High power wireless resonant energy transfer system

• US 20080265684A1
• Filed: 10/25/2007
• Published: 10/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Leslie Farkas
• Original Assignee: Laszlo Farkas
• Inventors: Farkas, Laszlo
• Granted Patent: US 7,880,337 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/104
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/28 Trailers
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/36 Vehicles designed to transport cargo, e.g. trucks
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/30 using propulsion power stored mechanically, e.g. in fly-wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/40 using propulsion power supplied by capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/122 Circuits or methods for driving the primary coil, e.g. supplying electric power to the coil
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/126 Methods for pairing a vehicle and a charging station, e.g. establishing a one-to-one relation between a wireless power transmitter and a wireless power receiver
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/63 in response to network capacity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/40 for controlling a combination of batteries and fuel cells
• 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 1/16 using dynamo-electric machines coupled to flywheels
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/402 the two or more transmitting or the two or more receiving devices being integrated in the same unit, e.g. power mats with several coils or antennas with several sub-antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/70 involving the reduction of electric, magnetic or electromagnetic leakage fields
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/34 Parallel operation in networks using both storage and other dc sources, e.g. providing buffering H02J7/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 20/14 Combined heat and power generation [CHP]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 : Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/126 : the energy generation units being or involving electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV], i.e. power aggregation of EV or HEV, vehicle to grid arrangements [V2G]

Abstract

A high power wireless resonant energy transfer system transfers energy across an airgap.

Claims

1. A high power wireless resonant energy transfer system, comprising:

an energy transmission system arranged to wirelessly transfer energy across an airgap; and

an energy reception system positioned to receive said transferred energy across said airgap through a resonant inductive coupling between said transmission and said reception system, said energy transmission system arranged to automatically and electronically vary the spatial direction of said resonant inductive coupling with the alignment between said transmission and reception system, such that energy transfer occurs at a desired location, frequency and power level.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said energy transmission system comprises at least one pair of primary resonant circuits, each one of said at least one pair arranged to inductively couple with another of said at least one pair by an inductive coupling to establish a common resonant frequency for said at least one pair of primary resonant circuits.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said energy reception system comprises at least one pair of secondary coils arranged to inductively couple with said at least one pair of primary resonant circuits to provide an electrical load for said primary resonant circuits, said electrical load adjusting said common resonant frequency of said coupled primary and secondary circuits.

4. The system of claim 2, further comprising a controller that adjusts relative input voltage phase in said at least one pair of primary resonant circuits, said controller connected to receive an input voltage having an automatically adjustable input voltage phase to adjust said spatial direction of said resonant inductive coupling.

5. The system of claim 2, further comprising a controller that adjusts a pulse width of an input current to each of said at least one pair of primary resonant circuits to adjust the output power of said resonant inductive coupling.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said desirable location is centered along a centerline of said receiver, and does not extend substantially beyond the limits of said receiver.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said energy transmission system is arranged in proximity to a roadway and said energy reception system is arranged on an underside of an electrically chargeable vehicle.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein a plurality of said energy transmission systems are arranged in proximity to said roadway such that said electrically chargeable vehicle receives said transferred energy while in motion.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said energy transmission system comprises at least one pair of primary coils, with the coils of each pair arranged in a ferrite core magnetic diverter and substantially coplanar with each other.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said energy transmission system comprises at least one pair of secondary coils, with the coils of each pair arranged in a ferrite core magnetic diverter and substantially coplanar with each other.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein said at least one pair of primary coils and said at least one pair of secondary coils comprise Litz-wire.

12. A combined heat and power generation and high power wireless resonant energy transfer system, comprising:

a local energy generation system arranged to generate, store and provide electrical energy for a local site and for an electrically chargeable vehicle in proximity to said local site;

an energy transmission system arranged to wirelessly transfer energy across an airgap; and

an energy reception system positioned to receive said transferred energy across said airgap through a resonant inductive coupling between said transmission and said reception systems, said energy transmission system arranged to automatically and electronically vary the spatial direction of said resonant inductive coupling with the alignment between said transmission and reception system, such that energy transfer occurs at a desired location, frequency and power level.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said energy transmission system comprises at least one pair of primary coils arranged to form a common resonant circuit, with the coils of each pair arranged to inductively couple to establish a common resonant frequency for said at least one pair of primary resonant circuits.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said energy reception system comprises at least one pair of secondary coils arranged to inductively couple with said at least one pair of primary resonant circuits to provide an electrical load for said primary resonant circuits, said electrical load adjusting said common resonant frequency of said primary resonant circuits.

15. The system of claim 13, further comprising a controller that adjusts relative input voltage phase in said at least one pair of primary resonant circuits, said controller connected to receive an input voltage having an automatically adjustable input voltage phase to adjust said spatial direction of said resonant inductive coupling.

16. The system of claim 13, further comprising a controller that adjusts a pulse width of an input current to each of said at least one pair of primary resonant circuits to adjust the output power of said resonant inductive coupling.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein said desirable location is centered along a centerline of said receiver, and does not extend substantially beyond the limits of said receiver.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein said energy transmission system is arranged in proximity to a roadway and said energy reception system is arranged on an underside of an electrically chargeable vehicle.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein a plurality of said energy transmission systems are arranged in proximity to said roadway such that said electrically chargeable vehicle receives said transferred energy while in motion.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein said energy generation system comprises a generator and an alternative and renewable energy source for fueling said generator.

21. The system of claim 12, wherein said energy generation system comprises a multi-directional converter for controlling said electrical energy provided to said local site and said electrically chargeable vehicle.

22. A method for wireless energy transfer, comprising:

positioning an electrically chargeable vehicle within electromagnetic proximity of a transmitter;

beam-searching said receiver by modulating a phase angle of an input signal to a transmitter to locate an optimal electromagnetic field distribution;

auto-adjusting an energy transfer frequency based on a position of said energy receiver;

auto-adjusting an energy transfer power by modulating a pulse width of an input signal to said transmitter;

transferring energy from said transmitter to said receiver.

25. The system of claim 22, further comprising an electrified highway having a plurality of energy transmission systems arranged to periodically provide energy to said wireless energy reception system, said wheel assembly lowered to receive energy from said transmission system and to propel said vehicle.

23. The method of claim 23, further comprising generating power at a local site to power said site and said transmitter.

24. A detachable E-pod, comprising:

a wheel assembly removably attached to a vehicle;

a wireless energy reception system arranged on said wheel assembly to receive wirelessly transmitted energy from an energy transmission system;

a propulsion system comprising an electric motor arranged on said wheel assembly and powered by said wirelessly transmitted energy to move said vehicle; and

an electronic controller interface system arranged to electrically connect said wheel assembly with said vehicle to control said propulsion system from said vehicle.