https://nps.edu/web/eag/emerging-game-changing-technology-power-beaming
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Tesla had a vision of free energy that could be taken from the atmosphere or beamed directly to equipment. The usefulness of such a technology is immense, because in theory anyone who needed power could find it without wires, cords and batteries. The refinement of this technology has been undertaken for 50-years, and recent developments make it closer to reality for many applications.
Power beaming is a technology that allows for the movement of power through space without wires. It has been in work since the 1970s, and recent developments have propelled it forward. Some applications for power beaming are recharging batteries, powering vehicles, taking solar energy and transforming it into usable power and sending power to machines without the need for wiring and conduits. Attempts to beam power have used efficient microwaves and more recently, lasers. Power can be beamed hundreds of feet, and demonstrations have shown it possible to beam power more than a mile using lasers. Drones and vehicles could also be powered using lasers that supply them with energy. Such a technology is theorized, but far off.
Power beaming has potential as a green-energy source. Satellites and other receivers can gather power and it can be moved via laser or microwave to receivers. Infrastructure for this power beaming grid would need to be developed, and satellites could even be used to harvest solar energy and power other satellites and space stations. When you think about it, the applications are almost endless, and could impact any electrical device that needs power. Tesla dreamed of this, and now it's coming closer to reality.
In the 1970s, the DOE and partner companies including Ratheon worked to beam power using microwaves. Power was beamed to satellites and from solar arrays using microwaves. Microwaves were the original medium for power beaming, but the downside is that microwaves require large and expensive equipment to transmit larger-intensity power sources. Currently, businesses and governements worldwide are working to refine this technology. Huawei is making significant investments into remote phone charging and other companies are working on industrial applications to generate and transmit power across distances.
The applications for power beaming are immense. The safety of power beaming is dependent upon the power density transmitted. Low-intensity power beams can be safe without shrouding or shielding, but higher-intensity beams should be shrouded or enclosed to ensure that no one is unintentionally exposed. The ability to move power over distances can help aid in more reliable and efficient transportation of energy.
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