Intel cuts electric cords with wireless power system

[Apokalipse]

There's always a power loss in any sort of transformation, irrespective of whether the power is in beam (probably electromagnetic) form, or electrical, or chemical, or nuclear, anything......

 

[Luke]

^but the transformation combined with the other factors there would be a larger loss then ground power stations.

 

[Apokalipse]

^but the transformation combined with the other factors there would be a larger loss then ground power stations.

How do you know how efficient is if we haven't even got the technology to test?
Also, there are many forms of energy that are not very efficient at all.
The internal combustion engine only harnesses about 20% of the energy stored in the fuel.

 

[zmatt]

its not hard to realize that beaming down energy in the form of a laser is not a very efficient thing to do.

 

[Luke]

Also, there are many forms of energy that are not very efficient at all.
The internal combustion engine only harnesses about 20% of the energy stored in the fuel.

im sorry, what does that have to do with what we are talking about? Also like matt said, the laser has to be focused, has to be capable of penetrating the atmosphere and still hitting the the target receiver exactly with out damaging anything, or any one (planes would be an issue with this) among other considerations, but those alone merit a good deal of power loss.

 

[wafflehammer]

im sorry, what does that have to do with what we are talking about?

people said you would lose energy from the beam, but uses the current methods energy is lost anyway so why try to say that's a negative thing

 

[zmatt]

but when you factor in the low levels of efficiency that even the best solar panels have such loss in transportation is simply unacceptable.


lasers put alot of their energy into heat and light so just putting it into such a manifestation will lose a good deal. Also laser are very powerful for their energy. The diode from a dvd burner can burn clothing after a few seconds. The kind of laser you would be firing would heat up the atmosphere around it a good deal and then making a device that can safely capture it without it being destroyed is a feat in and of itself. Dishes are used for most types of electromagnetic radiation, but this laser will be in the megawatt range. it could easily melt your dish and then continue on to destroy the structure you built.


I'm not saying it can't be done, I'm just saying that when there are easier and better methods why bother?

 

[Luke]

^ a pure titanium dish could do it, but it would not be able to sustain the transfer fr very long. It would have to do it incrementally, and would be very difficult. I don't know, in 40 years we will see lol.

 

[Apokalipse]

its not hard to realize that beaming down energy in the form of a laser is not a very efficient thing to do.

Why is it not very efficient?
have you tried it, and can you show with empirical evidence that it's not very efficient?

im sorry, what does that have to do with what we are talking about?

We are talking about efficiency, aren't we?

Also like matt said, the laser has to be focused, has to be capable of penetrating the atmosphere and still hitting the the target receiver exactly with out damaging anything, or any one (planes would be an issue with this) among other considerations, but those alone merit a good deal of power loss.

It doesn't necessarily have to be visible light. It could be another frequency which could easily penetrate the clouds or air.

but when you factor in the low levels of efficiency that even the best solar panels have such loss in transportation is simply unacceptable.

That's begging the question.
I mean, solar panels aren't particularly efficient... but that's why they'd be in orbit. Maybe transforming the energy, in space, into a different frequency of electromagnetic energy will make it more efficient than having solar panels on the surface.

lasers put alot of their energy into heat and light

The vast majority being light. Though I'm sure they could be made even more efficient than they already are (which is quite high compared to a lot of other energy transformation techniques)

The kind of laser you would be firing would heat up the atmosphere around it a good deal

If the electromagnetic energy you're using interacts with the atmosphere a good deal, it would.
But not all electromagnetic energy does interact easily with it.

 

[nukeman8]

Havent got much of help for this sort of things, same with cars that run on hydro power and wind farms.
If theres not alot of money to make from it or people start losing money to make things environmently greener then it seems to advance at a very slow pace.