Sony Prototype Power System Sends Electricity Through the Air

[Starlight]

On Friday Sony announced they have developed a prototype power system that can send enough electricity to power a television set wirelessly over a short distance.

In tests, the company succeeded in sending a conventional 100 volt electricity supply over a distance of 50 centimeters to power a 22-inch LCD television.

To quote: "The system achieves this feat through magnetic resonance. A power supply feeds electricity into a square coil of wires 40 cm across, called the primary coil, to produce a magnetic field. When a secondary coil is brought within the magnetic field this causes a current to be induced and so the electricity transfer is completed.

Both devices have to be tuned to the same resonant frequency for the power transfer to be successful but that also means exact alignment of the two coils isn't necessary, said Sony. It also means that metallic devices placed inside the magnetic field won't cause them to heat up.

There are drawbacks, including the system's efficiency and the distance over which it works. Sony's prototype set-up was 80 percent efficient, which meant a fifth of the power fed into it was wasted. Further losses occured in circuitry connected to the secondary coil so the original 80 watts of power was cut by roughly a quarter to 60 watts once it had made its way through the system.

To extend the distance the company said it has developed passive relay units that, when placed between the primary and secondary coils, can extend the total range up to 80 cm."


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[Chivafighter]

This is pretty Bad ass, but i wonder if it will cause some sort of interference to electronics around it or malfunctions. Since its a Magnetic field that is used, maybe such an interference is possible.

[Rob777]

Isn't electricity just radiation?? surely not safe for people in the room...

[stoney05]

That dude nikola tesla did this along time ago -electricity through the air that is.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikola_Tesla

[zoned]

This along with wireless hdmi will mean an end to the mass of cables behind TV screens all the better for attaching to walls.

[seed101]

wow! amazing... but it's going to take more and more years to finish this technology..

[y2kkingboy]

so our rooms are going to be "electrified"

[PSPSwampy]

I saw this stuff about a year ago, not sony's but similar concepts.

Not only that but there are a number of devices for mobile phones (http://www.technologyreview.com/communications/22764/?a=f) in the final stages which will litterally power your phone by picking up on energy in the air (you know, abient background radiation from mobile phone signals/booster towers and such)

It's very exicting technology and my missus has already said she want's me to get rid of all the cables - so i guess that's my excuse if/when i adopt the tech!

PSPSwampy.

[adshead]

lol nikola tesla achieved this in the 1920's lol most of the new wireless technology we use today was patented by nikola tesla 80yrs ago lol well pretty much most things electronic , radio waves, ac generators, neon lights etc, einstien tesla was the true genius lol

[D3M0N2009]

"100 volt electricity supply over a distance of 50 centimeters to power a 22-inch LCD television."

I assume if you get between the Power supply and TV, you will be fried correct?