Commenting on the article of the air defense in the fourth generation, "clashed" with the TOP2 on the issue of remote wireless power supply of small and ultra-small UAVs (UAVs) (see here), as well as on the topic: the swarm algorithm (agents) for the UAV and the prospects for air defense "4- th generation ". I will try to highlight the issue of wireless power transmission to the best of my knowledge. The swarm algorithm (the concept of agents) and the possible inefficiency of existing air defense systems are, in general, a topic for a separate article.
The transmission of electricity without wires is a method of transferring electrical energy without the use of conductive elements in the electrical circuit.
In the late 19th century, the discovery that electricity could be used to make a light bulb glow sparked an explosion of research to find the best way to transmit electricity.
Wireless transmission of energy was also actively studied at the beginning of the 20th century, when scientists paid great attention to the search for various ways of wireless transmission of energy. The purpose of the research was simple - to generate an electric field in one place so that it could then be detected by devices at a distance. At the same time, attempts were made to supply energy from a distance not only to highly sensitive sensors for detecting voltage, but also to significant energy consumers. So, in 1904 at the St. Louis World's Fair was awarded a prize for the successful launch of an aircraft engine with a capacity of 0.1 horsepower, carried out at a distance of 30 m.
The gurus of "electricity" are known to many (William Sturgeon, Michael Faraday, Nicolas Joseph Callan, James Clerk Maxwel, Heinrich Hertz, Mahlon Loomas, etc.), but few people know that the Japanese researcher Hidetsugu Yagi used his own developed antenna to transmit energy. In February 1926, he published the results of his research, in which he described the structure and method of tuning the Yagi antenna.
Very serious work and projects were carried out in the USSR in the period 1930-1941. and in parallel at Drittes Reich.
Naturally, mainly for military purposes: the defeat of enemy manpower, the destruction of military and industrial infrastructure, etc. In the USSR, serious work was also carried out on the use of microwave radiation to prevent surface corrosion of metal structures and products. But this is a separate story that requires a significant investment of time: again you have to climb into a dusty attic or an equally dusty basement.
One of the greatest Russian physicists of the last century, Nobel Prize laureate, Academician Pyotr Leonidovich Kapitsa devoted part of his creative biography to researching the prospects for using microwave oscillations and waves to create new and highly efficient energy transmission systems.
In 1962, in the preface to his monograph, he wrote:
Of the long list of fantastic technical ideas implemented in the twentieth century, only the dream of wireless transmission of electrical energy continued to remain unfulfilled. The detailed descriptions of energy beams in science fiction novels teased engineers with their obvious need, and with the practical complexity of implementation.
But the situation gradually began to change for the better.
In 1964, microwave electronics expert William C. Brown first tested a device (model of a helicopter) capable of receiving and using the energy of a microwave beam in the form of direct current, thanks to an antenna array consisting of half-wave dipoles, each of which is loaded with high-efficiency Schottky diodes …
Also in 1964, William C. Brown showcased his model of a helicopter, which was powered by a microwave emitter for the flight, on CBS's Walter Cronkite News.
In principle, this event and this technology is the most interesting in TopWar (below will be a little about "everyday life" and energy). Wireless Powered Microwave Flight History & Experiments (film in English, but everything is clear enough)
Already by 1976, William Brown carried out the transmission of a microwave beam of 30 kW power over a distance of 1.6 km with an efficiency exceeding 80%.
The tests were carried out in a laboratory and commissioned by Raytheon Co.
What made Raytheon famous and the main area of interest of this company, I think, it is not worth specifying? Well, if anyone doesn't know, see Raytheon's Historical Chronology:
Read more about the achieved results here (in English and RIS format, BibTex and RefWorks Direct Export):
→ Microwave Power Transmission - IOSR Journals
→ The microwave powered Helicopter. William C. Brown. Raytheon Company.
In 1968, American space researcher Peter E. Glaser proposed placing large solar panels in geostationary orbit, and transmitting the energy they generate (5-10 GW) to the Earth's surface with a well-focused microwave beam., then convert it into energy of direct or alternating current of technical frequency and distribute it to consumers.
Such a scheme made it possible to use the intense flux of solar radiation existing in the geostationary orbit (~ 1, 4 kW / sq. M.), And transmit the received energy to the Earth's surface continuously, regardless of the time of day and weather conditions. Due to the natural inclination of the equatorial plane to the ecliptic plane with an angle of 23.5 degrees, a satellite located in a geostationary orbit is illuminated by a solar radiation flux almost continuously, except for short periods of time near the days of the spring and autumn equinox, when this satellite falls into the shadow of the Earth. These periods of time can be accurately predicted, and in total they do not exceed 1% of the total length of the year.
The frequency of electromagnetic oscillations of the microwave beam should correspond to those ranges that are allocated for use in industry, scientific research and medicine. If this frequency is chosen equal to 2.45 GHz, then meteorological conditions, including thick clouds and intense precipitation, have practically no effect on the energy transfer efficiency. The 5.8 GHz band is tempting as it makes it possible to reduce the size of the transmitting and receiving antennas. However, the influence of meteorological conditions here already requires additional study.
The current level of development of microwave electronics allows us to speak about a rather high value of the efficiency of energy transfer by a microwave beam from a geostationary orbit to the Earth's surface - about 70% ÷ 75%. In this case, the diameter of the transmitting antenna is usually chosen equal to 1 km, and the terrestrial rectenna has dimensions of 10 km x 13 km for a latitude of 35 degrees. The SCES with an output power of 5 GW has a radiated power density in the center of the transmitting antenna 23 kW / m², in the center of the receiving antenna - 230 W / m².
Various types of solid-state and vacuum microwave generators for the transmitting antenna of the SCES have been investigated. William Brown showed, in particular, that magnetrons, well-developed by industry, intended for microwave ovens, can also be used in transmitting antenna arrays of the SCES, if each of them is equipped with its own negative phase feedback circuit with respect to an external synchronizing signal (so called Magnetron Directional Amplifier - MDA).
Rektenna is a highly efficient receiving and converting system, however, the low voltage of the diodes and the need for their serial commutation can lead to avalanche breakdowns. A cyclotron energy converter can largely eliminate this problem.
The transmitting antenna of the SCES can be a back-re-emitting active antenna array based on slotted waveguides. Its rough orientation is carried out mechanically; for precise guidance of the microwave beam, a pilot signal is used, emitted from the center of the receiving rectenna and analyzed on the surface of the transmitting antenna by a network of appropriate sensors.
From 1965 to 1975 a scientific program led by Bill Brown was successfully completed, demonstrating the ability to transmit 30 kW power over a distance of more than 1 mile with an efficiency of 84%.
In 1978-1979 in the United States, under the leadership of the Department of Energy (DOE) and NASA (NASA), the first government research program was carried out aimed at determining the prospects for the SCES.
In 1995-1997, NASA again returned to discussing the future of the SCES, building on the technological progress made by that time.
Research was continued in 1999-2000 (Space Solar Power (SSP) Strategic Research & Technology Program).
The most active and systematic research in the field of SCES was carried out by Japan. In 1981, under the leadership of Professors M. Nagatomo (Makoto Nagatomo) and S. Sasaki (Susumu Sasaki) at the Institute of Space Research in Japan, research began on the development of a prototype SCES with a power level of 10 MW, which could be created using existing launch vehicles. The creation of such a prototype allows the accumulation of technological experience and prepares the basis for the formation of commercial systems.
The project was named SKES2000 (SPS2000) and received recognition in many countries around the world.
This is how WiTricity and the WiTricity corporation were born.
In June 2007, Marin Soljačić and several others at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology announced the development of a system in which a 60 W light bulb was supplied from a source located 2 m away, with an efficiency of 40%.
According to the authors of the invention, this is not a "pure" resonance of coupled circuits and not a Tesla transformer with inductive coupling. The energy transmission radius for today is a little more than two meters, in the future - up to 5-7 meters.
In general, scientists tested two fundamentally different schemes.
Similar technologies are feverishly being developed by other firms: Intel has demonstrated its WREL technology with power transmission efficiency of up to 75%. In 2009, Sony demonstrated the operation of the TV without a network connection. Only one circumstance is alarming: regardless of the transmission method and technical tweaks, the energy density and field strength in the premises must be high enough to power devices with a capacity of several tens of watts. According to the developers themselves, there is still no information on the biological effects of such systems on humans. Given the recent appearance and different approaches to the implementation of power transmission devices, such studies are still ahead, and the results will not appear soon. And we will be able to judge their negative impact only indirectly. Something will disappear from our homes again, such as cockroaches.
In 2010, the Haier Group, a Chinese home appliance manufacturer, unveiled its unique product at CES 2010, a fully wireless LCD TV based on Professor Marina Solyachich's research on wireless power transmission and wireless home digital interface (WHDI).
In 2012-2015. engineers at the University of Washington have developed technology that allows Wi-Fi to be used as a power source to power portable devices and charge gadgets. The technology has already been recognized by Popular Science magazine as one of the best innovations of 2015. The ubiquity of wireless technology has revolutionized itself. And now it was the turn of wireless power transmission over the air, which the developers at the University of Washington called PoWiFi (for Power Over WiFi).
During the testing phase, the researchers were able to successfully charge small capacity lithium-ion and nickel-metal hydride batteries. Using an Asus RT-AC68U router and several sensors located at a distance of 8.5 meters from it. These sensors just convert the energy of an electromagnetic wave into direct current with a voltage of 1, 8 to 2, 4 volts, which are required to power microcontrollers and sensor systems. The peculiarity of the technology is that the quality of the working signal does not deteriorate in this case. You just need to reflash the router, and you can use it as usual, plus supply power to low-power devices. In one of the demonstrations, a small, low-resolution covert surveillance camera located more than 5 meters from the router was successfully powered. Then the Jawbone Up24 fitness tracker was charged 41%, it took 2.5 hours.
To tricky questions about why these processes do not negatively affect the quality of the network communication channel, the developers replied that this becomes possible due to the fact that the flashed router sends energy packets through unoccupied information transfer channels during its work. They came to this decision when they discovered that during periods of silence, energy simply flows out of the system, and in fact it can be directed to power low-power devices.
In the future, PoWiFi technology may well serve to power sensors built into household appliances and military equipment, to control them wirelessly and perform remote charging / recharging.
The transfer of energy for the UAV is relevant (most likely, already using the PoWiMax technology or from the airborne radar of the carrier aircraft):
The idea looks pretty tempting. Instead of today's 20-30 minutes of flight time:
→ LOCUST - Swarming Navy Drones
→ In the USA tested a "swarm" of Perdix microdrones
→ Intel ran a drone show during Lady Gaga's halftime performance - Intel® Aero Platform for UAV
get 40-80 minutes by recharging drones using wireless technologies.
Let me explain:
-the exchange of m / u drones is still necessary (swarm algorithm);
-exchange of m / y drones and aircraft (uterus) is also necessary (control center, BZ correction, retargeting, a command to eliminate, preventing "friendly fire", the transfer of reconnaissance information and commands to use weapons).
For UAVs, the negative from the inverse square law (isotropic-emitting antenna) partially "compensates" for the antenna beam width and radiation pattern:
This is not a cellular connection, where the cell must provide 360 ° communication to the end elements.
Let's say this variation:
The carrier aircraft (for Perdix) this F-18 has (now) the AN / APG-65 radar:
or in the future will have AN / APG-79 AESA:
This is enough to extend the active life of Perdix Micro-Drones from the current 20 minutes to an hour, and maybe even more. Most likely, the intermediate drone Perdix Middle will be used, which will be irradiated at a sufficient distance by the radar of the fighter, and it, in turn, will carry out the "distribution" of energy for the younger brothers of Perdix Micro-Drones via PoWiFi / PoWiMax, simultaneously exchanging information with them (flight and aerobatic, target tasks, swarm coordination).
Is the era of warthog attacks a thing of the past?
Perhaps, soon it will come to charging cell phones and other mobile devices that are in the range of Wi-Fi, Wi-Max or 5G - in the subway, on the train, on the plane, while walking / jogging in the park?
Afterword: 10-20 years after the widespread introduction into everyday life of numerous electromagnetic microwave emitters (Mobile phones, Microwaves, Computers, WiFi, Blu tools, etc.), suddenly cockroaches in big cities have suddenly become a rarity! Now the cockroach is an insect that can only be found in the zoo. They suddenly disappeared from the homes that they used to love so much.
CARL COCKROACHES ™!
These monsters, the leaders of the list of "radio-resistant organisms" shamelessly surrendered!
reference
Who's next in line?
Note: A typical WiMAX base station transmits power at approximately +43 dBm (20 W), while a mobile station typically transmits at +23 dBm (200 mW).
The permissible levels of radiation of base stations of mobile communications (900 and 1800 MHz, the total level from all sources) in the sanitary-residential area in some countries differ markedly:
FULL CHAOS
Medicine has not yet given a clear answer to the question: is mobile / WiFi harmful and to what extent? And what about the wireless transmission of electricity by microwave technologies?
Here the power is not watts and miles of watts, but already kW …
Links, used documents, photos and videos:
"(JOURNAL OF RADIO ELECTRONICS!" N 12, 2007 (ELECTRIC POWER FROM SPACE - SOLAR SPACE POWER PLANTS, V. A. Banke)
"Microwave electronics - perspectives in space energy" V. Banke, Ph. D.
www.nasa.gov
www. whdi.org
www.defense.gov
www.witricity.com
www.ru.pinterest.com
www. raytheon.com
www. ausairpower.net
www. wikipedia.org
www.slideshare.net
www.homes.cs.washington.edu
www.dailywireless.org
www.digimedia.ru
www. powercoup.by
www.researchgate.net
www. proelectro.info
www.youtube.com
