Planes Could Be Refuelled By Ground-Based Lasers

alfa1 is on the mark.


Although, laser-re-fueling of cars might be possible by implanting them into the ground in car-parks. Park your car, get a "top-up while u shop" (tm)(c)2012 by Qumulys park tech inc.

From what I've read lasers disperse very quickly in the atmosphere and are very power hungry, so wouldn't it take even more energy to refuel a plane (I'm assuming an electric one?) through the atmosphere than it would simply to refuel it mid air like a normal combustion engine? Seems like the energy it would take to effectively operate the laser would more than cancel out the potential benefit of refueling a plane with another plane, same outcome when all is done.

The test was completed indoors in a wind tunnel, as a demonstration of LaserMotive's ability to wirelessly transfer energy over long distances using laser light.

The light provides a continual power source to the drone, and at the end of the test the craft's battery had more power than when it started.

Just how big a wind tunnel are we talking about here that they tested this over a long distance? This article is kind of vague. If you are going to do this why not just try to absorb radiation from all the various radio and radar technology bouncing around our atmosphere with the side effect of having a stealthy vehicle?

I don't know, just doesn't seem very feasible unless they know something I don't, which is probable but they definitely aren't talking about it much.

reply to post by alfa1


It has everything To do with Tesla. Companies like lockhead martin wouldnt have wireless systems transformable power or any of these things with out the innovative mind of one Nikola Tesla. The whole premise of powering an electric flying machine from a remote location came from the eccentric mind of him. Warfare, modern cell phone tech., VHF and VLF wave forms; all of these things came from Tesla.

Before you saysnything about Marconi ( if you were going to ) he built voice radio technology using seventeen of Tesla's patents. That doesnt qualify as original.

It all goes back to him any time you are referring to electricity.

reply to post by RSF77


This is defense technology we are all typing away about. Dont be surprised if the numbers dished out for us to chew on are intentionally low. Does the military really think its in the best interest of their developing spy tech to publicize actual facts? To me, thats highly doubtful.

I would also like to throw out the Unofficial military tech motto... With my tin foil hat on. If the commercial and consumer industries have bitchen technologies available to them/us then the military is probably about two to three decades ahead... Easy.

Tablet keyboards sux my eggz

Originally posted by W3RLIED2
It has everything To do with Tesla. Companies like lockhead martin wouldnt have wireless systems transformable power

You can call "solar power" by the name of "wireless systems" if you wish, but not a single other person in the world does that.

Originally posted by W3RLIED2
Before you saysnything about Marconi ( if you were going to )

Wasnt going to.
I was going to mention solar panels again.
Solar Panels.
Illuminated by lasers.

Originally posted by W3RLIED2
It all goes back to him any time you are referring to electricity.

Except for the fact that solar cells were invented long before Tesla was even born.

Tesla was a genius, sure, but some fanatics like yourself think he invented everything.

reply to post by alfa1


I am a total Tesla geek. I understand the differences, to be sure. I also conceed your point in regards to solar technology.

The simplest statement i can think of, aside from latching on to Teslas nuts any more, is that without his principles and ideas I doubt that technology like this would have been explored until much later in our timeline. Ok so i squeezed tighter.....

I get where your coming from a bit better now.

Originally posted by KilrathiLG
could this technology be utilized for space travel? ie beaming power or fuel to space ships in orbit or would the atmosphere diffuse the beam to much to be used in such a manner? sorry for the breif comment but this kinda stuff goes over my head usualy but star and flag op

It doesn't seem so. What they're doing is recharging a battery in a battery-powered drone, by hitting a photoelectric cell with a laser.

You couldn't use a battery powered prop in much of a vehicle, certainly not an exoatmospheric craft.

Originally posted by christafinias

Planes Could Be Refuelled By Ground-Based Lasers

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk

Planes could in soon be refuelled mid-flight by ground-based lasers after successful tests of the technology.

(visit the link for the full news article)

edit on 13-7-2012 by christafinias because: Typo

Good News for battery powered planes at least.
If I am not mistaken similar tech for charging submarine batteries has been
in place for a long time.

Originally posted by W3RLIED2
This is Tesla technology, plain and simple.

Tesla claimed he had the knowlege to power all vehicles using directed energy sources. There isnt any product of directed energy better than a laser.

Therefor, if this is true, in theory there is no more need for carbon based fuel.

Um.....You do realize that Lasers use electric power right? You know that electricity comes from power plants right? This technology is just a novel way of transmitting energy......It has nothing to do with ending carbon based fuel. The only way to end carbon based fuels, is to stop using them, and move to solar, nuclear, wind, geo-thermal, etc.

And BTW Tesla powered things remotely by fluxing an EM field, and by using a receiver tuned to resonate with that EM field....It had nothing to do with lasers.

There are about three reasons they don't/can't power a car with a laser. First, cars probably weigh more then a drone and thus, take more power. Second, lasers that output more then 10KW or even 1kw are very expensive, more then the batteries. Third, a one watt laser WILL blind and start fires, then you have kids with mirrors screwing with a 1kilowatt beam of energy.

In my opinion the last reason is the killer. Also, Tesla died in 1943 and the first laser was made in the 1960's, claiming its Tesla's technology is wrong, just like claiming the weather man creates the weather.

It's nice seeing the modern scientific community catching up to a mad scientist a hundred years ago.

Originally posted by beezzer
If they can do it with planes, then why not autos?

2nd

But who's going to aim a laser at you when you drive?

I think "re-fueled" is a poor choice of words.

The laser is sending energy to the aircraft, which it uses for propulsion -- this is reducing or eliminating the need for fuel.

Originally posted by W3RLIED2
This is Tesla technology, plain and simple.

Tesla claimed he had the knowlege to power all vehicles using directed energy sources. There isnt any product of directed energy better than a laser.

Therefor, if this is true, in theory there is no more need for carbon based fuel.

First, no, this has nothing to do with Tesla.

Second, how do you power the laser? Carbon based fuel.

Third, how do you firect the laser on ground vehicles?

Looks like you jumped the gun on all accounts.

Originally posted by TKDRL
I thought pointing lazers at planes was a horrible, despicable crime these days.

It's an interesting idea though, not sure how it would play out though in the end.

This was done with a UAV, no pilot to blind.

reply to post by christafinias


Interesting technology, but what exactly is it fueling,are those drones running on batteries or what,sounds
ridicules, could there be a way after all to transfer electricity without the tower grid ?
In Germany at the moment they are planning a mega power tower direct current grid to transfer wind energy from the
north to the rest of the country and many poeple who though they like the idea of non nuclear energy are not happy with that solution either. Wireless laser transfer could be a realistic solution...

reply to post by survivalsurfer


i think some one's already mentioned this but it looks like its aimed towards recharging/powering battery/electric planes with it being 'the wireless transfer of energy'.
Drones would seem the logical thing the'd use it for with no pilot or passangers on board and pro longed flights with laser refuelling.

Just because its Tesla inspired doesn't mean we have had it for a long time. Jules Verne inspired rocketry and submersibles, and that technology took some time to become fully utilized. Either way its nice to see that such a great man is receiving credit for his work after such an awful end.

Around 10 years ago I wrote an editorial saying that wireless power was going to be the next technological revolution. Although still in its infancy, I am starting to see it happen comercially. It hit the public market a few years ago with induction charging pads, and other similar items. You may also recall the "flying saucer" that was propelled vertically by a laser beam. Imagine the potential of being able to deliver power on demand to any object in 3D coordinates. Get ready for another montly bill! ;-)

Ultimately the power still has to come from natural or renewable resources. It's the delivery method that makes the difference.

Enjoy
www.youtube.com...

Originally posted by survivalsurfer
reply to post by christafinias

 

Interesting technology, but what exactly is it fueling,are those drones running on batteries

Yes. It's nothing whatsoever to do with Tesla and the principle has no applications for normal engines.

Basically, all they are doing is firing a laser at a photovoltaic cell - the principle is similar as solar. Except in this case the cell needs to remain in a fixed position - I suppose it could have practical uses if you have a battery power drone hovering over a fixed position and can constantly recharge it from afar to enable it to stay in position?

And I bet it'd be cheaper just to land the drone and plug it into the mains!