Long-range wireless optical power transfer system using an EDFA.

Area of Science:

• Optoelectronics
• Wireless Power Transfer
• Laser Engineering

Background:

• Wireless optical power transfer (WOPT) systems face challenges in achieving long-range, high-power, and safe energy transmission.
• Existing systems often struggle with beam divergence and safety concerns over extended distances.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and demonstrate a novel wireless optical power transfer (WOPT) system utilizing an erbium-doped fiber amplifier.
• To achieve long-range (30m), high-power, and hazard-free power delivery in free space.
• To implement an improved safety mechanism for obstacle detection.

Main Methods:

• A transmitter generates amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) around 1550 nm, filtered to a safe narrowband beam (1552.25 nm) using WDM.
• A ball lens retroreflector creates a closed ring resonance loop for power delivery.
• An optical safety mechanism is integrated to terminate resonance upon detecting an obstacle.

Main Results:

• The system achieves 400 mW optical power over 30m with a 1.027 nm channel linewidth.
• Electrical power of 85 mW is acquired using a gallium antimonide photovoltaic receiver.
• Incident power is reduced to 0.79 mW post-filtering, well within safety standards.

Conclusions:

• The proposed WOPT system offers a viable solution for safe, long-range wireless power transmission.
• The integrated safety mechanism enhances system reliability and user safety.
• This technology has potential applications in scenarios requiring remote and secure power delivery.