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Wednesday, June 8, 2011

New Composites Could Revolutionize Wireless Power

A Duke University study says "metamaterials" a term it uses for Composite Materials with unique properties could facilitate the wireless transfer of power to electrical devices with much less waste. One example of a metamaterial, the study says, would be an array of copper conducting loops. Users would place the array at a given point between the device and its power source, and electricity would be transferred directly through it.

Metamaterials could have real-world applications within two to three years, said Yaroslav Urzhumov, an assistant professor who headed the Duke study. While there is a number of wireless charging devices on the market including the popular Powermat, which offers wireless charging for phones and iPods Urzhumov says using metamaterials would allow for a significant increase in both range and power.

By ramping up the efficiency, metamaterials could help charge bigger appliances and gadgets, including electric automobiles, Urzhumov said. They could even allow people to charge devices underwater. An advantage of metamaterials, Urzhumov said, would be to combat the problem of corrosion. "Exposing metals to the aggressively oxidizing environment leads to fast corrosion and subsequent loss of contact," he said.

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