Smart Factory Group
Smart factories are being promoted to improve working styles by introducing IoT and AI to data management, system control, monitoring, etc. to increase productivity, reduce the burden on workers, and ensure safety. On the other hand, these IoT devices are still managed by wired or human operators, and it is expected that wireless power transmission (WPT) will secure the driving power source.
To solve this problem, we are developing a system that creates a pseudo-shielded space within a facility and controls the distribution of electromagnetic fields confined and localized within the space to provide time-division power to multiple IoT devices. Radio wave of the frequency used for power supply is confined within the shielded space, while radio waves of the frequency used for information communication leave the shielded space, allowing communication from outside the shielded space. Wireless communication is also possible within the shielded space.
The system automates everything from data management to power supply and aims to realize a society in which productivity can be improved by increasing work efficiency and realizing 24-hour continuous operation, and work style reform can be achieved by reducing the burden on workers and ensuring their safety.
Our method is capable of supplying power to multiple modules. We have achieved WPT to 10 power-receiving modules in a shielded space. Each palm-sized power-receiving module has achieved an efficiency of 30% to 40%. Currently, further improvement of the efficiency, miniaturization of the power receiving modules, and control of the transmission frequency are being studied.
Main Achievements
Y. Tamura, H. Saeki(Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.), M. Tamura,“System Design of Cavity Resonance-enabled Wireless Power Transfer Based on Filter Design Theory,” IEEE ACCESS, vol. 12, pp.43341-43349, Mar. 2024.
S. Akai, H. Saeki(Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.), M. Tamura, “Power Supply to Multiple Sensors and Leakage Field Analysis Using Cavity Resonance-Enabled Wireless Power Transfer,” in Proc. 2022 IEEE MTT-S Int. Microwave Symposium, Denver, CO, Jun. 2022, pp.271-274.
D. Fujii, M. Tamura,“Design Method for Differential Rectifier Circuit Capable of Rapidly Charging Storage Capacitor,” IEICE Trans. Electronics, vol. E104-C, no. 7, pp.355-362, Jul. 2021.
S. Nimura, D. Furusu, M. Tamura,“Improvement in Power Transmission Efficiency for Cavity Resonance-Enabled Wireless Power Transfer by Utilizing Probes With Variable Reactance,” IEEE Trans. Microwave Theory and Techniques, vol. 68, no. 7, pp.2734-2744, Jul. 2020.
Main Press Releases (in Japanese)
2023/9/28
豊橋技科大と近藤製作所、産ロボ向けロータリージョイント開発, 日刊工業新聞.2022/10/19
ロッカー格納物をまるっと充電,村田などが「効率1割」の新型無線給電, 日経クロステック/日経エレクトロニクス.