BBC News, 11
November 2013
 |
| Researchers have found a way to capture microwave signals and turn them in to power |
Related
Stories
An
electrical current capable of charging a mobile phone has been created from microwave
signals.
A team from
Duke University said the technology they had used had been as efficient as
using solar panels.
The device
they created used metamaterials, which capture various forms of wave energy and
convert them for other applications.
In the
future, satellite, sound or wi-fi signals could be "harvested",
according to the US researchers.
"We're
showing... these materials can be useful for consumer applications," said
engineering student Alexander Katko.
Using
fibreglass and copper conductors on a circuit board, the researchers converted
microwaves into 7.3 volts of electricity. A USB charger, which is often used to
recharge mobile phone batteries and cameras, provides about five volts.
"We
were aiming for the highest energy efficiency we could achieve," said team
member Allen Hawkes.
"We
had been getting energy efficiency around 6-10%, but with this design we were
able to dramatically improve energy conversion to 37%, which is comparable to
what is achieved in solar cells."
Metamaterials
are artificial materials that display properties not usually found in nature.
 |
| Alexander Katko and Allen Hawkes designed a "power-harvesting" device |
They also
believe that it could help users living in remote areas without access to the
power grid. They would be able to "harvest" the energy from signals
generated by mobile phone towers.
"Our
work demonstrates a simple and inexpensive approach to electromagnetic power
harvesting," said Mr Cummer.
"The
beauty of the design is that the basic building blocks are self-contained and
additive. One can simply assemble more blocks to increase the scavenged
power."
The full
report will be published in the journal Applied Physics Letters in December.
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