DARPA News October 5, 2022
DARPA is working on the next leap forward in energy distribution by leveraging wireless power beaming to create a dynamic, adaptive, speed of light wireless energy web. The goal of the Persistent Optical Wireless Energy Relay (POWER) program is to design and demonstrate airborne optical energy relays. These relays are a critical component necessary to allow ground-sourced lasers to be coupled with high-altitude, efficient long-range transmission. Additionally, such relays will enable future multi-path wireless energy networks. It is a three-phase development effort, culminating in a compelling energy relay flight demonstration. This is the internet for energy – harnessing resilient, multipath networks to flow energy from abundant sources to energy-starved consumers. The military faces particularly acute energy challenges. Often, they operate far from established energy infrastructure and rely on liquid fuels that require precarious supply lines. Conversion efficiencies remain a challenge. In a multi-hop network, converting from a propagating wave back to electricity and back to propagating wave at each node quickly accrues unacceptable losses. POWER Proposers Day Announcement. The Broad Agency Announcement will be forthcoming…read more.
Caption: POWER would use relays to advance the state of the art in power beaming. Credit: DARPA