
Wireless Charger Refills Battery as Fast as Plugging In - prostoalex
http://news.discovery.com/tech/alternative-power-sources/wireless-charger-refills-battery-as-fast-as-plugging-in-160405.htm
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jwr
This seems to be solving a problem that doesn't exist, or at least isn't
nearly as important as energy storage.

We are OK with "plugging in" gasoline hoses, and I don't think anyone has a
problem with plugging in an electric plug. It's the charge time and energy
storage capacity that are the real issues.

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dogma1138
Well efficient wireless charging can also be used to power the car while on
the road think of ev lanes that charge a capacitor bank in your car while you
are driving so you don't have to drain the battery.

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adrianN
This will make building roads orders of magnitude more expensive. I don't
think we'll ever have "power lanes".

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daurnimator
What about "power traffic lights"? slightly more plausible...

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mrexroad
Parking spaces are probably as feasible as we'd get before energy model for
vehicles changes. Parking spaces can be retrofitted versus having to rebuild
transportation infrastructure. Plus, being a stationary discrete position
simplifies the problem significantly.

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mattlutze
This is a key component in autonomous vehicle networks.

Take fleet rental cars that patrol a city looking for passengers -- with
traditional plug-in tech, you need some sort of robot on the car or charging
station to plug something in. As well, if the car is unattended, there is not
insignificant risk of someone stealing the cables.

With this, the car needs to just stop on a charging pad and get to charging.
Simpler and safer.

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iam-TJ
This is about the same report as

[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11436541](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11436541)

where I've added some links to technical documentation about this and other
related projects.

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xorcist
If charging time is an issue for your application, isn't it easier and more
effective to switch batteries instead? (Or at least electrolyte?)

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rasz_pl
Its wireless all right, if you ignore thick cable hanging under the car,
connected to massive plate suspended 10cm above ground, pretty much almost
touching another plate. Did I mention they need to be perfectly aligned for
efficient coupling? All of this makes wireless part pretty pointless, you
could very well make those plates touch when parked.

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mattlutze
They make it pretty clear that Oak Ridge's research project discussed in the
article is just that.

Science takes time, and this is a really, really cool step toward some
interesting capabilities.

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Chris2048
Many mediums that can transfer energy quick, can disperse it quickly, leading
to issues if that medium malfunctions and explodes/catches fire.

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akerro
How long before we know it's safe for us? I mean, if GSM networks are harmful
to bees and other insects, this charger emits more energy in less time, so how
do we know if it's safe to use in living areas in our homes?

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eivarv
Do you have any sources re: GSM networks being "harmful to bees and other
insects"? The results [0-3] of a quick Google search suggests that it's not
the case, and I couldn't find any research claiming it either (though,
admittedly, I didn't have much time to try).

[0]:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colony_collapse_disorder#Elect...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colony_collapse_disorder#Electromagnetic_radiation)

[1]: [http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/debunking-a-new-
my...](http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/debunking-a-new-myth-mobile-
phones-and-dying-bees-a-477804.html)

[2]: [http://cleantechnica.com/2011/05/12/are-cell-phone-
killing-b...](http://cleantechnica.com/2011/05/12/are-cell-phone-killing-bees-
how-the-false-meme-spread/)

[3]: [http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/european-technology/cell-
ph...](http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/european-technology/cell-phones-kill-
bees-stories-create-buzz-but-the-internet-pays-the-price/)

