Further Developing the Efficiency of Remote Charging Through Near-Field Analysis of a Patch Antenna Array in the Fresnel Region
Disciplines
Electromagnetics and Photonics | Power and Energy
Abstract (300 words maximum)
Wireless charging is most commonly known as very close distance charging, such as charging your phone on a pad charger, or earbuds charging inside the earbud case, where the distances are approximately 1cm. This type of wireless charging has been around for a long time and it is based on inductive charging. But what if there was a wireless transmitter in a wall that could charge a desktop sitting on a desk via a receiver? This cannot be done through inductive charging like the phone or earbuds and requires antennas. Far-field wireless power transfer has also been investigated for the past couple of decades. However, there is a fundamental limitation of very low power in the far-field. In this project, near-field analysis will be conducted on a patch antenna plus arrays of patch antennas to understand the limitations of Fresnel field wireless charging and determine to what extent it can be used. This research includes CST antenna simulations as well as testing of a physical antenna in the newly acquired Starlab Antenna Measurement System by MVG. Variables such as efficiency, focal distance, and optimal Fresnel field are calculated to determine the optimal near-field distance and power output of the antenna. These variables can be implemented to determine charging times based on battery size, distance, and optimal antenna array size to achieve the most efficient speed. This research will give us a better understanding of the feasibility of wireless power transfer in the Fresnel field based on quantitative analysis from simulation results and calculations.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
SPCEET - Electrical and Computer Engineering
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Hoseon Lee
Further Developing the Efficiency of Remote Charging Through Near-Field Analysis of a Patch Antenna Array in the Fresnel Region
Wireless charging is most commonly known as very close distance charging, such as charging your phone on a pad charger, or earbuds charging inside the earbud case, where the distances are approximately 1cm. This type of wireless charging has been around for a long time and it is based on inductive charging. But what if there was a wireless transmitter in a wall that could charge a desktop sitting on a desk via a receiver? This cannot be done through inductive charging like the phone or earbuds and requires antennas. Far-field wireless power transfer has also been investigated for the past couple of decades. However, there is a fundamental limitation of very low power in the far-field. In this project, near-field analysis will be conducted on a patch antenna plus arrays of patch antennas to understand the limitations of Fresnel field wireless charging and determine to what extent it can be used. This research includes CST antenna simulations as well as testing of a physical antenna in the newly acquired Starlab Antenna Measurement System by MVG. Variables such as efficiency, focal distance, and optimal Fresnel field are calculated to determine the optimal near-field distance and power output of the antenna. These variables can be implemented to determine charging times based on battery size, distance, and optimal antenna array size to achieve the most efficient speed. This research will give us a better understanding of the feasibility of wireless power transfer in the Fresnel field based on quantitative analysis from simulation results and calculations.