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Advanced Solutions for Power Production and Transfer

but we plan to increase it up to 20%. And thanks to the possibility of
customization, [we can address] a wide range of applications.”
By applying different active materials to Power Roll microgroove
technology, it is possible to create energy storage solutions with a
range of discharge times. Today’s solar technologies either are too
expensive to deploy or their rigidity and weight make them unsuitable
for the job. Power Roll’s low-cost, flexible, and lightweight solar film
enables the use of renewables in new applications.
In partnership with The Energy Resources Institute (TERI), Power
Roll is installing an innovative solar mini-grid system to generate and
store energy in remote rural villages such as Mukteshwar, in the Indian
Himalayas. The system comprises lightweight, portable solar PV to
generate energy and a storage capability to enable energy use at night.
Each system is optimized for the location in which it will operate.
Applications include powering water pumps to support irrigation, Figure 3: Phones charging on the SkyCurrent III device
lighting to help young people study at night, and power to run phones, (Source: PowerSphyr)
enabling access to national and international knowledge and support
networks. Through this project, Power Roll is also experimenting with
novel approaches to mounting the solar film using wire tensioning PowerSphyr says its wireless power products and modules for the
systems, which allow the solar film to be quickly and easily moved to automotive industry eliminate the need for cables or precise coil
where it is most needed. The project is scheduled to run through to the alignment, enabling fast, easy-to-use, and secure charging ecosystems
end of 2021, and Power Roll will report on the outcomes in March 2022. with elegant industrial design and flexible form factors. Figure 2 shows
an automotive application that includes wirelessly powered sensors for
WIRELESS POWER TRANSFER control and monitoring of systems such as lights, airbags, temperature
PowerSphyr, headquartered in Danville, California, aims to control, and doors and wireless charging for occupants’ devices, sup-
revolutionize power delivery to electronic devices via its intelligent porting magnetic resonant, Qi, and RF solutions.
wireless power technology. To support a wide base of applications, it “One of our goals is to reduce complexity by rethinking how the
offers solutions based on four approaches: automotive cockpit is powered — wirelessly,” said Will Wright, CEO of

• Magnetic resonance offers high-power delivery and a high degree of PowerSphyr. “This means removing connectors and replacing tradi-
spatial freedom. With excellent thermal-management properties, it is tional methods with future-proof wireless solutions.
safe for nearby metals and supports multiple devices simultaneously. “Many companies have focused on wireless power to charge mobile
• Inductive charging based on the Wireless Power Consortium’s Qi devices in the cabin, but there is a substantial opportunity to stream-
standard is the simplest and lowest-cost solution, but it offers line manufacturing, improve safety and reliability, and reduce cost
limited spatial freedom, power delivery, and thermal management inside vehicles with PowerSphyr’s new generation of wireless power
(metals become very hot). Moreover, this solution requires a precise technology,” he added. “Vehicles today contain over 200 connectors
alignment between transmitter and receiver. that provide power and communication to critical features and systems.
• Capacitive technology is suitable for industrial applications that As the electrification of vehicles continues to progress, we will see
require very high power. vehicles become more feature-rich and increasingly dependent on soft-
• RF energy harvesting is a great solution for sensors and IoT appli- ware. A new approach to connectivity will become essential. We also
cations. It has excellent spatial freedom (up to 40 feet), can be used are seeing a massive increase in the amount of copper within vehicles.
to harvest existing frequencies, and supports FCC regulatory limits. While most is related to batteries and propulsion, it is also used to
The wireless power transmission and receiving solutions in direct energy throughout the vehicle.”
PowerSphyr’s SkyCurrent family enable fast, easy-to-use, and secure Instead of using wireless power to charge a phone or tablet, said
wireless charging across a wide range of products and modules. Wright, “we are developing wireless solutions to reduce the complexity
Each product includes a fully developed reference design. Key mar- of wire harnesses and connectors. Whether it is powering seat motors,
kets for SkyCurrent products include automotive, consumer, and heated seats, or side mirrors and speakers, a wireless approach solves
industrial applications. many challenges the industry has faced for years.
“PowerSphyr offers solutions from low power to 450 W, and we are
working every year to push our technology further for our customers
in the automotive and industrial space. Our primary technology is a
proprietary form of magnetic resonance that delivers power at
6.78 or 13.56 MHz, depending on the application. I cannot stress
enough the importance of electromagnetics design. Our new solutions
provide both power and communication seamlessly.”
For the industrial sector, PowerSphyr says it seamlessly supports
the three primary standards for wireless charging (magnetic resonant,
magnetic inductive, and AirFuel RF) to meet the middle- to high-power
requirements of industrial tools and machinery. And for the consumer
sector, PowerSphyr’s SkyCurrent III (shown in Figure 3), the ultimate
wireless charging platform delivers a dual-mode wireless charging pad
and a suite of “fast charging” battery cases. ■

Figure 2: Automotive application including wireless powered Maurizio Di Paolo Emilio is editor-in-chief of Power Electronics News
sensors and wireless chargers (Source: PowerSphyr) and EEWeb.

www.eetimes.eu | DECEMBER 2020