ADAPTIVE WIRELESS POWER TRANSFER APPARATUS AND METHOD THEREOF

• US 20110140544A1
• Filed: 02/18/2011
• Published: 06/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Karalis, Aristeidis, Soljacic, Marin, Moffatt, Robert, Kurs, Andre B., Joannopoulos, John D., Fisher, Peter H.
• Application Number:
  US13/030,395
• Publication Number:
  US 20110140544A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/104
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/20 AC to AC converters
• 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: H01Q 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/04 Resonant antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• 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 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4902 Electromagnet, transformer or inductor

Abstract

Described herein are embodiments of a method that includes coupling a high-Q resonator of a transmitter and a high-Q resonator of a receiver together by a common inductance of the transmitter and the receiver; and adjusting the transmitter, the receiver, or both, to control power transmitted wirelessly between the transmitter and the receiver.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

coupling a high-Q resonator of a transmitter and a high-Q resonator of a receiver together by a common inductance of the transmitter and the receiver; and

adjusting the transmitter, the receiver, or both, to control power transmitted wirelessly between the transmitter and the receiver.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

producing a first and a second resonant mode of different frequencies for some common inductance value.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said adjusting includes adjusting any of:

a range between the transmitter and the receiver, a relative orientation between the transmitter and the receiver, and a load on the receiver.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said adjusting includes adjusting any of:

a frequency at which power is transmitted, an impedance between a loop and a coil of the transmitter, an impedance between a loop and a coil of the receiver, and an impedance-matching component of the transmitter and an impedance-matching component of the receiver.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the transmitter or the receiver includes a loop and a coil.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the transmitter or the receiver includes an impedance matching network and a coil.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the transmitter or the receiver includes a transformer and a coil.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein one of the transmitter or the receiver includes an impedance-matching network that includes inductors and capacitors configured to connect a signal source to the resonator structure.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

fixing a value of a loop-to-coil coupling coefficient of the transmitter; and

tuning a frequency adaptively to choose a desired frequency for a particular value of a coupling coefficient of a transmitter resonator coil to a receiver resonator coil.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring a reflected power; and

adjusting a frequency of the transmitter to minimize the reflected power.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the system is adjusted to maximize power transmitted wirelessly.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining a desired frequency for a distance between the transmitter and the receiver based on information exchange between said transmitter and receiver.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring a received power; and

adjusting a frequency of the transmitter to maximize the received power.

14. A transmitter comprising:

a high-Q resonator configured to couple with a high-Q resonator of a receiver by a common inductance; and

a controller configured to optimize transmitted power, the transmitter configured to transmit power wirelessly to the receiver.

15. The transmitter according to claim 14, wherein the resonator includes one or more of the following:

a loop, a coil, a transformer, and an impedance-matching network.

16. A receiver comprising:

a high-Q resonator configured to couple with a high-Q resonator of a transmitter by a common inductance; and

optimally receive power wirelessly from the transmitter.

17. The receiver according to claim 16, wherein the resonator includes one or more of the following:

a loop, a coil, a transformer, and an impedance-matching network.