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back to article Much better wireless power transmission possible - boffins

Engineering boffins in the States say they're on the track of a method to hugely improve the transmission of electrical power without wires. The developments, reportedly, could mean that it wouldn't be just laptops or smartphones charging up wirelessly - much more powerful devices like cars might also get their power without …

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  1. Alexander Valentine
    WTF?

    Credit where credit is due

    Wasn't a world wide wireless power network envisioned by Tesla first (A scientist),

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    1. sisk
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      +1 For Tesla!

      The question is would someone trying to rekindle the Wardenclyffe Tower experiment today run into the same obstacles that Tesla did? After all the reason it was never finished wasn't because he just got tired of the idea.

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  2. Jimadilo
    Black Helicopters

    Telsa?

    Didn't Telsa plan to build a global power transmission system from Long Island? I think that he probably completed it and that it was used as part of the Philadephia Experiment. The US military are probably a bit strapped and trying to release it commercially now.

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    1. Anonymous Coward
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      Anonymous Coward

      Here it is (was)

      Well remembered sir, it was Wardenclyffe Tower on Long Island:

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wardenclyffe_Tower

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      1. James Hughes 1
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        @Well remembered

        Not quite well remembered enough, as Tesla is spelled incorrectly. Twice.

        /pedant

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        1. Steve Farr
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          Black Helicopters

          Tesla=HAARP?

          And there's this piece of Tesla technology pumping up 3.6MW in Alaska generated from turbines with nearby surplus natural gas. The thing is this, no one will admit to where it's all going. Theories please!

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          1. Francis Boyle Silver badge
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            Wow

            The equivalent of almost 4000 bar radiators. That's sure to melt the glaciers!

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  3. jake Silver badge

    Only one problem ...

    What happens if something gets between source & sink? Who dies first?

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    1. BristolBachelor Gold badge
      Reply Icon
      Joke

      Don't cross the streams !!!

      thats all

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  4. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Up

    I for one...

    welcome our giant Scalextrix Overlords.

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  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I may be missing something

    ... but is what has just been described not better known a good old fashioned waveguide?

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    1. Anonymous Coward
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      Anonymous Coward

      probably it is a waveguide (can't be bothered to check)

      ... but these days you can make waveguides with rather exotic (and occasionally useful) properties using metamaterials.

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  6. Brewster's Angle Grinder Silver badge
    Boffin

    Link to the paper

    http://arxiv.org/abs/1102.2281

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    1. wahjeebe
      Reply Icon

      link to another paper

      http://www.merl.com/reports/docs/TR2010-078.pdf

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  7. Anonymous Coward
    Unhappy

    it must be true

    It must be true, I saw that long-invisible (and deservedly so) "futurologist" James Bellini on the telescreen at the weekend talking about (amongst other insanities) wireless power transmission.

    Speaking of insanity, Captain Cyborg is back too, he was on something on Radio 4 Breakfast or whatever it's called last week... as was terrorism expert, dodgy phone tapping investigator and now Times journalist Andy Hayman.

    Not a good few days for BBC News+Current Affairs.

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  8. laird cummings
    Thumb Up

    Never mind the towers...

    If you can get the power to cross a half-meter, just line the roads with transmitter pads, and you can run electric cars down the road like slotcars. Add minimal batteries for off-grid manuevering (getting into a parking lot or driveway, etc.) and you have a working concept.

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    1. Flocke Kroes Silver badge
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      An expensive power transitter for each meter or road?

      Cheaper to replace roads with maglev track.

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    2. mark 63 Silver badge
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      Joke

      dodgems?

      "just line the roads with transmitter pads"

      so the new wireless revolution begins with lining all the roads with wire?

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  9. Maxson

    Touch worried

    I'm a touch worried about putting enough power to power a microwave over a distance any further than in direct contact, even if it's done right, half of people think mobile phones cause head cancer, I imagine these same people would be terrified at the prospect of electricity in the air...maybe a repeat of Brasseye's "heavy electricity" bit?

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    1. Anonymous Coward
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      Alien

      Wuzzup?

      Hey there is ALREADY enough electricity in the air to power several thousand microwaves. Go figure on that!

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      1. Maxson
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        ...but

        Not directed in a straight line or at a small area, there's enough electricity alright but not in a focused enough way if there was enough latent charge floating about to power a microwave without intervention, the the whole discussion would be a moot point.

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  10. Anonymous Coward
    Boffin

    Wait, a wireless elevator?

    'What's wrong with this picture?'

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  11. Anonymous Coward
    Alien

    So that's how they work

    UFO's and the like

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  12. Mips
    Jobs Halo

    Robert A Heinlein

    There is so much more in the Waldo story much orf it achievable or already achieved, why pick on the wacky stuff?

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  13. John Smith 19 Gold badge
    Thumb Up

    Intriguing idea. Depends what the range is

    and weather there is a market *for* that range and power level.

    Looking at the MRL document (MRL is I suspect full of as much accumulated brainpower as PARC) suggests they might be able to radically improve the amount of power you can transmit through walls, which would be handy for driving things in hostile environments. without requiring high temperature/high pressure feedthroughs.

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    1. jake Silver badge
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      @John Smith 19

      That's an appalling spell of wether[1].

      [1] Yes, I know. Dealing with spring lambs ... so shoot me ;-)

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