Efficient near-field wireless energy transfer using adiabatic system variations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9831682-B2
Application number	US-201414458563-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 13, 2014
Priority date	Oct 1, 2008
Publication date	Nov 28, 2017
Grant date	Nov 28, 2017

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for transferring energy wirelessly including transferring energy wirelessly from a first resonator structure to an intermediate resonator structure, wherein the coupling rate between the first resonator structure and the intermediate resonator structure is κ 1B , transferring energy wirelessly from the intermediate resonator structure to a second resonator structure, wherein the coupling rate between the intermediate resonator structure and the second resonator structure is κ B2 , and during the wireless energy transfers, adjusting at least one of the coupling rates κ 1B and κ B2 to reduce energy accumulation in the intermediate resonator structure and improve wireless energy transfer from the first resonator structure to the second resonator structure through the intermediate resonator structure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
transferring energy from a first resonant object to a second resonant object using a third resonant object to mediate the energy transfer, wherein the third resonant object is capable of resonantly coupling with (i) the first resonant object, (ii) the second resonant object, or (iii) both, more strongly than the first resonant object is capable of resonantly coupling with the second resonant object; and
maintaining a reduced level of energy accumulation in the third resonant object by varying over time a coupling rate between the third resonant object and (i) the first resonant object, (ii) the second resonant object, or (iii) both, based on a loss rate of (i) the first resonant object, (ii) the second resonant object, or (iii) both;
wherein the reduced level of energy accumulation is reduced relative to energy accumulation that would occur in the third resonant object without the varying of the coupling rate over time.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the third resonant object is capable of resonantly coupling with (i) the first resonant object, (ii) the second resonant object, or (iii) both, at least five times more strongly than the first resonant object is capable of resonantly coupling with the second resonant object.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein varying the coupling rate comprises changing a relative orientation between one or more pairs of the first resonant object, the second resonant object, and the third resonant object.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein varying the coupling rate comprises changing a relative position between one or more pairs of the first resonant object, the second resonant object, and the third resonant object.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein varying the coupling rate comprises changing a size of at least one of the first resonant object, the second resonant object, or the third resonant object.

6. A method comprising:
transferring energy from a first resonant object to a second resonant object using a third resonant object to mediate the energy transfer, wherein the third resonant object is capable of resonantly coupling with (i) the first resonant object, (ii) the second resonant object, or (iii) both, more strongly than the first resonant object is capable of resonantly coupling with the second resonant object; and
maintaining a reduced level of energy accumulation in the third resonant object by varying over time a coupling rate between the third resonant object and (i) the first resonant object, (ii) the second resonant object, or (iii) both, based on a loss rate of (i) the first resonant object, (ii) the second resonant object, or (iii) both;
wherein:
transferring the energy comprises wirelessly transferring energy from the first resonant object to the second resonant object using the third resonant object to mediate the wireless energy transfer; and
maintaining the reduced level of energy accumulation in the third resonant object comprises varying both (i) a coupling rate between the first resonant object and the third resonant object and (ii) a coupling rate between the third resonant object and the second resonant object, over time in accordance with an adiabatic time evolution of an eigenstate for the three resonant objects.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the third resonant object is capable of resonantly coupling with (i) the first resonant object, (ii) the second resonant object, or (iii) both, at least five times more strongly than the first resonant object is capable of resonantly coupling with the second resonant object.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the first resonant object has a loss rate unequal to that of the second resonant object.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein each of the first resonant object, the second resonant object, and the third resonant object has a resonant frequency between 50 kHz and 500 MHz.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein varying the coupling rate comprises changing a relative orientation between one or more pairs of the first resonant object, the second resonant object, and the third resonant object.

11. The method of claim 6 , wherein varying the coupling rate comprises changing a relative position between one or more pairs of the first resonant object, the second resonant object, and the third resonant object.

12. The method of claim 6 , wherein varying the coupling rate comprises changing a resonator property of at least one of the first resonant object, the second resonant object, or the third resonant object.

13. The method of claim 6 , wherein varying the coupling rate comprises changing a size of at least one of the first resonant object, the second resonant object, or the third resonant object.

14. A system comprising:
a first resonant object to provide energy;
a second resonant object to receive energy;
a third resonant object to mediate energy transfer between the first resonant object and the second resonant object, wherein the third resonant object is capable of resonantly coupling with (i) the first resonant object, (ii) the second resonant object, or (iii) both, more strongly than the first resonant object is capable of resonantly coupling with the second resonant object; and
a control mechanism configured and arranged to maintain a reduced level of energy accumulation in the third resonant object by varying over time a coupling rate between the third resonant object and (i) the first resonant object, (ii) the second resonant object, or (iii) both, based on a loss rate of (i) the first resonant object, (ii) the second resonant object, or (iii) both;
wherein the reduced level of energy accumulation is reduced relative to energy accumulation that would occur in the third resonant object without the varying of the coupling rate over time.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the third resonant object is capable of resonantly coupling with (i) the first resonant object, (ii) the second resonant object, or (iii) both, at least five times more strongly than the first resonant object is capable of resonantly coupling with the second resonant object.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the control mechanism is configured and arranged to change a relative orientation between one or more pairs of the first resonant object, the second resonant object, and the third resonant object.

17. The system of claim 14 , wherein the control mechanism is configured and arranged to change a relative position between one or more pairs of the first resonant object, the second resonant object, and the third resonant object.

18. The system of claim 14 , wherein the control mechanism is configured and arranged to change a size of at least one of the first resonant object, the second resonant object, or the third resonant object.

19. A system comprising:
a first resonant object to provide energy;
a second resonant object to receive energy;
a third resonant object to mediate energy transfer between the first resonant object and the second resonant object, wherein the third resonant object is capable of resonantly coupling with (i) the first resonant object, (ii) the second resonant object, or (iii) both, more strongly than the first resonant object is capable of resonantly coupling with the second resonant object; and
a control mechanism configured and arranged to improve energy transfer by varying over time a coupling rate between the third resonant object and (i) the first resonant object, (ii) the second resonant object, or (iii) both, based on a loss rate of (i) the first resonant object, (ii) the second r

Assignees

• Massachusetts Inst Technology

Inventors

• Hamam Rafif E
• Karalis Aristeidis
• Joannopoulos John D
• Soljacic Marin

Classifications

• H02J50/12

  of the resonant type · CPC title

• H02J17/00

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04B5/0037

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H02J5/005 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H02J7/025

  Electricity · mapped topic