A detection method for use in a primary unit of an inductive power transfer system, the primary unit being operable to transmit power wirelessly by electromagnetic induction to at least one secondary unit of the system located in proximity to the primary unit and/or to a foreign object located in said proximity, the method comprising: driving the primary unit so that in a driven state the magnitude of an electrical drive signal supplied to one or more primary coils of the primary unit changes from a first value to a second value; assessing the effect of such driving on an electrical characteristic of the primary unit; and detecting in dependence upon the assessed effect the presence of a said secondary unit and/or a foreign object located in proximity to said primary unit.

Inductive power transfer

Disclosed is an apparatus for use in wireless energy transfer, which includes a first resonator structure configured to transfer energy non-radiatively with a second resonator structure over a distance greater than a characteristic size of the second resonator structure. The non-radiative energy transfer is mediated by a coupling of a resonant field evanescent tail of the first resonator structure and a resonant field evanescent tail of the second resonator structure.

Wireless energy transfer

The electromagnetic energy transfer device includes a first resonator structure receiving energy from an external power supply. The first resonator structure has a first Q-factor. A second resonator structure is positioned distal from the first resonator structure, and supplies useful working power to an external load. The second resonator structure has a second Q-factor. The distance between the two resonators can be larger than the characteristic size of each resonator. Non-radiative energy transfer between the first resonator structure and the second resonator structure is mediated through coupling of their resonant-field evanescent tails.

Wireless non-radiative energy transfer

Demand for supplying contactless or wireless power for various applications, ranging from low-power biomedical implants to high-power battery charging systems, is on the rise. Inductive power transfer (IPT) is a well recognized technique through which power can be transferred from one system to another with no physical contacts. This paper presents a novel bidirectional IPT system, which is particularly suitable for applications such as plug-in electric vehicles (EVs) and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) systems, where two-way power transfer is advantageous. The proposed IPT system facilitates simultaneous and controlled charging or discharging of multiple EVs through loose magnetic coupling and without any physical connections. A mathematical model is presented to show that both the amount and direction of power flow between EVs or multiple systems can be controlled through either phase or/and magnitude modulation of voltages generated by converters of each system. The validity of the concept is verified by theoretical analysis, simulations, and experimental results of a 1.5-kW prototype bidirectional IPT system with a 4-cm air gap. Results indicate that the proposed system is an ideal power interface for efficient and contactless integration of multiple hybrid or EVs into typical power networks.

A Bidirectional Inductive Power Interface for Electric Vehicles in V2G Systems

Described herein are improved capabilities for a source resonator having a Q-factor Q 1 >100 and a characteristic size x 1 coupled to an energy source, and a second resonator having a Q-factor Q 2 >100 and a characteristic size x 2 coupled to an energy drain located a distance D from the source resonator, where the source resonator and the second resonator are coupled to exchange energy wirelessly among the source resonator and the second resonator.

Wireless energy transfer systems

A method and apparatus for supplying contactless power. Electrical power is transferred from a power source (100) to a load (500) through a primary energy converter that can be connected to the power source, through a primary inductive loop connected to the magnetically coupled to the primary (200) inductive loop, and then to a secondary energy converter. The power factor for the transfer of electrical energy is one. Multiple loads can receive power from the power source end, where the loads are located in zones, collisions between the loads can be prevented.

John D. Sinsley

Papers

Method and apparatus for supplying contactless power

Verfahren und vorrichtung zur kontaktlosen stromversorgung