Japan experiments with wireless power transmission, successfully lights LED 500 meters away

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries wireless power transmission transmitter device

Receiver device, LED successfully lit

Space solar power generation schematic diagram

Recently, Japan has successfully conducted two microwave wireless power transmission experiments, and the results are expected to be applied in the field of space solar power generation.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said on the 11th that researchers used microwaves to accurately transmit 1.8 kilowatts of electricity (enough to power an electric kettle) wirelessly to a receiver located 55 meters away.

On the 12th, Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries also announced that researchers converted 10 kilowatts of electricity into microwaves for transmission, with part of the electrical energy successfully lighting up LED lights on a receiver located 500 meters away. This is also the longest distance and highest power successful experiment conducted domestically in Japan to date.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries said in a statement on Friday: "We are confident that this experiment shows that the commercialization of wireless power transmission has become possible."

Wireless power transmission refers to the technology of transmitting electrical energy from a power generation device to a receiving end without cables. The biggest difficulty of this technology lies in how to solve the problem of dispersion and attenuation of radio waves during transmission. For wireless communications, the dispersion of radio waves may be a good thing, but for wireless power transmission, it is exactly the opposite.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries stated that it would apply this technology to the Space Solar Power System (SSPS). The company plans to use this technology between 2030 and 2040 to transmit the electricity obtained from space-based power generation devices to the ground via microwaves. It is estimated that using huge solar panels with a diameter of two to three thousand meters for space solar power generation could reach the power generation level of a commonly used million-kilowatt nuclear power unit.

In addition, this technology is expected to be utilized in other fields, such as power transmission from offshore wind power stations to land, power transmission to areas with harsh natural conditions, and wireless charging for electric vehicles.

Scientists say this "small step" may be a "giant leap" for humanity's efficient use of clean energy. Imagine such a scenario: a solar power satellite stationed at an altitude of 35,000 kilometers above the ground, continuously supplying power to cities on the ground. This power transmission method is clean and safe, unaffected by severe weather and time, and will not cause nuclear leakage accidents like traditional nuclear power plants.

However, there is still a long way to go before this vision is ultimately realized. Scientists at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency say it may be as late as 2040 or later. There are many difficulties to overcome, such as sending huge power generation devices into space, how to assemble and maintain them, etc.

The space solar power generation plan was first proposed by the United States in the 1960s. In 2009, Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry began funding the SSPS project.

In 2012, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries reached an agreement with Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry to undertake the research work for the "2012 Solar Wireless Transmission Development Plan."