The New Zealand start-up Emrod is developing a wireless long-distance transmission system with government support that could replace conventional transmission lines.
Since the days of Nikola Tesla, many engineers have tried to develop a practical technology for transmitting large amounts of electricity through the air that can be used on an industrial scale. Although it is based on the same conversion principles as any radio system, in this case, due to the high power, efficiency is the key parameter.
Emrod engineers claim to have found a solution to this problem by combining ideas from optical and radar systems with metamaterials. Unlike cell towers and radio antennas, the quasi-optical system they create converts electricity into a focused cylindrical microwave beam and directs it to the matrix of the next receiver. Thus, energy can be transmitted along the chain and distributed among the consumers.
The specific power of the signal is about 1 kW per m 2 , so the edges of the panels are receiver lasers directed towards the previous transmitter array sensor. If at least one of the signals is interrupted, for example by a flying bird, the system stops producing microwave radiation for that time.
The team is currently working on a system that transmits power over a distance of 40 meters and is scheduled to begin field trials next year. The current prototype works indoors at a distance of two meters. The technological bottleneck is the transmitter, whose component efficiency is about 70%. However, the development of 5G will contribute to the upgrade of the system.
The New Zealand government has already shown interest in the project and has started to support the company. The authorities would like to learn more about the possibility of using this technology to supply electricity to remote areas and places with difficult terrain where the installation and maintenance of traditional transmission lines is very extensive.
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