INTELLIGENT MULTI-LEVEL COLLECTION SYSTEM FOR WIRELESS ENERGY

Abstract

This paper presents a conceptual model of a large-scale wireless microwave energy harvester designed using an Intelligent Reconfigurable Collecting Surface architecture. The proposed concept contributes to the advancement of renewable and wireless energy technologies by introducing a novel hierarchical structure that enables efficient microwave energy capture and concentration over extended spatial regions. The system is composed of a large number of elementary harvesting units, each capable of receiving and partially processing the incident microwave energy. These units are organized into a two-level hierarchical configuration distributed across both horizontal and vertical planes to maximize the overall collection performance.

In the horizontal plane, the receiving surface is implemented as an array of square radiating elements arranged into subarrays that provide wide angular coverage and adaptability to different directions of incoming waves. Each subarray operates cooperatively to ensure uniform energy reception even under varying incidence angles and environmental conditions. In the vertical plane, a hierarchical beamforming and combining network is employed to aggregate the received power based on the watershed principle, where a single receiving port collects energy from its assigned and neighboring elements, similar to how a catchment basin gathers water from its tributaries. This configuration enhances the effective aperture and ensures constructive energy combining with minimal phase losses.

The integrated multi-level structure leads to improved antenna gain, higher power collection density, and better overall system efficiency compared with conventional planar harvesting designs. The simulation and preliminary experimental results demonstrate the feasibility, scalability, and superior energy conversion capability of the proposed architecture. These findings indicate that the IRCS-based approach is a promising platform for next-generation wireless power transfer systems, energy-autonomous networks, and large-area renewable energy harvesting infrastructures.