The idea of transferring power over long distances via radio waves has emerged shortly after the development of high-power microwave amplifiers. The potential applications and impact of wireless power transmission (WPT) has motivated an always increasing interest from the academic and industrial communities in the research and development of effective WPT transmitting and receiving devices. Within such a framework, this chapter is aimed at introducing and formulating the problem of designing WPT antennas and arrays for power transmission via radio waves, and at illustrating the theoretical motivations, fundamentals, and technological guidelines behind state-of-the-art strategies for the synthesis of such systems. A discussion on the current trends and envisaged development within this research area will be also provided.

Chapter Contents:

• Abstract
• 8.1 Introduction and rationale
• 8.2 Design of antenna and phased arrays for WPT: problem formulation
• 8.2.1 The end-to-end WPT efficiency
• 8.2.2 The WPT antenna design problem
• 8.3 WPT phased array synthesis techniques
• 8.3.1 Uniform excitations in WPT
• 8.3.2 Heuristic tapering methods
• 8.3.3 Designs based on optimization strategies
• 8.3.4 Optimal WPT phased array synthesis
• 8.3.5 Unconventional architectures for WPT phased arrays
• 8.3.5.1 Clustered WPT layouts via CPM synthesis
• 8.3.5.2 CS-designed sparse WPT arrangements
• 8.4 Final remarks, current trends, and future perspectives
• Acknowledgments
• References

Inspec keywords: microwave power amplifiers; receiving antennas; radiowaves; antenna phased arrays; radiofrequency power transmission; transmitting antennas; inductive power transmission

Other keywords: phased antenna array; WPT antennas; radio waves; wireless power transmission; WPT transmitting devices; receiving devices; antenna technologies; wireless power transfer; high-power microwave amplifiers

Subjects: Antenna arrays; Microwave circuits and devices; Amplifiers; Wireless power transmission