Transmitting power

[3point14]

These guys seem to have succeeded in transmitting power. (http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/story/0,,2098280,00.html) Enough to light a 60 watt bulb, which seems pretty impressive to me.

[casebro]

No mention of efficiency. I suspect the inverse square law applies, wouldn't it? So, it would be about .002% efficient?

[RecoveringYuppy]

If the article is using the word "resonate" properly there'd be no requirement for an inverse square law to apply.

[jmercer]

I think - assuming this is practical - that manufacturers will jump on it fairly quickly. Most likely, it'll show up first in wireless gaming controllers and cordless house-phones. If it catches on I can see it becoming a standard.

Don't know if everything will go wireless, though.

[Schneibster]

One of the interesting things about using magnetism for this is that the possibility exists that it is a closed loop; a little research shows that is indeed the case: http://www.i4u.com/article9417.html

2% loss is 98% efficiency, and 80% efficiency is mentioned for longer distances. Interesting.

[Earthborn]

Here (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/06/08/nelectric108.xml) is an article with a bit more detail.

It does not yet strike me as particularly practical:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/graphics/2007/06/08/nelectric108a.jpg
"Hey, look at me! I can recharge my laptop wirelessly with this gigantic wire antenna!"

I also like to know what it will do to bankcards, diskettes, harddrives and pacemakers before I am going to invest in this technology.

[Yiab]

I think - assuming this is practical - that manufacturers will jump on it fairly quickly.

I would think so as well, but as far as I know nobody jumped up when Nicola Tesla was researching the same thing in the early 20th century. Of course, he may have had no chance of actually succeeding, but I would have thought his reputation would have garnered him at least some support. Still, it'll be nice to know that satellites won't have to carry around generators of their own. Perhaps, if it is economical to build an engine that can power a rocket from this wireless energy, it would even reduce the amount of fuel necessary to have on board a space shuttle at launch.

[3point14]

Here (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/06/08/nelectric108.xml) is an article with a bit more detail.



The article you linked says:
For the first time electrical engineers have powered a light bulb from a source seven feet away without a cable using mainly magnetic waves. (bolding mine)

If it's mainly magnetic waves, what else is it composed of?

[Michael Redman]

Any bets on how long before someone claims to have contracted cancer from transmitted power?

[3point14]

Any bets on how long before someone claims to have contracted cancer from transmitted power?

Well, I was thinking that the price of tinfoil hats might skyrocket.

[Ziggurat]

Still, it'll be nice to know that satellites won't have to carry around generators of their own.

Not going to happen. At long distances, the efficiency WILL fall off as 1/r2. A satellite is much better off trying to absorb power from a much higher energy source than we can produce on earth: the sun. And that's exactly what most of them do, with solar panels.

[3point14]

Not going to happen. At long distances, the efficiency WILL fall off as 1/r2. A satellite is much better off trying to absorb power from a much higher energy source than we can produce on earth: the sun. And that's exactly what most of them do, with solar panels.

I was thinking really, really big solar panels and transmitting that power back down here.

Clearly unfeasible due to distance. Shame.

[RecoveringYuppy]

Lasers and masers would be appropriate ways to transmit energy from solar power based in space though.

[Yiab]

I was thinking really, really big solar panels and transmitting that power back down here.

Clearly unfeasible due to distance. Shame.

But they could transmit the power to a nearby space station which could store that power for later delivery to Earth via batteries on a space elevator.

[Azure]

But they could transmit the power to a nearby space station which could store that power for later delivery to Earth via batteries on a space elevator.

I was thinking of that too.

Or if they ever get a space elevator going...we go transmit the power through high voltage lines....IF they don't turn up in the atmosphere.

[jmercer]

Here (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/06/08/nelectric108.xml) is an article with a bit more detail.

It does not yet strike me as particularly practical:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/graphics/2007/06/08/nelectric108a.jpg
"Hey, look at me! I can recharge my laptop wirelessly with this gigantic wire antenna!"

I also like to know what it will do to bankcards, diskettes, harddrives and pacemakers before I am going to invest in this technology.

Good points, TB - except for the practical part, I mean. Very few technologies appear practical during the proof of concept stage.

[Crossbow]

Lasers and masers would be appropriate ways to transmit energy from solar power based in space though.

Umm, not really.

When dealing with really high-power Lasers and Masers, only about a few percent of the energy put into them actually ends up in the beam.

Sorry, but unless a rather high efficiency system is developed, Lasers and Masers are not a viable manner to transmit the energy the system produces.

[RecoveringYuppy]

I thought there were some high efficiency laser and masers. But, still, light or microwave beams are still a possibility. Didn't Goldstone labs demonstrate high efficiency microwave transmission back in the 70s? And I read recently that India [ETA: No, it was France doing research in the Indian ocean] was studying it for transmission to some remote areas unsuitable for transmission lines.

[Starthinker]

Am I correct in assuming electricity is the last thing we need wires for? It'd be great to put a bank of computers in a closet, just pass out keyboards, mice, and monitors, and not have any wires at all to worry about. Or a house with a transmitter in the attic or basement and all your televisions, blenders, microwaves, refridgerators, lights, etc., would just work no matter where you put them. Personally, I would love a world without wires.

Now, if we can just get rid of pipes....

[666]

Or a house with a transmitter in the attic or basement and all your televisions, blenders, microwaves, refridgerators, lights, etc., would just work no matter where you put them.Then we'd need to encrypt the power to stop the neighbors using it too!

[Michael Redman]

This might be a good way to transfer power into or out of pressure vessels or other closed containers without a breach and seal. Maybe an external motor drive on a sub or ship without going through the hull, or transmitting power into a spacecraft from solar panels.

[RecoveringYuppy]

I know the article made the statment that objects in the way don't interfere, but a continuous metal hull is not what they had in mind when they said that.

[Michael Redman]

How about a carbon fiber hull.

[This Guy]

Isn't something like this what destroyed Atlantis? :eek:

Couldn't find a direct source, but here's a hint from a mention in some woo writings :)

"Casey's Atlantis readings tell of a crystal energy source that transmitted power everywhere without wires. It propelled flying craft through the air as well as ships in the sea. "The last of these great civilizations came to Egypt 12,500 years ago and built the pyramids as a time capsule for future generations." Edgar Casey spoke: "...It was during that time of 10,500 years ago that the primitive Nile-dwellers came in contact with beings of a more ancient and advanced civilization who accelerated their culture and sense of spirituality by laying down the fundamentals of Egyptian culture."

http://www.mittymax.com/Archive/0081-MannaGoldOfTheGods.htm

As I recall from my days of reading about such things, Casey, in one of his trances said this transmitted power stuff went haywire and blowed everything up real good (Any SCTV fans out there? All star celebrity blowup ;))

[John Hewitt]

Any bets on how long before someone claims to have contracted cancer from transmitted power?
People may not get cancer from this kind of device but I would worry a lot about cataracts.

[Schneibster]

Ain't that Edgar Cayce? You wanna check out a real nutjob, that's the guy.

[This Guy]

Ain't that Edgar Cayce? You wanna check out a real nutjob, that's the guy.

Ooops!

Yes, thank you :)