During my search for a project topic in my final year, I stumbled upon the wireless charging device. That was my first encounter though but I couldn't choose it as a topic cos the time frame to access it's feasibility was quite short so I had to opt for something I understood works well. But despite the situation my attention couldn't be drawn away from such amazing technology, so I had to do a tropical review of what the wireless charging system is all about and to my amazement it was educating and I thought to share this knowledge with you and get other steemians opinion on the technology.
This is a technology I know I'm going to be fully involved in terms of revolutionizing it. I love tech especially when it's got to do with electronics and gadgets.
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Wireless charging has been around since the late 19th century, when electricity pioneer Nikola Tesla demonstrated magnetic resonant coupling
But for about 100 years it was a technology without many practical applications, except, perhaps, for a few electric toothbrush models.
Today, there are nearly a half dozen wireless charging technologies in use, all aimed at cutting cables to everything from smartphones and laptops to kitchen appliances and cars.
Wireless charging is making inroads in the healthcare, automotive and manufacturing industries because it offers the promise of increased mobility and advances that could allow tiny internet of things (IoT) devices to get power many feet away from a charger.
The wireless charging circuit board used for Ossia's Cota RF technology, which can send power over distances greater than 15 feet.
soource
The most popular wireless technologies now in use rely on an electromagnetic field between a two copper coils, which greatly limits the distance between a device and a charging pad. That's the type of charging Apple has incorporated into the iPhone 8 and the iPhone X.
HERE IS HOW IT WORKS
Broadly speaking, there are three types of wireless charging. There are:
Both tightly coupled inductive and loosely-coupled resonant charging operate on the same principle of physics:
Ikea's wireless charger line-up, which includes a pad that's capable of charging three devices at once (center).!
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It works like this:
A magnetic loop antenna (copper coil) is used to create an oscillating magnetic field, which can create a current in one or more receiver antennas. If the appropriate capacitance is added so that the loops resonate at the same frequency, the amount of induced current in the receivers increases. This is resonant inductive charging or magnetic resonance; it enables power transmission at greater distances between transmitter and receiver and increases efficiency. Coil size also affects the distance of power transfer.
In the case of smartphone wireless charging pads, for example, the copper coils are only a few inches in diameter, severely limiting the distance over which power can travel efficiently.
But when the coils are larger, more energy can be transferred wirelessly. That's the tactic WiTricity, a company formed from research at MIT a decade ago, has helped pioneer. It licenses loosely-coupled resonant technology for everything from automobiles and wind turbines to robotics.
In 2007, MIT physics professor Marin Soljačić proved he could transfer electricity at a distance of two meters; at the time, the power transfer was only 40% efficient at that distance, meaning 60% of the power was lost in translation. Soljačić started WiTricity later that year to commercialize the technology, and its power-transfer efficiency has greatly increased since then.
In WiTricity's car charging system, large copper coils – over 25 centimeters in diameter for the receivers – allow for efficient power transfer over distances up to 25 centimeters. The use of resonance enables high levels of power to be transmitted (up to 11kW) and high efficiency (greater than 92% end-to-end), according to WiTricity CTO Morris Kesler. WiTricity also adds capacitors to the conducting loop, which boosts the amount of energy that can be captured and used to charge a battery.
The system isn't just for cars: Last year, Japan-based robotics manufacturer Daihen Corp began shipping wireless power transfer system based on WiTricity's technology for automatic guided vehicles (AGVs). These AGVs can simply pull up to a charging area to power up and then go about their warehouse duties.
While charging at a distance has big potential, the public face of wireless charging has until now remained with charging pads.
IHS Markit
"In terms of progress and industry readiness, charging pads have been shipping in volume since 2015; charging bowls/through-surface type are really just launching this year; and charging across a room is probably still at least a year away from commercial high-volume reality–- although the new Energous products show this method working over very short range right now, e.g., a couple of centimeters," Green said.
Just over 200 million wireless charging-enabled devices shipped in 2016, with almost all of them using some form of inductive (charging pad) type design.
In September, Apple finally chose a side after lagging behind other handset manufacturers for years by embracing WPC's Qi standard, the same that Samsung and other Android smartphone makers have been using for at least two years.
Photos from source
More to come on the wireless charging system. Stay connected.
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