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| [PHOTO CREDIT: USU] |
North Logan, Utah: Out of the laboratories and onto the roadways, Utah State
University will unveil the first electric bus developed and designed by a
United States organization using wireless power to charge its batteries.
The "Aggie Bus" is the first ever to receive
wireless energy of up to 25 kilowatts with more than 90 percent efficiency over
an air gap of 6 inches. The Aggie Bus is
the historic beneficiary of power levels and efficiency specifications that are
firsts in the U.S. for a system of this kind and the combined performance that
is unique in the world.
Based on the same theory that currently enables consumers to
wirelessly charge toothbrushes and cell phones, USU has expanded the technology
to levels and efficiencies that are unprecedented.
Last year, USU conducted laboratory demonstrations that
proved the first high-power, high-efficiency wireless power transfer system
capable of transferring enough energy to quickly charge an electric vehicle.
By carefully applying a mix of modern advances in
engineering and Tesla's principles of induction, Dr. Hunter Wu and his team
have solved one of today's vexing problems in w. Their research has led to the
development of a robust prototype, which has been fitted to the Aggie Bus, and
delivers power over an air gap where no physical contact is required.
Wireless power transfer technology touts a multitude of
benefits to consumers which includes greater reliability due to no moving parts
or cords, added convenience through the elimination of plug-in charging, safety
insurance by eradicating the risk of electrocution, and aesthetically pleasing
devices as a result of no visible wiring.