1 курс - 2 семестр / UNIT 10 - wireless electricity

UNIT 10

WIRELESS ELECTRICITY

LEAD - UP ACTIVITY

1) Short discussion.

1. Imagine what will happen if the supply of energy or electricity to our houses stops so what will you do, how will our life change?

2. Do you know who invented electricity? What is the name of this scientist and what do you know about him and his work?

3. What devices do you know which work without wires?

2) Look at the pictures showing different wireless devices. What are their main advantages and disadvantages?

A		B
C	D		E

READING

1. Read the following words and find their Ukrainian equivalents. Try to explain their meanings:

conventional, transference, wastage, display, widespread, to exist, efficiency, a coil, advantage, to tune, frequency, techniques, electricity, modern, wireless, transmitter.

2. Read and translate the text:

Wireless electricity

Electricity is today a necessity of modern life. It is difficult to imagine passing a day without electricity. The conventional use of electricity is made possible through the use of wires. However researchers in MIT have devised means of providing electricity without any wires.

These researchers coined the term witricity; which is basically a portmanteau for wireless electricity. This principle of wireless electricity works on the principle of using coupled resonant objects for the transference of electricity to objects without the use of any wires. A witricity system consists of a witricity transmitter and another device called the receiver.

The receiver works on the same principle as radio receivers where the device has to be in the range of the transmitter. It is with the help of resonant magnetic fields that witricity produces electricity, while reducing the wastage of power.

While the idea may sound futuristic, it isn't particularly new. Nicola Tesla proposed theories of wireless power transmission in the late 1800s and early 1900s. One of his more spectacular displays involved remotely powering lights in the ground at his Colorado Springs experiment station.

Tesla's work was impressive, but it didn't immediately lead to widespread, practical methods for wireless power transmission. Since then, researchers have developed several techniques for moving electricity over long distances without wires. Some exist only as theories or prototypes, but others are already in use.

So far the MIT researchers have been able to power a 60 watt light bulb from a power source that is located about seven feet away, while providing forty percent efficiency. This was made possible using two copper coils that were twenty inches in diameter which were designed so that they resonated together in the MHz range. One of these coils were connected to a power source while the other, to a bulb. With this witricity setup, the bulb got powered even when the coils were not in sight.

If you have an electric toothbrush, for example, you probably take advantage of one method every day.

The wireless transmission of energy is common in much of the world. Radio waves are energy, and people use them to send and receive cell phone, TV, radio and WiFi signals every day. The radio waves spread in all directions until they reach antennae that are tuned to the right frequency. A similar method for transferring electrical power would be both inefficient and dangerous.

AFTER READING ACTIVITY

Task 1. Answer the following questions:

1. Why is electricity a necessity of modern life?

2. What have researchers in MIT devised?

3. What is the main principle of wireless electricity?

4. Who was the first inventor of theories of wireless power transmission?

5. Did Tesla’s theory immediately lead to widespread?

6. What have researchers developed since then?

7. How did it become possible to power a 60 watt light bulb?

8. What are the examples of wireless transmission of energy?

Task 2. Decide which of the following statements are true (T) or false (F):

1. It is difficult to imagine passing a day without electronics.

2. A witricity system consists of a witricity transmitter and another device called the receiver.

3. The principle of wireless electricity works on the principle of transferring atoms.

4. Tesla’s work immediately led to widespread.

5. So far the MIT researchers have been able to power a 60 watt light bulb from a power source.

6. The wireless transmission of energy isn’t common in much of the world.

7. The radio waves spread in all directions until they reach cables that are tuned to the right frequency.

1	2	3	4	5	6	7
T	T	T	T	T	T	T
F	F	F	F	F	F	F

Task 3. Match the English words and word combinations from the column A with their Ukrainian equivalents from the column B:

A	B
wireless conventional to devise to be in sight to provide transmission waste widespread magnetic field efficiency	винаходити бездротовий традиційний забезпечувати чимось магнітне поле втрата бути в зоні досяжності забезпечувати, надавати широкe розповсюдження передача

Task 4. Complete the sentences with appropriate words from the text:

1. While the idea may _____ futuristic it isn’t _____ new.

2. The _____ transmission of energy is common in much of the world.

3. Electricity is today a _____ of modern life.

4. These researchers _____ the term witricity _____.

5. A similar method of transferring electrical power would be both inefficient and _____.

6. Tesla’s work was _____ ,but it didn’t immediately lead to_____.

7. One of coils were _____to a power_____.

8. A witricity system _____ of a witricity_____ and another device called _____.

Task 5. Rearrange the letters in each jumbled word to get a correct one. Make up sentences with the correct words. The first is done for you:

Example: 0. lubb – bulb; Energy saving natural lighting bulbs enjoy the benefits of natural daylight indoors with these remarkable fluorescent bulbs.

1. sionmitrasns

2. chreeresar

3. wiadedersp

4. swiselre

5. esdevi

6. sawet

7. vreeicer

8. icol

Task 6. Fill the gaps in order to complete the expressions. Translate them into Ukrainian:

1. m_dern li_e;

2. con_ent_onal use;

3. w_tricit_ s_stem;

4. w_stage of p_wer;

5. p_wer transmit_sion;

6. e_ectric to_thbrush;

7. to re_ch anten_a_.

GRAMMAR

Past Perfect Continuous Tense

Task 7. Open the brackets and put the verbs into the correct form of the Past Perfect Continuous Tense:

1. Scientists _____ (to work) on the idea of the wireless transmission of energy for more the 20 years.

2. They _____ (to develop) this new technology for several years before they reached success.

3. Nicola Tesla _____ (to test) the technique for moving electricity over long distances without wires for years before he presented to public this very impressive idea.

4. The colleagues _____ (to try) to implement this idea for charging batteries by wireless power long before it became real.

5. They _____ (to use) laser instead of resonant inductive coupling before they found the right solution.

6. The technology and theory behind wireless charging _____ (to develop) for a long time.

7. By the time he became famous N. Tesla _____ (to work) for the Continental Edison Company.

8. He _____ (to conduct) X-ray experimenting in his lab for several hours.

Task 8. Translate the following sentences from Ukrainian into English:

1. Вчені винайшли термін гнучкість для цієї властивості.

2. У другій половині ХХ ст. ця ідея набула широкого розповсюдження на Заході. 

3. Чи налаштована твоя антена на правильну частоту?

4. Довгий час вчені не могли розробити методи передачі енергії без дротів.

5. Як знизити втрати енергії при застосуванні такої технології?

6. Всі ми живемо в магнітному полі Землі.

7. Вони можуть передавати електричний струм на далекі відстані.

SPEAKING

Task 9. Imagine that you with your partner are scientists and you have to solve an issue on improving the quality of the signal which is being transmitted. Discuss all the possible variants of doing this, speak about the most and less efficient ways of your solutions, give your significant reasons.

WRITING

Task 10. Imagine that you have to speak about new wireless devices at the annual international conference. Choose one of the next wireless devices - a mobile broadband dongle, wireless router. Write a short plan of your report in order to be ready for presenting it at the conference (60 – 80 words).