Wireless Energy Transfer: Could you really charge your phone on the go?

Wireless Energy Transfer is, we all have to admit, the stuff that Science Fiction movies are made of. Just imagine a world in which energy can be harvested in one place and transferred across vast distances without the need for power cables.

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Wireless Energy Transfer is Already Here

This idea, contrary to what you may think, is not that farfetched. Most Android phones that are coming out today already have Wireless charging systems. Rumours have also been swirling
over the past few weeks that the upcoming iPhone 8 will have Wireless charging.

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The Caveat

Current inductive technologies, which are used in wireless mobile phone chargers, do, however, come with a caveat. The major problem is that current wireless charging technologies are not really wireless. You actually have to have a couple of wires in order to draw power from the source.

Your device also needs to be placed against some kind of charging mat, the majority of which are made using Qi and Airfuel standards. This largely defeats the whole idea behind wireless energy transfer.

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Truly Wireless Energy Transfer

Sci-Fi addicts will have been drooling over the discovery of the so called Alien Megastructure, a star that is 1280 light years away from Earth. The more excitable among us quickly jumped to the conclusion that the unexplained periodic dimming in the star’s light, by up to 20 percent, indicates the presence of a so called Dyson Sphere; a massive solar energy collection contraption.

Although a number of earthly explanations have now been put forward with regards to the star KIC 8462852, the transfer of energy without the use of wires would undoubtedly be at the core of the idea of a Dyson Sphere.

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Wireless Energy Transfer Technologies

One of the technologies that are being touted with regards to Wireless Charging is magnetic resonance. This technology is actually a step further than current inductive charging systems, which allow for zero distance between your device and the power source.

Wireless Energy Transfers can also be carried out using Radio Frequencies, Microwaves and Laser beams. Although there is still much that needs to be done, work continues around the globe to make these technologies viable.

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Success in Japan

Japanese Scientist announced in 2015 that they had managed to accurately transmit energy wirelessly over a distance of 55m. The development was touted as a watershed moment that would, one day, allow the planet to harvest solar energy from outer space. The researchers used Microwave to transmit 1.8 kilowatts of power.

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An Achievable Dream

The dream of transferring energy wirelessly likely still has a long way to go before it can be fully realized. However, advances continue to be made that have transported this idea from the reams of Science Fiction into reality.

It is conceivable to believe that a few decades from now, wireless charging protocols will have been invented that will allow people’s mobile devices to get recharged even as they are being use. These technologies could also do away with power pylons and the modern day methods of transmitting electricity.

Thank you for reading

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