Appliance Design - March 2009 - (Page 16)

POWER that recognize and charge a device. Before charging begins, RFID tags and a data authentication protocol establish a handshake between the mat and the receiver. A successful handshake triggers the energy transfer. If the mat does not recognize the device, it will not transfer power. Through constant monitoring, the system stops charging when the device is fully charged. The mats can charge between three and six devices simultaneously, depending upon the model. Charging occurs at the same rate as if each device was using its own charging unit. For devices without a compatible receiver, the mats have a USB port for power transfer. The company has developed receiver units for popular electronics such as Apple iPhones, BlackBerrys, iPods, and various handheld games, and global positioning systems. Mobile devices such as these can also be charged with new technology from WildCharge, Scottsdale, Ariz. While the WildCharge technology also employs a mat as a transfer device, a different transfer method is used as compared to Fulton’s or Powermat’s. WildCharge’s method is based on conductivity, and not inductive coupling. The mat has a conductive surface, is flat and thin, available in rigid or flexible materials, and can be placed on any flat surface. The conductive connection is made through contact points on the back of an electronic device, says Izhar Matzkevich, founder of WildCharge. Enabled devices have four, spring-loaded ball bearings that come in contact with the surface and complete an electrical circuit. The unit can transmit and receive up to 15 W of power, and the pads come in 15 V and 20 V versions. The company sells adapters with builtin contact points for specific electronic devices. The adapter for the RAZR phone, for example, is a direct drop in that replaces the phone’s original battery cover with one that has built-in WildCharge capability. In addition to RAZR, the company has released adapters for the Apple iPhone, iPod touch, the BlackBerry Pearl and 8800, and other devices. Alternatively, it can help OEMs design-in contact points into new products. One of the newer applications for the technology are power kits for video game Intel researcher alanson Sample successfully transmitted 60 W of power over a distance of two to three ft. to illuminate a light bulb. controllers from Griffin International, Minneapolis. The controllers are used with Nintendo’s Wii, Sony’s Playstation 3, and the Microsoft Xbox 360 game systems. The kits can simultaneously charge multiple game controllers, along with other WildChargeenabled electronic devices. Another approach to wireless power transfer, broadcasting RF energy, is Fulton Innovation’s eCoupled technology can directly power this 1-hp blender. The challenge of this application is varying power load requirements of the blender and adjusting to them as they change. employed by Powercast, Pittsburgh, whose system can be used to charge multiple products. A transmitter, called the Powercaster, runs on line power and emits RF at a predefined frequency. The receiver, called the Powerharvester, can harvest tens of milliwatts from radio waves at an efficiency of 70 percent and at a distance of several meters. The Powerharvester captures the radio waves and converts them into DC energy. The receiver can also capture ambient power. The Powercast system transfers low-power RF energy to devices, batteries, or capacitors that need between 1 mW and 50 mW of power. Charge can be maintained at or near the desired voltage through continuous or periodic charging. By coupling RF harvesting with batteries or capacitors, it can deliver watts of power on demand. The system is available in a variety of transmitter and receiver module frequency ranges, voltage requirements, and form factors. To integrate the technology into an existing product design, only the power circuit typically needs to be modified to accommodate the Powerharvester module, says Steve Day, development manager for Powercast. Some customers have placed the circuit in the device’s battery compartment, he adds. The receiving antenna can be molded into the device. The company has developed products 16 applianceDESIGN March 2009 www.applianceDESIGN.com http://www.appliancedesign.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Appliance Design - March 2009

Appliance Design - March 2009 Contents Editorial Shipments/Forecasts News Watch Transmitting Power Wirelessly Promises to Reduce the Ever-Growing Tangle of Cords and Cables Found in the Modern Home. There Are Different Technological Approaches for Achieving this Goal, and Some Are Already on the Market. Electrochemical Capacitors Can Provide an Extra Peak-Power Boost in Battery-Operated Appliances, Allowing Product Designs to Have Smaller Battery Packs. Metallic Foams Put the Properties of Metals into Lightweight Packages. Applications for this Emerging Technology Include Gas Burners, Heat Exchangers, and Electronics Housings. Hall-Effect Switches Are Compact and Provide a High Degree of Reliability and Durability as They Virtually Eliminate Mechanical Wear, Shock, and Contact Oxidation. Blowing Agents for Polyurethane Foam Insulation Face Increased Scrutiny Due to Global Warming Concerns, but Alternatives with Lower GWP Values May Provide Solutions to Meet These Challenges. Design Marts Association Report: AHAM Advertisers' Index

Appliance Design - March 2009

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