Wireless power systems having interleaved rectifiers

• US 10,707,693 B2
• Filed: 08/16/2019
• Issued: 07/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WiTricity Corporation
• Original Assignee: WiTricity Corporation
• Inventors: Danilovic, Milisav, Kurs, Andre B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward
• Application Number:
  US16/543,090
• Publication Number:
  US 20200044477A1
• Time in Patent Office: 326 Days
• Field of Search: 320107, 320108, 320114, 307104
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/12 Inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00712 the cycle being controlled or terminated in response to electric parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/007 Plural converter units in cascade push-pull DC/DC converters with pre-regulator H02M3/3374; DC-AC converters following a DC-DC stage including a high frequency transformer H02M7/4807; DC-AC converters following a DC-DC conversion stage generating periodically varying voltages H02M7/4826
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/12 Arrangements for reducing harmonics from ac input or output
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/123 Suppression of common mode voltage or current
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/24 by static converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/06 using discharge tubes without control electrode or semiconductor devices without control electrode
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 7/38 Impedance-matching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• 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 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A wireless power receiver is coupled to an impedance matching network, the impedance matching network having a first node and a second node. Coupled to the first node is a first branch having a first positive reactance and a second branch having a first negative reactance, wherein an absolute value of the first positive reactance is different from an absolute value of the first negative reactance, and coupled to the second node is a third branch having a second positive reactance and a fourth branch having a second negative reactance, wherein an absolute value of the second positive reactance is different from an absolute value of the second negative reactance.

Claims

1. A wireless power receiver comprising:

a receiver resonator coupled to an impedance matching network, the impedance matching network having a first node and a second node;

coupled to the first node, a first branch having a first positive reactance and a second branch having a first negative reactance;

coupled to the second node, a third branch having a second positive reactance and a fourth branch having a second negative reactance;

a first rectifier having a first rectifier input coupled to the first branch;

a second rectifier having a second rectifier input coupled to the second branch;

a third rectifier having a third rectifier input coupled to the third branch; and

a fourth rectifier having a fourth rectifier input coupled to the fourth branch,

such that, during reception of electromagnetic energy by the wireless power receiver;

a first current is formed in the first branch and a second current is formed in the second branch, wherein a magnitude of the first current is within 30% of a magnitude of the second current, and

a third current is formed in the third branch and a fourth current is formed in the fourth branch, wherein a magnitude of the third current is within 30% of a magnitude of the fourth current, the currents oscillating at a fundamental frequency f₀ and at least one harmonic frequency f_h of the fundamental frequency f₀,

wherein the absolute value of the first negative reactance is at least 4% different than the absolute value of the first positive reactance and the absolute value of the second negative reactance is at least 4% different than the absolute value of the second positive reactance.

2. The wireless power receiver of claim 1 wherein the absolute value of the first negative reactance is at least 10% different than the absolute value of the first positive reactance and the absolute value of the second negative reactance is at least 10% different than the absolute value of the second positive reactance.

3. A wireless power receiver comprising:

a receiver resonator coupled to an impedance matching network, the impedance matching network having a first node and a second node;

coupled to the first node, a first branch having a first positive reactance and a second branch having a first negative reactance;

coupled to the second node, a third branch having a second positive reactance and a fourth branch having a second negative reactance;

a first rectifier having a first rectifier input coupled to the first branch;

a second rectifier having a second rectifier input coupled to the second branch;

a third rectifier having a third rectifier input coupled to the third branch; and

a fourth rectifier having a fourth rectifier input coupled to the fourth branch,

such that, during reception of electromagnetic energy by the wireless power receiver;

a first current is formed in the first branch and a second current is formed in the second branch, wherein a magnitude of the first current is within 30% of a magnitude of the second current, and

a third current is formed in the third branch and a fourth current is formed in the fourth branch, wherein a magnitude of the third current is within 30% of a magnitude of the fourth current, the currents oscillating at a fundamental frequency f₀ and at least one harmonic frequency f_h of the fundamental frequency f₀,

wherein;

the receiver is configured to deliver power to a battery with a voltage range V_low to V_high, the battery coupled to an output of the first, second, third, and fourth rectifiers, and

for voltages V_low to 0.5(V_low+V_high), (i) the magnitude of the first current is within 30% of the magnitude of the second current and (ii) the magnitude of the third current is within 30% of the magnitude of the fourth current.

4. The wireless power receiver of claim 3 wherein, for voltage V_low, the magnitude of the first current is within 10% of the magnitude of the second current and the magnitude of the third current is within 10% of the magnitude of the fourth current.

5. The wireless power receiver of claim 3 wherein each rectifier has a positive output and a negative output, the positive outputs of the rectifiers joined to form a first output node coupled to the battery and the negative outputs of the rectifiers joined to form a second output node coupled to the battery.

6. The wireless power receiver of claim 5 wherein the first output node and the second output node are coupled to a smoothing capacitor, the smoothing capacitor configured to be coupled in parallel with the battery.

7. The wireless power receiver of claim 3 wherein the impedance matching network comprises a first tunable element coupled to the first node and a second tunable element coupled to the second node.

8. The wireless power receiver of claim 7 wherein the first tunable element and second tunable element each comprise a tunable capacitor.

9. The wireless power receiver of claim 3 wherein each of the first, second, third, and fourth rectifiers is a half bridge rectifier.

10. The wireless power receiver of claim 3 wherein the first rectifier and the third rectifier are coupled to form a full bridge rectifier, and the second and fourth rectifiers are coupled to form a full bridge rectifier.

11. The wireless power receiver of claim 3 wherein the first, second, third, and fourth rectifiers are either diode rectifiers or switching rectifiers.

12. The wireless power receiver of claim 3 wherein the fundamental frequency f₀ is 85 kHz.

13. A wireless power receiver comprising:

a receiver resonator coupled to an impedance matching network, the impedance matching network having a first node and a second node;

coupled to the first node, a first branch having a first positive reactance and a second branch having a first negative reactance;

coupled to the second node, a third branch having a second positive reactance and a fourth branch having a second negative reactance;

a first rectifier having a first rectifier input coupled to the first branch;

a second rectifier having a second rectifier input coupled to the second branch;

a third rectifier having a third rectifier input coupled to the third branch; and

a fourth rectifier having a fourth rectifier input coupled to the fourth branch,

such that, during reception of electromagnetic energy by the wireless power receiver;

a first current is formed in the first branch and a second current is formed in the second branch, wherein a magnitude of the first current is within 30% of a magnitude of the second current, and

a third current is formed in the third branch and a fourth current is formed in the fourth branch, wherein a magnitude of the third current is within 30% of a magnitude of the fourth current, the currents oscillating at a fundamental frequency f₀ and at least one harmonic frequency f_h of the fundamental frequency f₀,

wherein the first branch and the third branch each comprise a first inductor and a first capacitor, an absolute value of a reactance value of the first inductor being greater than an absolute value of a reactance value of the first capacitor.

14. The wireless power receiver of claim 13 wherein the second branch and the fourth branch each comprise a second inductor and a second capacitor, an absolute value of a reactance value of the second inductor being less than an absolute value of a reactance value of the second capacitor.

15. The wireless power receiver of claim 14 wherein an inductance value of the first inductor is approximately equal to an inductance value of the second inductor.

16. A vehicle charging system comprising:

a wireless power receiver comprising;

a receiver resonator coupled to an impedance matching network, the impedance matching network having a first node and a second node;

coupled to the first node, a first branch having a first positive reactance and a second branch having a first negative reactance;

coupled to the second node, a third branch having a second positive reactance and a fourth branch having a second negative reactance;

a first rectifier having a first rectifier input coupled to the first branch;

a second rectifier having a second rectifier input coupled to the second branch;

a third rectifier having a third rectifier input coupled to the third branch; and

a fourth rectifier having a fourth rectifier input coupled to the fourth branch,

such that, during reception of electromagnetic energy by the wireless power receiver;

a first current is formed in the first branch and a second current is formed in the second branch, wherein a magnitude of the first current is within 30% of a magnitude of the second current, and

a third current is formed in the third branch and a fourth current is formed in the fourth branch, wherein a magnitude of the third current is within 30% of a magnitude of the fourth current, the currents oscillating at a fundamental frequency f₀ and at least one harmonic frequency f_h of the fundamental frequency f₀; and

a vehicle battery coupled to a first output node and a second output node, the first output node formed from an output of the first rectifier and an output of the third rectifier and the second output node formed from an output of the second rectifier and an output of the fourth rectifier.

17. The vehicle charging system of claim 16 wherein the magnitude of the first current is within 10% of the magnitude of the second current and the magnitude of the third current is within 10% of the magnitude of the fourth current.

18. The vehicle charging system of claim 16 wherein the absolute value of the first negative reactance is at least 4% different than the absolute value of the first positive reactance and the absolute value of the second negative reactance is at least 4% different than the absolute value of the second positive reactance.

19. The vehicle charging system of claim 16 wherein:

the first branch and the third branch each comprise a first inductor and a first capacitor, an absolute value of a reactance value of the first inductor being greater than an absolute value of a reactance value of the first capacitor; and

the second branch and the fourth branch each comprise a second inductor and a second capacitor, an absolute value of a reactance value of the second inductor being less than an absolute value of a reactance value of the second capacitor.

20. A wireless power receiver comprising:

a receiver resonator coupled to an impedance matching network, the impedance matching network having a first node and a second node;

coupled to the first node, a first branch having a first positive reactance and a second branch having a first negative reactance;

coupled to the second node, a third branch having a second positive reactance and a fourth branch having a second negative reactance;

a first rectifier having a first rectifier input coupled to the first branch;

a second rectifier having a second rectifier input coupled to the second branch;

a third rectifier having a third rectifier input coupled to the third branch; and

a fourth rectifier having a fourth rectifier input coupled to the fourth branch,

such that, during reception of electromagnetic energy by the wireless power receiver;

a first current is formed in the first branch and a second current is formed in the second branch, wherein a magnitude of the first current is within 30% of a magnitude of the second current, and

a third current is formed in the third branch and a fourth current is formed in the fourth branch, wherein a magnitude of the third current is within 30% of a magnitude of the fourth current, the currents oscillating at a fundamental frequency f₀ and at least one harmonic frequency f_h of the fundamental frequency f₀,

wherein a first difference between (a) an absolute value of the first positive reactance and (b) an absolute value of the first negative reactance is approximately equal to a second difference between (i) an absolute value of the second positive reactance and (ii) an absolute value of the second negative reactance.