Wireless system charges vehicles on the move

The computer model feasibility study at Stanford University is based on commercial technology from a spin-out company of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Wireless charging is based on the principle of magnetic resonance coupling, where two copper coils are tuned to resonate at the same natural frequency. One coil is connected to an electric current, which generates a magnetic field that causes the second coil to resonate. This magnetic resonance results in the invisible transfer of electric energy through the air from the first coil to the receiving coil.

MIT spin-out WiTricity has a device capable of wirelessly transferring about three kilowatts of electric power to a stationary vehicle parked in a garage or on the street.

In theory, a series of coils connected to an electric current could be embedded into the motorway to create an on-the-move charging system. Receiving coils attached to the bottom of the car would resonate as the vehicle speeds along, creating magnetic fields that continuously transfer electricity to charge the battery.