Laser-based wireless power transfer (LWPT) technology has attracted more and more attention in the field of long-range wireless power transfer (WPT). In practical applications, the light intensity distribution of the laser beam at the receiving end has a crucial impact on the efficiency of the power transfer system. In this article, the optimization of photovoltaic (PV) array configuration is explored in an atmospheric turbulent environment under the irradiation of Gaussian (GS) and flat-top (FT) laser beams. By comparing the photoelectric conversion efficiency of 3×3 PV arrays under the irradiation of GS beams and three different orders of FT beams, we conducted a comprehensive investigation on the impact of GS beam and FT beams as light sources on the performance output of PV arrays. We develop a model of atmospheric turbulence and analyze its effects on laser power transmission. Further numerical simulation was performed to evaluate the photoelectric conversion efficiency of the two laser beams when irradiated by the PV array after experiencing atmospheric turbulence. The results indicate that the FT beam exhibits superior characteristics compared to the GS beam in most cases. FT beams with orders 2, 5, and 10 exhibit an over 8% increase in power compared to a GS beam upon direct irradiation. After passing through weak turbulence for a distance of 2 km, the power enhancement exceeds 9% for all three FT beams. These findings highlight the potential advantages of FT beams in LWPT and offer new insights into the design and optimization of long-range WPT systems.

High-gain patch antennas with low sidelobes are proposed in this article. First, the patch antennas are operating at higher-order modes to realize a larger electrical size and higher directivity. TM30 mode is selected for a rectangular patch, while TM21 mode is selected for a circular patch. Through the surface current distribution analysis, the sidelobe is found contributed by the opposite-oriented surface current. To reduce the sidelobe, one slit and two slots are introduced to the patch on the area with opposite-oriented current. Furthermore, two parasitic patches are introduced to the etched area of the patch. Current with the same orientation is excited through coupling, which helps to further enhance gain and reduce the sidelobe. For demonstration, the rectangular and circular patches are designed and fabricated. In the measurement, 11–12 dBi gain with sidelobe as low as −28 dBi at both E- and H-planes are found. The front-to-back ratio of both patches are found better than 30 dB in the measurements.

Phononic crystals with phononic band gaps varying in different parameters represent a promising structure for sensing. Equipping microchannel sensors with phononic crystals has also become a great area of interest in research. For building a microchannels system compatible with conventional micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) technology, SU-8 is an optimal choice, because it has been used in both fields for a long time. However, its mechanical properties are greatly affected by temperature, as this affects the phononic bands of the phononic crystal. With this in mind, the viscous dissipation in microchannels of flowing liquid is required for application. To solve the problem of viscous dissipation, this article proposes a simulation model that considers the heat transfer between fluid and microchannel and analyzes the frequency domain properties of phononic crystals. The results show that when the channel length reaches 1 mm, the frequency shift caused by viscous dissipation will significantly affect detecting accuracy. Furthermore, the temperature gradient also introduces some weak passbands into the band gap. This article proves that viscous dissipation does influence the band gap of phononic crystal chemical sensors and highlights the necessity of temperature compensation in calibration. This work may promote the application of microchannel chemical sensors in the future.

Presently, there exists a multitude of applications reliant on superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES), categorized into two groups. The first pertains to power quality enhancement, while the second focuses on improving power system stability. Nonetheless, the integration of these dual functionalities into a singular apparatus poses a persistent challenge. Considering this, this paper proposes a multi-functional device based on SMES, encompassing both power quality enhancement and power system stability improvement capabilities. It incorporates power quality enhancement features such as current harmonic filtering, active power smoothing, reactive power compensation, and critical load protection, while also furnishing virtual inertia to bolster grid frequency. Simulation results validate the effectiveness of the proposed methodologies.