Wireless energy coil arrangement

• US 10,236,118 B1
• Filed: 08/25/2016
• Issued: 03/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Original Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Inventors: Bana, Viktor, Rockway, John D., Anderson, Gregory W., Phipps, Alex, Liu, Wayne P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Parries, Dru
• Application Number:
  US15/246,996
• Time in Patent Office: 936 Days
• Field of Search: 307104
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/10 Air crafts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/32 Waterborne vessels
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/12 Inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A system and method are provided for wirelessly transmitting energy from a transmitter platform to a receiver platform. The system reduces the number of coils on the receiver platform to one, while the remaining coils are located on the transmitter platform. The spacing of the coils on the transmitting platform can be adjusted to optimize the magnetic flux transfer to the single coil on the receiving platform based on the unique distance between the transmitter and receiver platforms.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a transmitter platform comprising;

a first magnetic flux transmitting coil having a first transmitting diameter, D_T1, and a first number of windings, N₁;

a second magnetic flux transmitting coil having a second transmitting diameter, D_T2, and a second number of windings, N₂;

a third magnetic flux transmitting coil having a third transmitting diameter, D_T3, and a third number of windings, N₃, where D_T1<

D_T2, D_T2 is substantially equal to D_T3, the second magnetic flux transmitting coil is coaxially disposed at a distance, L₁, from the first magnetic flux transmitting coil, the third magnetic flux transmitting coil is coaxially disposed at a distance, L₂, from the second magnetic flux transmitting coil, D_T1<

D_T3, the first magnetic flux transmitting coil is configured to provide a first amount of magnetic flux to the second magnetic flux transmitting coil, the second magnetic flux transmitting coil is configured to provide a second amount of magnetic flux to the third magnetic flux transmitting coil, the second amount of magnetic flux is based upon the first amount of magnetic flux, the third magnetic flux transmitting coil is configured to provide a third amount of magnetic flux based on the second amount of magnetic flux; and

a receiver platform comprising;

a magnetic flux receiving coil having a diameter, D_R, substantially equal to the diameter of the first magnetic flux transmitting coil and having a fourth number of windings, N₄; and

a device requiring energy, wherein the magnetic flux receiving coil is electrically connected to the device, wherein when the magnetic flux receiving coil is coaxially disposed from the third magnetic flux transmitting coil, the magnetic flux receiving coil is configured to provide electrical energy to the device based on the third amount of magnetic flux provided by the third magnetic flux transmitting coil.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first magnetic flux transmitting coil is disposed from the second magnetic flux transmitting coil at a distance L₁, the second magnetic flux transmitting coil is disposed from the third magnetic flux transmitting coil at a distance L₂, the third magnetic flux transmitting coil is disposed from the magnetic flux receiving coil at a distance L_X, and L₁ is substantially equal to L_X.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein distances between the first, second, and third magnetic flux transmitting coils are adjustable to optimize magnetic flux transfer to the magnetic flux receiving coil.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the magnetic flux receiving coil comprises a tri-axial arrangement of a first magnetic flux receiving coil, a second magnetic flux receiving coil and a third magnetic flux receiving coil.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein when the magnetic flux receiving coil is not coaxially disposed from the third magnetic flux transmitting coil, loss of magnetic flux is mitigated by the tri-axial arrangement of the first, second, and third magnetic flux receiving coils.

6. A system comprising:

a receiver platform comprising;

a magnetic flux receiving coil having a diameter, D_R; and

a device requiring energy, wherein the magnetic flux receiving coil is electrically connected to the device requiring energy and is configured to receive magnetic flux therefrom; and

a transmitter platform comprising;

a current source configured to provide a current, I;

a first magnetic flux transmitting coil arranged to receive I and having a diameter, D_T1, substantially equal to D_R and having a first number of windings, N₁;

a second magnetic flux transmitting coil coaxially disposed at a distance, L₁, from the first magnetic flux transmitting coil, the second magnetic flux transmitting coil having a second transmitting diameter, D_T2, and a second number of windings, N₂; and

a third magnetic flux transmitting coil coaxially disposed at a distance, L₂, from the second magnetic flux transmitting coil, the third magnetic flux transmitting coil having a third transmitting diameter, D_T3, and a third number of windings, N₃,

wherein D_T1<

D_T2,

wherein D_T2 is substantially equal to D_T3,

wherein the first magnetic flux transmitting coil is configured to provide a first amount of magnetic flux, based on I, to the second magnetic flux transmitting coil,

wherein the second magnetic flux transmitting coil is configured to provide a second amount of magnetic flux to the third magnetic flux transmitting coil, the second amount of magnetic flux being based on the first amount of magnetic flux, and

wherein the third magnetic flux transmitting coil is configured to provide a third amount of magnetic flux, based on the second amount of magnetic flux, to the magnetic flux receiving coil.

7. A method comprising the steps of:

providing, via a current source, a current I;

generating a first magnetic flux via a first magnetic flux transmitting coil arranged to receive I and having a diameter, D_T1, and having a first number of windings, N₁;

generating a second magnetic flux, based on the first magnetic flux, via a second magnetic flux transmitting coil coaxially disposed at a distance, L₁, from the first magnetic flux transmitting coil, the second magnetic flux transmitting coil having a second transmitting diameter, D_T2, and a second number of windings, N₂;

generating a third magnetic flux, based on the second magnetic flux, via a third magnetic flux transmitting coil coaxially disposed at a distance, L₂, from the second magnetic flux transmitting coil, the third magnetic flux transmitting coil having a third transmitting diameter, D_T3, and a third number of windings, N₃;

coaxially disposing a magnetic flux receiving coil from the third magnetic flux transmitting coil, the magnetic flux receiving coil having a diameter, D_R, substantially equal to the diameter of the first magnetic flux transmitting coil and having a fourth number of windings, N₄; and

generating a received current, I_R, via the magnetic flux receiving coil, based on the third magnetic flux,

wherein D_T1<

D_T2,

wherein D_T2 is substantially equal to D_T3, and

wherein the current source, the first magnetic flux transmitting coil, the second magnetic flux transmitting coil, and the third magnetic flux transmitting coil are included in a transmitter platform.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of providing I_R to a device requiring energy.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein distances between the first, second, and third magnetic flux transmitting coils are adjustable to optimize magnetic flux transfer to the magnetic flux receiving coil.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the magnetic flux receiving coil and the device requiring energy are included in a receiver platform.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of coaxially disposing a magnetic flux receiving coil from the third magnetic flux transmitting coil comprises coaxially disposing a tri-axial arrangement of a first magnetic flux receiving coil, a second magnetic flux receiving coil and a third magnetic flux receiving coil.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein when the magnetic flux receiving coil is not coaxially disposed from the third magnetic flux transmitting coil, loss of magnetic flux is mitigated by the tri-axial arrangement of the first, second, and third magnetic flux receiving coils.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the third magnetic flux transmitting coil is disposed from the magnetic flux receiving coil at a distance L_X, and L₁ is substantially equal to L_X.