Applications Of Remote Power

Remote power can mean different things to different people. To most ordinary people, remote power means having the ability to activate or deactivate something from a distance. A ubiquitous example of such power is the remote control for a television set or a stereo. By pressing a button on a handheld device, which is not connected to anything else with a wire, you can use this remote power to turn a television or a radio on.



Scientists and other researchers, as well as people with jobs in industry, might object to that characterization. To them, it is something even older than remote control devices but still more elusive. Not long after achieved the controlled use of electricity in the 19th century, scientists and inventor began seeking a way to transmit this power through the air, or at least through empty space. Tesla, the innovator and inventor, had already successfully done such a thing by the 1890's. However, this remote transfer of power is still a difficult task today. Much of the difficulty arises from the need to do such a thing safely so that consumers are interested in the process.

When ordinary consumers speak of remote power, they are usually speaking of the wireless transfer of very small amounts of energy. The TV remote control is one example. Another is the remote locking feature many new cars have. These features often include remote control over car alarms and even the ignition of the cars themselves.

The actual transfer of remote power is another topic entirely. This topic is one of great interest to many political leaders, not because of the great convenience that citizens feel when they can use remote controls, but because of the limitless possibilities that this transfer represents. The Earth has limited supplies of energy that can be exploited or stored. In space, at great distances from the surface of the planet where people live, there is a nearly endless source of power: the Sun.

Since the dawn of the space age, researchers have sought to find a way to capture solar energy in space and make a remote power transfer to storage batteries on the surface of the Earth. They are daunted by two problems. While it is easy to launch and orbit a craft that collects solar power, the remote transfer of that power is a more complex task. Beyond that, there is the question of receiving that power in a useful fashion for storage or immediate use.

Much is understood about this process. Scientists even know how they could channel energy from space to the surface of the Earth. Safety issues are the biggest obstacle to further it's development. Scientists are still struggling to find a way to transmit remote power safely.