Intel Claims an Advance In Wireless Power

Many readers are sending in coverage of a demo at Intel's developer forum of a wirelessly powered 60-watt bulb. The NYTimes gives background on Intel's improvement to the 'wireless resonant energy link' technology pioneered at MIT, where researchers achieved 50% efficiency of power transmitted several meters via magnetic fields. Intel reached 75% efficiency. Now they just have to make those coils a lot smaller.

Comments

What a waste of energy

[Timo_UK]

25% of wasted power and goal achieved? Plus a nice pulsating magnetic field in the house? No thank you.

Re:What a waste of energy

[MightyYar]

In addition to my snarky comment, I have a serious one.

I can think of a number of uses that are worth the wasted power. One would be wirelessly charging at airports, coffee shops, etc. Another would be prosthetics... Imagine if you had a motorized leg or arm and could set up a charging coil near your desk so that you're nearly always "topped off". You could even have the coil power down when not in use so that these "pulsating magnetic fields" don't worry the fickle masses.

Re:What a waste of energy

[thebigmacd]

Don't forget too, that the earth is a giant magnet with a very powerful field. Granted it is fixed (not alternating) but still...

Re:What a waste of energy

[Mobius Ring]

So... you'll give up on plugging things in so that you can put your iPod (or whatever) onto what is essentially a pulsating magnetic field device... otherwise known in the past as a "mass magnetic media wipe" device?

I'll stick to my cables thanks.

Re:What a waste of energy

[SQL Error]

Tesla wanted to do this on a large scale over a hundred years ago, and was prevented by the laws of physics.

Re:What a waste of energy

[aliquis]

Or maybe it was just considered a bad idea, and I think it's now as well.

Re:What a waste of energy

[AJWM]

Linemen also spend more time in the sun, are more likely to be exposed to PCB residues from transformers, and are exposed to chemicals like arsenic and creosote used as preservatives in wooden poles.

Re:What a waste of energy

[orasio]

In 1920 the patent expired.
Maybe it wasn't done before, because it couldn't be done practically.

About being "extremely late", that is funny. Going to the moon in 1969 instead of 1900 was also extremely late, Julius Verne had already thought of that.

Re:What a waste of energy

[Eivind]

You're full of it. This is pretty much -all- wrong.

The chief advantage of AC isn't that transmission have lower losses, it doesn't quite the oposite infact, which is why high-voltage-dc is gaining popularity. The advantage is that AC makes it simple to up or down voltages, using simple transformers. Higher voltages do indeed lead to lower losses.

The rest of your post is similarily misguided.

Re:What a waste of energy

[geekoid]

" nner workings of the universe at an intuitive level"
What a stupid statement.

"and created the foundations for the modern electric age almost singlehandedly"

True. OTOH, there where others very close.

"The HAARP project in Alaska is based on his work in this field."

well since he invented device to use electricity in a very basic way, a lot of things are based on his work.

"If he said it was possible within the laws of physics, personally, I believe him"

Except no one can take is clear information and make it work.

"He was probably the most important man in history."
meh.

Genius? yes. He was also obsessed, and obsessed people, especially smart one, tend to buy into things with no real evidence.

He didn't know everything about the universe, and he didn't even know everything about electricity.
He did figure a llot of cool shit out.

Re:What a waste of energy

[MadnessASAP]

That's something totally different then a system that charges a battery wirelessly. That device induces a current in an inductor which THEN charges a battery. The device still needs to be modified to include an inductor. Also such a device will still produce an alternating magnetic field which could potentially damage a hardrive.

PS. It's also worth pointing out that any other inductors in the vicinity will also have a current induced in them which could potentially damage other devices, or at the very least cause undesired effects.

alternative

[spectrokid]

how about all manufacturors agree on a single plug for their power supplies. Then the companies who make power sockets for offices can make one built into a wall socket. Put that into every meeting room. Suddenly you just need a 1 meter long, very thin cable instead of a lugging a whole kilo of copper around....

Re:alternative

[kent_eh]

PleasePleasePlease, someone with mod points mod up the parent.

I've been ranting on standardizing accessory connectors for years.
At least some cell phone companies are slowly moving in that direction, using USB for charging.
Now if only others would jump on-board. Cameras and MP3 players for instance. They already have the USB connection, how hard would it be to have it charge the damn battery?

This is new?

[amdpox]

Unless I've misunderstood the linked article, this is just the same technique that has been used in transformers for decades - a fluctuating magnetic field created by an AC current through a solenoid inducing power in another solenoid. Sure, 75% efficiency is pretty good for a few metres, but those coils are bloody huge. Anyone care to enlighten me as to whether or not this is actually new?

and the day after the tech goes live

[petes_PoV]

Pressure groups start campaigning about the health effects of bodily exposure to magnetic fields.

unlike the scares surrounding the micro-power electric fields from mobile phones and the virtually non-existent fields from CRTs, the amount of power being emitted by these (enough to power a laptop or lightbulb) might actually be something to get concerned about.

Re:Great Idea - Not there yet.

[amdpox]

Magnetic field != radiation. Even a fluctuating magnetic field isn't going to effect humans - I think the issue is more the EM interference a strong fluctuating field can bring about.