Eureka! Quantum Mechanics Concept Could Provide Major Electrical Car Breakthrough
Wireless devices are nothing fresh, but the technology has advanced to such a degree the field still throws up stunning innovations from time to time – wireless charging was one such development. Now, Stanford University researchers have radically updated the solution in a way that could revolutionise any number of fields.
The team, led by Professor Shanhui Fan, demonstrated they could provide continuous wireless power to a device while they moved it away from the power source, up to a distance of around one meter.
While one meter may be a seemingly meager distance, most contemporary wireless charging systems require charge objects to stay in a specific position, and nearby, as wireless charging operates on an effective “circuit” system – distances and movement serve to sever this connection. If distances are to vary at all, the circuit must be permanently tuned to maintain the connection.
Seeking to rectify this limitation, Professor Fan and colleagues drew on ideas from quantum mechanics. Their newfound system solves the issue of distance and connection by automatically adapting the circuit to optimum conditions for power transfer, as the charger and charging device are moved towards and away from each other. To do this, they used a “parity-time symmetric circuit” – the effect is similar to the feedback created when an electrified guitar is moved closer or further from an amplifier.
Sturdy wireless power transfer using a nonlinear parity–time-symmetric circuit https://t.co/FvBzwEE5o1 pic.twitter.com/xyNWZuEdN0
While that particular effect has been known about for some time – there are arguments over who very first used it and when, but it dates back to the 1950s at least – the Stanford University team are the very first to apply it to other forms of connection.
Wireless charging of moving electrical vehicles overcomes major hurdle in fresh Stanford examine https://t.co/95saGJeNnJ pic.twitter.com/QBArIphKb3
In their experiment, researchers only experimentally tested their system with a discreet LED bulb – albeit they believe it could be applied to other high power electronic devices. One potentially arousing application could be electrified cars – one of the issues preventing widespread adoption of these futuristic automobiles is the lack of charge point availability, and the longevity of charges. While Tesla Motors expects its upcoming Model three to go over two hundred miles on a single charge, and the Chevy Bolt, already on the market, has an advertised range of two hundred thirty eight miles, electrified vehicle batteries also take several hours to fully recharge.
Put simply, many cities are not accommodating of electrified cars, and if a driver finds themselves caught brief with no battery life and no charge point in look. A charge-as-you-drive system could be the breakthrough that completes petrol-powered cars’ dominance of the roads forevermore. Given the transport industry and governments around the world are already investigating the feasibility automated highway systems in which vehicles can be charged by solar power or other renewable energy sources, it’s likely the Stanford team’s discovery will be of much interest internationally.
Moreover, wireless technology could also assist GPS navigation of driverless cars – these systems are accurate up to about thirty five feet as of June 2017, and for safety, autonomous cars must be in the center of the lane to ensure precise positioning for GPS satellites. This would bring their directional abilities much closer to home.
Of course, an LED bulb requires significantly less power than an electrified car, and the need for such power levels could pose practical issues. Their demonstration involved a one-milliwatt charge, whereas electrical cars often require ems of kilowatts to operate effectively.
However, what if roads were widely tooled with wireless charging points, ensuring an electrical car’s battery remained at total “life” for extended periods? What if a road itself was a charger, able to permanently transmit power to vehicles while in maneuverability?
Such ideas may sound ultramodern, but with the tempo of technological development, they may not be too far off. The team is now working on greatly enlargening the amount of electric current that can be transferred via their system, and tweaking it extend the transfer distance and improve efficiency.
In any event, the team believes there are many lower-power applications that could benefit from the technology instantaneously, such as the wireless charging of implanted medical devices – and it’s a demonstration quantum mechanics concepts can have real-world applications.
“We can rethink how to supply electro-stimulation not only to cars, but smaller devices on or in our bods. For anything that could benefit from dynamic, wireless charging, this is potentially very significant,” Professor Fan said.
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