Good day everyone,
Today, I want to talk about a form of energy harvesting that you may not have heard much about: capacitive coupling. Typically, when we discuss energy harvesting, we talk about inductive methods such as RF and power lines. However, capacitive coupling can be just as effective.
Before we dive into the specifics, let's talk about what capacitive coupling is. In short, it is a method of transferring energy from one object to another without the use of wires. It relies on the concept of capacitance, which is the ability of two objects to store an electrical charge.
Now, let's get into the nitty-gritty of how capacitive coupling works. To start, we need to calculate the capacitance of the system. This is dependent on the frequency, which in our case is 60 hertz (Hz) since we're dealing with power lines. Next, we need to figure out the capacitive reactance values, which is where things get a bit more complicated.
Assuming we're using a 25-foot strip plate of metal for the capacitive coupling, we can calculate the reactive capacitance to be 394.6 ohms. We also need to use Ohm's law to find the current value and power factor assuming we're receiving 50 volts of power to our system. Based on these calculations, we can estimate that we can receive a total of 6.33 watts of power output from the air through capacitive coupling.
Now, you might be wondering how this can be applied in real life. One potential use case is to build a conductive plate that acts as a capacitor and place it above the same length as a solar panel. Through wireless capacitive coupling, you can extract a significant amount of power that would otherwise go to waste. This power can be used to trigger circuits or charge batteries.
Of course, it's not as simple as just building a plate and calling it a day. We need to ensure that it's safe and efficient to use. Here's an example of how a system like this could be implemented:
Assuming we're roughly 75 feet away from a power line, we can place our 25-foot plate underneath it. One side of the plate should be grounded, and the other side should be connected to the capacitor. This will allow for the capacitive coupling of voltage between the plate and the power line.
One thing to note is that this method won't be as efficient as being directly plugged into the mains. However, it's still worth considering since it's essentially wasted energy in the near field. Any extra source of power we can use is better than nothing.
In conclusion, capacitive coupling is an often overlooked form of energy harvesting that has the potential to be just as effective as inductive methods. While it may seem complicated at first, it's a valuable tool that we can use to extract power from the air.
Here is a youtube video in details:
https://youtu.be/VoiAeZr8-zs
Today, I want to talk about a form of energy harvesting that you may not have heard much about: capacitive coupling. Typically, when we discuss energy harvesting, we talk about inductive methods such as RF and power lines. However, capacitive coupling can be just as effective.
Before we dive into the specifics, let's talk about what capacitive coupling is. In short, it is a method of transferring energy from one object to another without the use of wires. It relies on the concept of capacitance, which is the ability of two objects to store an electrical charge.
Now, let's get into the nitty-gritty of how capacitive coupling works. To start, we need to calculate the capacitance of the system. This is dependent on the frequency, which in our case is 60 hertz (Hz) since we're dealing with power lines. Next, we need to figure out the capacitive reactance values, which is where things get a bit more complicated.
Assuming we're using a 25-foot strip plate of metal for the capacitive coupling, we can calculate the reactive capacitance to be 394.6 ohms. We also need to use Ohm's law to find the current value and power factor assuming we're receiving 50 volts of power to our system. Based on these calculations, we can estimate that we can receive a total of 6.33 watts of power output from the air through capacitive coupling.
Now, you might be wondering how this can be applied in real life. One potential use case is to build a conductive plate that acts as a capacitor and place it above the same length as a solar panel. Through wireless capacitive coupling, you can extract a significant amount of power that would otherwise go to waste. This power can be used to trigger circuits or charge batteries.
Of course, it's not as simple as just building a plate and calling it a day. We need to ensure that it's safe and efficient to use. Here's an example of how a system like this could be implemented:
Assuming we're roughly 75 feet away from a power line, we can place our 25-foot plate underneath it. One side of the plate should be grounded, and the other side should be connected to the capacitor. This will allow for the capacitive coupling of voltage between the plate and the power line.
One thing to note is that this method won't be as efficient as being directly plugged into the mains. However, it's still worth considering since it's essentially wasted energy in the near field. Any extra source of power we can use is better than nothing.
In conclusion, capacitive coupling is an often overlooked form of energy harvesting that has the potential to be just as effective as inductive methods. While it may seem complicated at first, it's a valuable tool that we can use to extract power from the air.
Here is a youtube video in details:
https://youtu.be/VoiAeZr8-zs