SBIR Phase I: Long-Range, Millimeter-Wave, Wireless Power Beaming with Enhanced Efficiency

这项小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目旨在推动美国中西部地区的高科技产业发展。该团队为民用和军用环境开发和部署无线电力传输技术。该项目探索通过电磁波无线产生和分配大量能量。由此产生的技术涵盖了从汽车无线充电到绿色能源分配和太阳能光束的应用。直接的应用包括重型无人机的长途飞行，它们可以从地面电力集束站远程充电。随着中继无人机的加入，这项技术也可以为军事目的建立一个弹性的空中能量分配网络。从长远来看，该技术的可扩展性使太阳能发电成为可能，这是向无碳绿色能源生产的重大飞跃。这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目解决了现有无线能量传输技术的基本局限性。传统的射频发射和接收方法存在效率低、物理尺寸大等缺点。这些限制使得远程电力传输解决方案不切实际。为了克服这些障碍，该项目旨在开发一种独特的无线功率波束技术操作模式：使用毫米波在近场区域进行功率波束。这种方法具有显著的优势，包括提高效率、尺寸紧凑、出色的远程性能和安全的操作。通过利用在毫米波下工作的发射机的扩展近场范围，并利用自适应可控的准直波束，该技术可以显着提高功率效率，允许功率在更远的距离上传输。此外，在大气传输窗口的低损耗区域内设计了独特的频率计划，增强了系统在恶劣天气条件下的恢复能力。利用毫米波频谱中较短的波长可以大大减小发射和接收系统的尺寸。对发射机焦点的精确控制确保了子系统之间安全可靠的电力传输连接。这项技术有可能彻底改变无线电力传输，促进高功率的有效传输并解锁功能。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project seeks to drive high-tech industry development in the Midwest region of the United States. This team develops and deploys wireless, power-beaming technologies for applications in both civilian and military contexts. The project explores wireless generation and distribution of mass energies through electromagnetic waves. The resulting technology spans applications from the wireless charging of vehicles to green energy distribution and solar power beaming. Immediate applications include long-distance flights of heavy-duty drones, which can be remotely charged from terrestrial power beaming stations. With the addition of relay drones, this technology may also establish a resilient airborne energy distribution network for military purposes. In the long term, the technology's scalability enables solar power beaming, a significant leap toward carbon-free green energy production.This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project addresses the fundamental limitations of existing wireless power-beaming technologies. Conventional methods suffer from poor efficiency and require large physical dimensions for Radio Frequency transmitters and receivers. These limitations have made a long-range power-beaming solution impractical. To overcome these obstacles, this project aims to develop a unique operational mode for wireless power-beaming technology: power beaming at the near-field zone using millimeter waves. This approach offers significant advantages, including improved efficiency, compact dimensions, outstanding long-range performance, and safe operation. By leveraging the extended near-field range of a transmitter operating at millimeter waves and utilizing an adaptively controllable collimated beam, the technology can significantly enhance power efficiency, allowing power to be transmitted over much greater distances. Furthermore, a uniquely devised frequency plan within the low-loss region of atmospheric transmission windows enhances the system's resilience in adverse weather conditions. The utilization of shorter wavelengths in the millimeter-wave spectrum enables substantial reductions in the size of transmitting and receiving systems. Precise control of the transmitter's focal point ensures a secure and reliable power-beaming connection between subsystems. This technology has the potential to revolutionize wireless power beaming, facilitating efficient transfer of high powers and unlocking capabilities.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.