M2WPT - a large-scale Multi-antenna Multi-sine Wireless Power Transfer architecture

通过射频（RF）辐射的无线功率传输（WPT）长期以来一直被认为是为物联网中的低功率设备供电的可能性。然而，直到最近，WPT才被认为是可行的，因为电子设备的功率需求降低了。使用RF的远场WPT可用于长距离功率输送以增加用户便利性。与无线中断通信相同，使用RF的WPT预计会中断能量的传输。远场WPT的真实的挑战是找到在不增加发射功率的情况下增加能量收集器输出处的DC功率电平的方法，并且确保可以实现发射器与接收器之间的足够范围。该项目依赖于远场WPT RF到DC转换效率是整流天线设计的函数，也是其输入波形的函数。因此，远场WPT的适当设计需要完整的发射器-接收器优化，而不仅仅是接收器（整流天线）设计。不幸的是，对于远场WPT，现有技术的波形已经显示出部分令人失望。该项目背后的根本问题是“我们能否设计一种颠覆性但实用的WPT收发器架构，使无线电力传输在规定的发射功率水平内实现数十米（如果不是更多）的距离？“这个有远见的项目，在帝国理工学院伦敦进行，将独特地利用信号处理工具，以解决一个问题，通常由射频社区调查。受PI和Co-I最近成果的启发，并利用多天线信号处理（Clerckx）和WPT/整流天线设计（Mitcheson）的一套独特的互补技能，该项目将设计并展示基于优化，自适应和可靠的单用户和多用户场景大规模多天线多正弦波形的破坏性M2 WPT架构的可行性，并确定其在远场WPT中的潜力。在这个项目中，我们认为M2 WPT对于WPT来说就像大规模MIMO对于通信一样。M2 WPT将使高效的远场WPT能够为广泛的应用提供足够的远距离功率。为了以可靠的方式将这种新颖的M2 WPT解决方案组合在一起，该项目侧重于1）设计和建模能量采集器，2）设计用于单用户和多用户场景的大规模多正弦多天线波形，3）通过实验和测量证明可行性。该项目将与设备制造和WPT标准化的两个领导者合作执行（东芝和是德科技）、活跃在WPT的两个成熟的学术/研究中心（KULeuven和埃因霍温/IMEC）以及英国首席科学顾问办公室。该项目需要在微波理论和技术，电路设计，优化理论，多天线信号处理，无线通信方面具有强大的跨学科记录，并且将在一个独特的研究小组中进行，该研究小组具有理论和实践技能的正确组合。鉴于上述情况以及该主题的新奇和独创性，研究成果将对改变远程无线充电提供的无线网络的未来具有相当大的价值，并为业界提供高效远程无线充电的发展提供新鲜而及时的见解，推动英国在世界上的无线电源研究概况。它的成功将从根本上改变辐射WPT的设计，对标准化产生巨大影响，并在许多行业中应用，包括楼宇自动化，医疗保健，电信，ICT，结构监测，消费电子产品。

Wireless power transfer (WPT) via radio-frequency (RF) radiation has long been regarded as a possibility for energising low-power devices in the internet of things. It is, however, not until recently that WPT has become recognised as feasible, due to reductions in power requirements of electronics. Far-field WPT using RF could be used for long range power delivery to increase user convenience. In the same way as wireless disrupted communication, WPT using RF is expected to disrupt the delivery of energy. The real challenge with far field WPT is to find ways to increase the DC power level at the energy harvester output without increasing the transmit power, and to ensure that sufficient range between transmitter and receiver can be achieved. The project relies on the observation that far-field WPT RF-to-DC conversion efficiency is a function of the rectenna design but also of its input waveform. A proper design of far-field WPT therefore requires a complete transmitter-receiver optimization rather than just the receiver (rectenna) design. Unfortunately state of the art waveforms have been shown partially disappointing for far-field WPT. The fundamental question behind the project is "can we design a disruptive but practical WPT transceiver architecture to make wireless power transfer a reality at distances of tens (if not more) of meters within regulated transmit power levels?"This visionary project, conducted at Imperial College London, will uniquely leverage signal processing tools to tackle a problem commonly investigated by the RF community. Motivated by recent results by the PI and Co-I and leveraging a unique set of complementary skills on multi-antenna signal processing (Clerckx) and WPT/rectenna design (Mitcheson), the project will design and show the feasibility of a disruptive M2WPT architecture based on optimized, adaptive and reliable large-scale multi-antenna multi-sine waveforms for single-user and multi-user scenarios, and identify its potential for far-field WPT. Thinking big, we advocate in this project that M2WPT will be to WPT what massive MIMO is to communication. M2WPT will enable highly efficient far-field WPT delivering sufficient power at long range for a wide range of applications.To put together this novel M2WPT solution in a credible fashion, this project focuses on 1) designing and modelling the energy harvester, 2) designing large-scale multi-sine multi-antenna waveforms for single and multi-user scenarios, 3) demonstrate the feasibility through experiment and measurement.The project will be performed in partnership with two leaders in equipment manufacturing and WPT standardization (Toshiba and Keysight), two well-established academic/research centres active in WPT (KULeuven and Eindhoven/IMEC) and the UK Office of the Chief Science Adviser. The project demands a strong and inter-disciplinary track record in microwave theory and techniques, circuit design, optimization theory, multi-antenna signal processing, wireless communication and it is to be conducted in a unique research group with a right mix of theoretical and practical skills. With the above and given the novelty and originality of the topic, the research outcomes will be of considerable value to transform the future of wireless networks supplied by remote wireless charging and give the industry a fresh and timely insight into the development of highly efficient remote wireless charging, advancing UK's research profile of wireless power in the world. Its success would radically change the design of radiative WPT, have a tremendous impact on standardization, and applications in a large number of sectors including building automation, healthcare, telecommunications, ICT, structural monitoring, consumer electronics.