Researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), have developed a wireless charging system that can charge around 40 smart phones at a time, from a distance of 5 meters (16 ft). While we've examined numerous wireless charging systems, even one that transmits power to up to 9 m (30 ft), KAIST's prototype can power multiple devices within its range. It can deliver enough electrical juice, the scientists claim, to power many larger devices like fans, TVs and computers, simultaneously.
Called the Dipole Coil Resonant System (DCRS), the technology uses magnetic fields to transfer energy and is based on the Coupled Magnetic Resonance System (CMRS) introduced by MIT researchers in 2007. The design of the DCRS however, addresses a number of fundamental issues that prevented the commercialization of the CMRS, such as a complex coil structure requiring four coils, a bulky size factor and low transfer efficiency.
The DCRS' coil structure consists of two magnetic dipole coils. The primary coil induces the magnetic field and the secondary coil receives electrical energy. Compact in size and scalable, the system is capable of delivering up to 209 W of power at 20 kHz.
"With DCRS," says Chun T. Rim, a professor of Nuclear & Quantum Engineering with KAIST, "a large LED TV as well as three 40 W-fans can be powered from a 5-meter distance."
The wireless system delivers more power at shorter distances – about 471 W at 4 m (13 ft) and 1403 W at a 3 m (10 ft) distance.
Earlier this year, Professor Rim's group successfully transferred 10 W of electricity wirelessly to control equipment within a nuclear power plant situated 7 m (23 ft) away from the power source. It was part of a research project with the Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co., Ltd, that aimed to offer a reliable power source in the event of emergencies such as the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant meltdown.
The team published the results of their research in the March 2014 issue of IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics.
Check out a video of the technology below
Source: KAIST
