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

[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.

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....

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.