21 Gun Salute: EMF

 Microwave beams converge on a target.
Microwave beams converge on a target.

Given that the near and long term trends favor rapid adoption of wireless power in transportation and charging personal electronics, what do we know about EMF as it relates to health and safety?

(See our Grants section for  Wireless Power applications in San Diego.)

At low energy wavelength, microwaves can pass right through a human body to charge personal electronics using non-ionizing radiation, without damaging human tissue.  As scary as that sounds, there is an ionizing EMF field present in cars that is much stronger.  What’s the biggest EMF source in a car?

Surprisingly, steel belted radial tires is the biggest source of EMF in a non-hybrid vehicle.  In a hybrid vehicle, if there is an AC motor, then there may be a larger EMF field. 

DC fields, like those in batteries, are similar to the Earth’s magnetic field, which is so strong it extends far into space.  Large DC fields are omnipresent and pose no danger. 

Tightly coupled magnetic induction holds the most promise for electric power transfer for transportation purposes.

A meta study of reputable medical journals found that some types of EMF have a strong correlation to childhood Leukemia.  The greatest difficulty in studying EMF is in isolating a person from the numerous and various sources.