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November 15, 2012
Unveils Wirelessly Charged
Electric Bus
that is charged through wireless charging technology. The Aggie Bus, shown here driving through USU's Innovation Campus,
achieved several
significant milestones.
The Aggie Bus, shown here in USU's Advanced WPT Charging Bay, achieved several significant milestones. It is the first bus developed and designed by a North American organization
that is charged with
wireless power transfer technology.
In July 2011, the USU
Research Foundation demonstrated 90 percent electrical transfer
efficiency of five kilowatts over an air gap of 10 inches. The
demonstration validated that electric vehicles can efficiently be
charged with wireless technology.
By carefully applying a mix of modern advances in engineering and Nikola Tesla’s principles of induction, USU engineer Hunter Wu and his team have solved one of today’s vexing problems in WPT. Their research has led to the development of a robust prototype, which has been fitted to the Aggie Bus.
The prototype transfers power over an air gap where no physical contact is required.
Wireless power transfer technology delivers a multitude
of benefits to consumers that include greater reliability due to no
moving parts or cords, added convenience through the elimination of
plug-in charging, the assurance of safety by removing the risk of
electrocution and aesthetically pleasing devices as a result of no
visible wiring.
It is the first bus developed and designed by a North American organization that is charged with wireless power transfer technology and is the world’s first electric bus with WPT technology combining the three following performance metrics:
WAVE Inc., a Utah State University spin-out company, worked in cooperation with the USTAR Advanced Transportation Institute to develop the Aggie Bus.
WAVE tackles the problem of heavy and expensive electric vehicle batteries through wireless power that transfers electricity between vehicles and the roadway. The Aggie Bus represents a market-ready product that will be used to retire significant technical risk as WAVE moves onto full-scale projects next year.
WAVE, in partnership with the Utah Transit Authority, will launch its first commercial demonstration in mid-2013 on the University of Utah’s campus. It will feature a 40-foot transit bus on a public transit route and an increase in wireless power transfer charging from 25 kilowatts to 50 kilowatts.
The project has been funded by a $2.7 million TIGGER grant from the Federal Transit Administration and the University of Utah which purchased the bus.
WAVE intends to deliver a commercially ready product that operates with the same reliability as current public transit bus options, including diesel and compressed natural gas buses.
Utah State University has refashioned the way in which it conducts its technology transfer operation.
The office of Commercial
Enterprises, a division of Commercialization and Regional
Development, provides a one-stop-shop for industry partnership and
intellectual property development.
Utah State’s
wireless power transfer team is a significant part of USU’s USTAR
portfolio. Notes:
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