Modern Wireless Charging

How many times have you been irritated about having to reach behind your desk in order to get to the outlet needed to plug your phone into? That irritation could vanish with near-field induction charging, more commonly known as wireless charging. Below we'll look at what modern wireless charging is capable of, as well as what type of hurdles can be avoided with its use.

How Wireless Charging is Used Today

It’s probable that you’ve already utilized wireless charging. The Qi wireless platform became the standard for wireless charging and has been used in both Apple and Android devices. It made the jump from 2.5W to 15W delivery. Wireless charging’s convenience has made it a mainstay in certain sectors. It’s a great solution to implement near workstations and nightstands, as well as public places such as restaurants. There is no evidence proposing that it has a widespread negative influence on the battery’s lifespan; there’s no real reason not to have it. This will also get people using their applications and mobile devices more and more.

For example: the Wireless Power Consortium (the developers of Qi charging) has been developing large-form-factor charging pads for the kitchen to supply power to appliances. In the realm of businesses, there is an investigation going on into decreasing constraints on wireless charging power.

Will Wireless Charging Be Possible at a Distance?

Some manufacturers have developed a way to send power over a short distance, so whether or not this technology is possible is yet to be determined, especially with efficiency being taken into consideration. Once the power source and receiving device are far enough apart, the charge being delivered falls in terms of what would be practical to send to the receiving device. That is to say, when it reaches its destination, it retains about ten percent of the power source, meaning that charging is, quite simply, not efficient.

True wireless charging achieves about ten percent efficiency compared to the Qi’s near-field rates of 75 percent efficiency, as well as a wired charge’s 85 percent efficiency. It makes it difficult to see how such a long-distance charge could be worth it, at least with modern technology constraints.

What are your thoughts on this wireless technology?