Search

Inductive power transfer power supplies for electric vehicle charging in dynamic applications need to tolerate large variations in coupling and tuning with varying loads. This paper investigates the use of a buck converter to regulate the input voltage to a fixed frequency unidirectional switch push–pull converter to meet the requirements of dynamic charging. The presented circuit is optimized to remove some of the additional components introduced. A mathematical model is presented that shows the circuit is capable of operating while extremely mistuned in both the inductive and capacitive regions while maintaining sinusoidal currents. A controller design is also presented allowing constant primary current operation, safe start up, and operation under no load conditions. A 5-kW prototype was built and validated when operated with a dynamic load under severely mistuned conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Intermediate couplers have been shown to increase the coupling from primary to secondary pads in inductive power transfer (IPT) systems. This paper investigates embedding a coplanar intermediate coupler coil with the primary coil inside the primary pad to boost the coupling to the secondary pad and improve the efficiency of the system. Several coil designs are simulated and a mathematical model is developed to evaluate the efficiency of parallel–parallel and series–series tuned systems. As shown a coplanar, independently tuned intermediate coupler coil improves the efficiency of a series–series-tuned system since it reduces source losses. However, there appears to be no benefit to having an intermediate coupler with a parallel–parallel-tuned system. Furthermore, boosts in coupling are a result of adding extra current carrying windings to the primary pad and simulations show that operating the system as a traditional two coil IPT system may be simpler and more effective based on tuning topology. An experimental system was constructed to validate the simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]