Grantee Research Project Results
2020 Progress Report: Reduce Carbon Emissions By Wireless Power Transfer
EPA Grant Number: SV839353Title: Reduce Carbon Emissions By Wireless Power Transfer
Investigators: Lee, Hoseon , Diong, Bill
Current Investigators: Lee, Hoseon , Diong, Bill , Blagojevic, Nemanja , Whelan, Jason , McWhorter, Sam , Al-hawwari, Moe , Gonzales-Evans, Eric , Ventura, David , Sinclair, Heath , Privett, Eli , Segovia-Romero, Bryan , Clayton, Bradley
Institution: Kennesaw State University
EPA Project Officer: Page, Angela
Phase: II
Project Period: March 1, 2018 through February 29, 2020 (Extended to February 28, 2022)
Project Period Covered by this Report: March 1, 2020 through February 28,2021
Project Amount: $69,183
RFA: P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition for Sustainability Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet - Phase 2 (2017) Recipients Lists
Research Category: P3 Awards , Sustainable and Healthy Communities , P3 Challenge Area - Air Quality
Objective:
The proposed research is a method of replacing power cables in aircraft with wireless power transfer systems that are much lighter and can reduce the weight of the plane. The current trend of commercial airlines is to eliminate the LCD screens in the back of the passenger seats and to provide WiFi and entertainment directly to portable wireless electronics such as smartphones and tablets due to their increased ubiquity. The number of power lines that lead to each passenger seat, from the head to the tail end of the plane is significant and adds to the overall weight of the plane. The weight of a small transmitter in intermittent locations down the plane, placed above the carryon compartment can significantly reduce this weight. The width of the plane is narrow, and the distance from the transmitter to the receiver is between 1 to 3 meters. Not only is the distance short, but it is also static, which makes it an ideal environment for integrating a wireless power transfer system. The goal is to reduce the amount of fuel needed, due to the reduced weight, and eventually reduce carbon emission per flight. This reduction factor per plane multiplied by the total number of flights in the world, results in a substantial reduction in global carbon emission and a step towards a more sustainable environment.
The main objective of Phase II is to further develop the wireless power transfer receiver prototype developed in Phase I for implementation in the field. This main objective is divided into two sub-objectives. One of the sub-objectives is to increase the efficiency of the prototype developed in Phase I, by putting together a team of research and engineering professionals consisting of undergraduate students at Kennesaw State University, graduate student(s) at Georgia Tech, and research personnel at GTRI (Georgia Tech Research Institute) to collaborate on this project.
Progress Summary:
- A circuit model that matches the measured prototypes have been created and validated through multiple measurements ranging from different power levels and different load resistances. The significance of this model is that it now enables efficient design of optimized wireless power transfer systems at any frequency, any power level, and for any load impedance.
- A maximum distance of 20 feet have been successfully measured for an output voltage of either 4.2 V. The significance of this is that now any device that operates at or below 4.2 V can now be turned on and activated using our WPT system.
- A compact, commercializable, integrated board has been successfully designed. The size is only 2x1.55 inches, which is smaller than the two boards combined (0.93x0.7 inch board plus a 4x4 inch board). This compact board can be directly implemented in the field and can be commercialized.
- No research misconduct has occurred during the reporting period in compliance with [65 FR 76262.1].
- Planned activity for the subsequent reporting period, including a description of equipment, techniques, and materials to be used or evaluated.
- Populate and testing multiple compact, integrated boards with an omni-directional transmitter to measure the wireless power received.
- Test the compact receiver board with various IoT sensors, low-power microcontrollers, and rechargeable Li-Ion batteries.
- Submit invention disclosure to KSURF at Kennesaw State University to begin patent application.
- Prepare EPA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) or Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grant applications for implementation and commercialization.
Future Activities:
This research has successfully shown that wireless power can be received using a 2-stage RF-DC charge pump, and more importantly that a high enough voltage of 4.2V can be obtained from as far as 20 feet away from the transmitter. This is high significant because most low-power IoTs and microcontrollers operate at 3.3 V. This will enable most IoT sensors to be powered wirelessly from at most 20 feet away. With the phase II grant, a professional, compact, integrated printed circuit board has been successfully created for direct implementation in the field. The compact board is only 2x1.55 inches and includes both the charge pump board and the TI ultra low-power boost converter board. This moves the research from its initial feasibility stage at Phase I to the next implementation stage at Phase II of the EPA P3 program which is in line with the goal of the EPA P3 Phase II program. Lastly, a circuit model has successfully been created which matches the measurements of multiple 2-stage charge pump boards. With this model, any 2-stage charge pump operating at any frequency and any input power level can be efficiently designed with optimal power transfer characteristics, making it easy to design new boards.
Journal Articles:
No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 5 publications for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
wireless power transfer, wireless energy harvesting, RF-DC charge pump, voltage multiplier, boost converter, buck-boost converter, power managementProgress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractP3 Phase I:
Reduce Carbon Emissions by Wireless Power Transfer | Final ReportThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.