Is it possible to apply wireless technology on the automobile sector?

YES it is!

Electric vehicles (EV) available nowadays in the market are highly efficient at energy utilization. They are considered as a really important and feasible option in relationship with environmental issues due to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (lowering carbon footprint). 

The most common way to charge their battery is using a cable, however, many studies have been carried out on developing wireless charging technology. Ford, Chrysler, BMW, Volvo, Toyota, Delphi, WiTricity, Siemens and many other companies are already partnering and working on inductive charging. 

Some enthusiastic experts imagine a future where cars can be charged wirelessly in automated highways by using renewable energy sources.

There is two way in which EV wireless charging technology can be divided:

1. The first one is the dynamic charging, meaning you are charging the EV while driving.

                      

2. The second one is the static charging, meaning you are charging the EV while is standing still, while they are parked.

  

As you already know if you follow us weekly, the wireless power transfer is based on a technology called magnetic resonance coupling. Two copper coils are tuned to resonate at the same natural frequency. One coil is connected to an electric current, which generates a magnetic field that causes the second coil to resonate. Applied to vehicles, this magnetic resonance results in the invisible transfer of electric energy through the air from the first coil to the receiving as the vehicle speeds along or while is parked.

The static method face some complex issues as a physical wire is required to be plugged in to an electric outlet. Another major drawback of plug-in electric cars is their limited driving range, many drives are worried about running out of power before trip’s end or have to spend hours until the battery is fully charged.
Plus also there are other issues related to charging time frame and safety concern

Up to the present time, static charging is the most popular between recent studies and normally many of the existing systems use transmitters and receivers of same size and shape, which make them inappropriate for supplying power to running vehicles. Nevertheless, there are many organizations that have started research on the field of dynamic charging.

Having said that, we can group in general terms the uses of wireless power as The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (US Department of energy) did in a research  on  same topic (according to who is the user and how is the technology used) :

• After market stationary wireless vehicle charging system (plug in electric vehicle owners).
  
  
  
  
  
• Closed route electric vehicles with bus stop charging pads (airports, municipalities,universities).

• Parking lot pay per charge systems (government).

• Street/highway in motion charging systems (government). 

This technology will be all around before we even realize, actually static charging is been on the market for a while! In the following posts we are going over some research examples and videos to get to know this application of wireless power a little bit better as well as some trials and products already out there. You dont want to miss it!