Russian R&D Laser Successfully Charges Cell Phones

The Russian space research institute recently used a new type of photoelectric receiver-converter to convert a laser beam emitted from 1.5 kilometers into electrical energy and successfully charge an ordinary mobile phone for one hour. In the future, Russia will use this technology to remotely recharge spacecraft such as drones and satellites.

According to a report by the Russian "Independence" on the 10th, in an experiment concluded recently, the experts of Russia's "Energy" rocket and space group company ("Energy" group) were building a building in the "Korolev" satellite city near Moscow. On the 6th floor of the building, lasers were fired at the roof of another building 1.5 kilometers apart. An optoelectronic receiver-converter on the roof accurately captures this laser beam and converts it into electrical energy, which is then successfully charged through the charging interface of a mobile phone.

The Russian researchers said that the precondition for such charging is that a 10 cm square sight on the above-mentioned photoelectric receiving-converting device must be aligned with the incident laser light. Current experts are analyzing how many percent of mobile phone batteries can be charged in this way.

According to Capranov, an energy group engineer, his research team will use similar technology to charge the battery of a small flying drone in two or three months. If it proves that this technique is feasible, they will try to charge large-scale air drones in this way after one year.

In addition, Tugayenko, the director of the power group of the new aerospace facility of the Energy Group, said that his team's long-term goal of studying laser charging technology is to allow several spacecraft to be remotely charged to each other in space and to be used by specialized satellites. Sunlight is converted into laser light and transmitted to the ground, where it is converted into electricity. If the relevant technology reaches a mature standard, it can save more money than using solar modules on the ground, and it is conducive to further development of space resources.

According to Tujayanenko, the key component for realizing this remote charging is an optoelectronic receiver-converter that converts infrared lasers into electrical energy. Previous ground tests have shown that the device's photoelectric conversion efficiency is about 60%.

At present, Russian researchers have created relevant experimental devices and are now loading them into satellites to prepare for space experiments. In addition, “Energy” Group also plans to install the laser emitting device and the photoelectric receiving-transforming device on the International Space Station and the Russian “Progressive” cargo spacecraft respectively. When the spacecraft reaches a distance of 1 to 2 km from the space station, it can be a spacecraft. Experimental charging. (Reporter Hao Hai)