Wireless Power Transmission Developed For High-Capacity Transit, Begins Large-Scale Use On High-Speed Rail In September

A completely wireless power transmission technology capable of powering high-capacity transport (such as high-speed rail, harbor freight, and airport transportation) has been developed by the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and the Korea Railroad Research Institute (KRRI). It is able to supply a steady and constant 60 kHz and 180 kW of power remotely.

The technology has already been showcased to the public on the railroad tracks at Osong Station in Korea. “Originally, this technology was developed as part of an electric vehicle system introduced by KAIST in 2011 known as the On-line Electric Vehicle (OLEV),” KAIST writes. “OLEV does not need to be parked at a charging station to have a fully powered battery. It gets charged while running, idling, and parking, enabling a reduction in size of the reserve battery down to one-fifth of the battery on board a regular electric car.”

The first models of OLEV are a bus and a tram, which receive 20 kHz and 100 kW of power “at an 85% transmission efficiency rate while maintaining a 20cm air gap between the underbody of vehicle and the road surface.” In only a couple of months, in July 2013, OLEV will be put to the test on a regular road for the first time.

Read more over on EVObsession: Wireless Power Transmission For Transit, Trains, Harbor Freight, Etc.

Image Credit: KAIST