman to hold a grudge.
indicating that the power is received. The light bulbsInstead, regarding the magnifying transmitter, Tesla
also dissipated the received power. This rectenna haswrote in his autobiography, “I am unwilling to accord
a 25% collection and conversion efficiency, butto some small-minded and jealous individuals the
rectennas have been tested with greater than 90%satisfaction of having thwarted my efforts. These men
efficiency at 2.45 GHz.are to me nothing more than microbes of a nasty
II. THE TECHNOLOGIES AVAILABLEdisease. My project was retarded by laws of nature.
In this remarkable discovery of the "True Wireless"The world was not prepared for it. It was too far
and the principles upon which transmission andahead of time. But the same laws will prevail in the end
reception, even in the present day systems, are based,and make it a triumphal success.” [3, 8-9]. If this has
Dr. Nikola Tesla shows us that he is indeed the "Fatherhad not been happened, then today we will be in a
of the Wireless." The most wellknown and famouswonder world of plenty of power using the technology
Wardenclyffe Tower (Tesla Tower) was designedof wireless transmission of electricity.
and constructed mainly for wireless transmission ofV. CONCLUSION
electrical power, rather than telegraphy [1]. The mostThe transmission of power without wires is not a
popular concept known is Tesla Theory in which ittheory or a mere possibility, it is now a reality. The
was firmly believed that Wardenclyffe (Fig.2) wouldelectrical energy can be economically transmitted
permit wireless transmission and reception acrosswithout wires to any terrestrial distance. Many
large distances with negligible losses [2]. In spite of thisresearchers have established in numerous
he had made numerous experiments of high quality toobservations, experiments and measurements,
validate his claim of possibility of wireless transmissionqualitative and quantitative. Dr.N.Tesla is the pioneer of
of electricity (Fig.3). But this was an unfortunatethis invention. Wireless transmission of electricity have
incidence that people of that century was not in atremendous merits like high transmission integrity and
position to recognize his splendid work otherwiseLow Loss (90 – 97 % efficient) and can be
today we may transmit electricity wirelessly and willtransmitted to any where in the globe and eliminate the
convert our mother earth a wonderful adobe full ofneed for an inefficient, costly, and capital intensive grid
electricity.of cables, towers, and substations. The system would
Fig.2. The 187-foot Wardenclyffe Tower (Teslareduce the cost of electrical energy used by the
Tower)consumer and get rid of the landscape of wires,
The modern ideas are dominated by microwavecables, and transmission towers. It has negligible
power transmission (MPT, Figure 3) called Solar powerdemerits like reactive power which was found
satellite to be built in high earth orbit to collect sunlightinsignificant and biologically compatible.
and convert that energy into microwaves, thenREFERENCES
beamed to a very large antenna on earth, the[1] Nikola Tesla, “The Transmission of Electrical
microwaves would be converted into conventionalEnergy Without Wires as a Means for Furthering
electrical power.Peace,” Electrical World and Engineer. Jan. 7, p. 21,
Fig.3. The basis for Tesla’s system for the wireless1905.
transmission of electricalpower[3].[2] Nikola Tesla, My Inventions, Ben Johnston, Ed.,
III. MERITS, DEMERITS & ECONOMICS OFAustin, Hart Brothers, p. 91,1982.
WIRELESS TECHNOLOGIES[3] Thomas F. Valone, “ Tesla’s Wireless
3.1 MeritsEnergy... For the 21st Century!!! One Step Beyond
An electrical distribution system, based on this methodDirect TV!!!” Extra Ordinary Technology, 1, no. 4, Oct
would eliminate the need for an inefficient, costly, and/ Nov / Dec 2003.
capital intensive grid of cables, towers, and substations.[4] James O. McSpadden, “ Wireless Power
The system would reduce the cost of electricalTransmission Demonstration”, Texas A&M
energy used by the consumer and rid the landscapeUniversity, June, 1997.
of wires, cables, and transmission towers.[5] Thomas W. Benson , “ Wireless transmission of
There are areas of the world where the need forpower now possible”, News Letter, pp1118 – 9,
electrical power exists, yet there is no method forMarch , 1920.
delivering power. Africa is in need of power to run[6] Charych Arthur (Setauket, NY), “ System and
pumps to tap into the vast resources of water undermethod for wireless electrical power transmission”,
the Sahara Desert. Rural areas, such as those inPatent No. 6,798,716, September 28, 2004.
China, require the electrical power necessary to bring[7] Joe T. Howell, et. al , “Advanced receiver /
them into the 20th century and to equal standing withconverter experiments for laser wireless power
western nations. The wireless transmission will solvetransmission”5th. Wireless transmission conference,
many of these problems The electrical energy can bepp 1-8, Garanda, Spain,2004.
economically transmitted without wires to any[8] Nikola Tesla, “ The true wireless”, Electrical
terrestrial distance, so there will be no transmission andExperiments ,May, 1919.
distribution loss. More efficient energy distribution[9] Toby Grotz,” Wireless transmission of
systems and sources are needed by both developedpower”, Courtesy of the Tesla BBS at 719
and under developed nations. In regards to the new486-2775, August 28, 1990.
systems, the market for wireless power transmission