Laser wireless power transfer and thermal regulation method driven by transient laser grating

Abstract

Wireless power transfer (WPT) technology uses non-conductive-wire methods to realize power transmission from the power-supply side to the load side, which is an advantageous energy supply method in long-distance, non-contact scenarios. Based on the photovoltaic (PV) effect, traditional laser WPT (LWPT) has the advantage of high transmission power. However, the cooling requirements of PV modules introduce additional structural composition and operating energy. In this paper, an LWPT (BeE-LWPT) technology based on the Seebeck effect is proposed, and a brand-new energy conversion mode is designed. Aiming at the limited hot area of the thermoelectric element periodically heated using the expanded beam laser, the improvement effect of the transient laser grating thermal regulation mechanism on BeE-LWPT is studied. Multiphysics simulations of the temperature response of the hot end of the copper plate modulated by the laser beam spot are carried out with commercial finite-element software. Compared with the traditional beam expansion method for temperature control, the proposed modulation method based on the transient laser grating has a more stable temperature response and a more uniform heating area, which means better thermal regulation effect.