Mobile Power Network for Ultimate Mobility without Battery Life Anxiety

TL;DR

This paper introduces the mobile power network (MPN), a wireless power delivery system using resonant beam charging (RBC) to enable safe, long-range, multi-device power transfer, transforming mobile device usability.

Contribution

It proposes the MPN concept, details its architecture and supporting RBC technology, and discusses its potential to provide ubiquitous wireless power for mobile devices.

Findings

RBC can safely deliver multi-Watt power to multiple devices concurrently.

The MPN architecture enables wide-area wireless power coverage.

Progress in RBC research supports practical implementation of MPN.

Abstract

Similar to the evolution from the wired Internet to mobile Internet (MI), the growing demand for power delivery anywhere and anytime appeals for power grid transformation from wired to mobile domain. We propose here the next generation of power delivery network -- mobile power network (MPN) for wireless power transfer within a mobile range from several meters to tens of meters. At first, we present the MPN's concept evolution and application scenarios. Then, we introduce the MPN's supporting technology, namely resonant beam charging (RBC). As a long-range wireless power transfer (WPT) method, RBC can safely deliver multi-Watt power to multiple devices concurrently. Meanwhile, the recent progress in RBC research has been summarized. Next, we specify the MPN's architecture to provide the wide-area WPT coverage. Finally, we discuss the MPN's features and challenges. MPN can enable the ultimate mobility by cutting the final cord of mobile devices, realizing the "last-mile" mobile power delivery.