Wireless Energy Transmission Channel Modeling in Resonant Beam Charging for IoT Devices

TL;DR

This paper models the wireless energy transmission channel in resonant beam charging (RBC) to determine its maximum operational distance and efficiency, providing design guidelines for powering IoT devices wirelessly over meters.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed energy transmission channel model for RBC, analyzing its operational limits and efficiency, which is novel for optimizing wireless power transfer for IoT.

Findings

RBC can deliver multi-Watt power over multi-meter distances.

Operational conditions determine maximum transmission distance.

Efficiency analysis guides system design improvements.

Abstract

Power supply for Internet of Things (IoT) devices is one of the bottlenecks in IoT development. To provide perpetual power supply to IoT devices, resonant beam charging (RBC) is a promising safe, long-range and high-power wireless power transfer solution. How long distance can RBC reach and how much power can RBC transfer? In this paper, we analyze the RBC's consistent and steady operational conditions, which determine the maximum power transmission distance. Moreover, we study the power transmission efficiency within the operational distance, which determines the deliverable power through the RBC energy transmission channel. Based on this energy transmission channel modeling, we numerically evaluate its impacts on the RBC system performance in terms of the transmission distance, the transmission efficiency, and the output electrical power. The analysis leads to the guidelines for the RBC system design and implementation, which can deliver multi-Watt power over multi-meter distance wirelessly for IoT devices.