WIRELESS ENERGY TRANSFER OVER DISTANCES TO A MOVING DEVICE

• US 20100187911A1
• Filed: 12/30/2009
• Published: 07/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Karalis, Aristeidis, Soljacic, Marin, Joannopoulos, John D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,766,485 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/104
• 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: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/04 Resonant antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/40 using two or more transmitting or receiving devices H02J50/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0064 Magnetic structures combining different functions, e.g. storage, filtering or transformation
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/01 Resonant DC/DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/0037 for power transfer
• 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

Described herein are embodiments of a source resonator coupled to an energy source generating an oscillating near field region; and at least one device resonator optionally coupled to at least one energy drain and freely moving within the near field region of the source resonator. The source resonator and the at least one device resonator may be coupled to transfer electromagnetic energy wirelessly from said source resonator to said at least one device resonator as the at least one device resonator moves freely within the near field region, where the source resonator and the at least one device resonator may be coupled to provide κ/sqrt(Γ₁Γ₂)>0.2 over an operating region.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a source resonator coupled to an energy source generating an oscillating near field region; and

at least one device resonator optionally coupled to at least one energy drain and freely moving within the near field region of the source resonator,

wherein the source resonator and the at least one device resonator are coupled to transfer electromagnetic energy wirelessly from said source resonator to said at least one device resonator as the at least one device resonator moves freely within the near field region,

wherein the source resonator and the at least one device resonator are coupled to provide κ

/sqrt(Γ

₁Γ

₂)>

0.2 over an operating region.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each resonator comprises an electrical conductor shaped into one or more loops wound in substantially a single plane circumscribing a substantially planar area.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the loops of the electrical conductors of each of the source and device resonators are in substantially the same plane.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein a line drawn from the center of the source resonator to the center of the at least one device resonator is substantially normal to the circumscribed planar area of each resonator.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein a line drawn from the center of the source resonator to the center of the at least one device resonator is substantially parallel to the circumscribed planar area of each resonator.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein a line drawn from the center of the source resonator to the center of the at least one device resonator forms a different angle to the surface area circumscribed by the source resonator than to the circumscribed planar area of each resonator.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the resonators has a quality factor, Q, greater than 100.

8. A method, comprising:

providing a source resonator coupled to an energy source generating an oscillating near field region; and

providing at least one device resonator optionally coupled to at least one energy drain and freely moving within the near field region of the source resonator,

wherein the source resonator and the at least one device resonator are coupled to transfer electromagnetic energy wirelessly from said source resonator to said at least one device resonator as the at least one device resonator moves freely within the near field region,

wherein the source resonator and the at least one device resonator are coupled to provide κ

/sqrt(Γ

₁Γ

₂)>

0.2 over an operating region.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein each resonator comprises an electrical conductor shaped into one or more loops wound in substantially a single plane circumscribing a substantially planar area.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the loops of the electrical conductors of each of the source and device resonators are in substantially the same plane.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein a line drawn from the center of the source resonator to the center of the at least one device resonator is substantially normal to the circumscribed planar area of each resonator.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein a line drawn from the center of the source resonator to the center of the at least one device resonator is substantially parallel to the circumscribed planar area of each resonator.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein a line drawn from the center of the source resonator to the center of the at least one device resonator forms a different angle to the surface area circumscribed by the source resonator than to the circumscribed planar area of each resonator.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein at least one of the resonators has a quality factor, Q, greater than 100.