High-Efficiency Long-Range Wireless Power Transfer

As the future of battlefield equipment becomes more reliant on electric power, the ability to wirelessly transfer power at ranges exceeding several meters enables: (1) persistent operation by reducing weight and increasing capabilities on multiple platforms; (2) limiting maintenance overhead and increasing by reducing the need for resupplying missions; (3) delivering power to energy-denied devices; and (4) battlefield superiority through the electrification of dispersed systems. CEI with teammates University of Colorado, Boulder (CUB) and Qorvo propose to develop a Radio Frequency (RF) power-beaming solution for energy endurance of systems at distances of 3.5 meters and beyond. The fundamental research focuses on the technical challenges in power transmission and reception for line-of-sight recharging, including, optimum RF frequency band, power transmitter (PTX) and power receiver (PRX) design, including arraying, as well as required analog and digital components requirements. The high-level system diagram with main relevant components is shown in Figure 1. The main elements are the prime power source (PPS), power transmitter (PTX), power receiver (PRX), power management (PM) circuit, the electromagnetic (EM) field control method and the final electronic application (load). The power transmitter can consist of an array of solid-state amplifiers, connected to the EM field emitter array. The power receiver likewise consists of a EM field receiver array connected to an array of rectifiers. Digital control enables efficient dynamic power transfer.