ADAPTIVE MATCHING, TUNING, AND POWER TRANSFER OF WIRELESS POWER

• US 20110227528A1
• Filed: 05/13/2011
• Published: 09/22/2011
• 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:
  US13/107,293
• Publication Number:
  US 20110227528A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/108
• 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 transmitter system for wireless power that may include a high-Q resonator that may include an inductive element and a capacitor that are collectively magnetically resonant at a first frequency, and a coupling loop assembly, that may include a first coupling loop part adjustably connected to said high-Q resonator. Another embodiment of the transmitter system for wireless power may include a first high-Q magnetic resonator that may include an inductive element and a capacitor that are collectively magnetically resonant at a first frequency, said first high-Q magnetic resonator positioned for wirelessly supplying power to devices on the ground.

Claims

1. A transmitter system for wireless power, comprising:

a high-Q resonator, comprising an inductive element and a capacitor that are collectively magnetically resonant at a first frequency; and

a coupling loop assembly, comprising a first coupling loop part adjustably connected to said high-Q resonator.

2. The system as in claim 1, wherein said coupling loop is formed of a conducting ribbon.

3. The system as in claim 1, wherein said resonator includes multiple loops.

4. The system as in claim 3, wherein said multiple loops include a mechanism that moves positions of said loops relative to one another.

5. The system as in claim 3, further comprising a feedback mechanism that adjusts a resonance frequency of said resonator by moving said multiple loops relative to one another.

6. The system as in claim 1, wherein said coupling loop is unconnected to said resonator and coupling is performed via magnetic induction.

17. The transmitter system as in claim 1, further comprising a first circuit that produces a signal at a first frequency, coupled to said high-Q resonator.

7. A receiver system for wireless power, comprising:

a circuit that receives a signal at a first frequency and produces an electrical output based on said first frequency;

a high-Q resonator, comprising an inductive element and a capacitor that are collectively magnetically resonant at said first frequency; and

a coupling loop assembly, comprising a first coupling loop part adjustably connected to said high-Q resonator.

8. The system as in claim 7, wherein said coupling loop is formed of a conducting ribbon.

9. The system as in claim 7, wherein said high-Q resonator includes multiple loops.

10. The system as in claim 9, wherein said multiple loops include a mechanism that moves positions of said loops relative to one another.

11. The system as in claim 9, further comprising a feedback mechanism that adjusts a resonance frequency of said resonator by moving said multiple loops relative to one another.

12. The system as in claim 7, wherein said coupling loop is unconnected to said resonator and coupling is performed via magnetic induction.

13. A high-Q resonator, comprising:

multiple loops forming an inductive part;

a capacitor, connected with said multiple loops; and

a mover, that moves said multiple loops relative to one another, to move the loops closer to one another to lower a resonance frequency of said high-Q resonator, and to move the loops further from one another to raise the resonance frequency of said high-Q resonator.

14. A method of coupling electric power wirelessly, comprising:

a transmitter system for wireless power and a receiver system for wireless power, wherein information is exchanged between the transmitter system and the receiver system.

15. A method of coupling electric power wirelessly, comprising:

configuring a circuit of a transmitter system for wireless power into a first configuration to transfer power wirelessly; and

re-configuring the circuit to improve the electric power coupling.

16. A method of coupling electric power wirelessly, comprising:

configuring a circuit of a receiver system for wireless power into a first configuration to receive power wirelessly; and

re-configuring the circuit to improve the electric power coupling.

18. A system for wireless power, comprising:

means for transmitting or receiving wireless power, said means, comprising of an inductive element and a capacitor that are collectively magnetically resonant at a first frequency; and

first means for coupling wireless power to said means for transmitting, a means for activating said first coupling loop means, and a means for second coupling wireless power from means for receiving wireless power, and means for activating said second means.

19. The system as in claim 18, wherein said first and second means are formed of a conducting ribbon.

20. The system as in claim 18, wherein said means for transmitting and receiving includes multiple loops.

21. The system as in claim 20, wherein said multiple loops include a means for moving positions of said loops relative to one another.

22. A transmitter system for wireless power, comprising:

a first high-Q magnetic resonator, comprising an inductive element and a capacitor that are collectively magnetically resonant at a first frequency, said first high-Q magnetic resonator positioned for wirelessly supplying power to devices on the ground.

23. The system as in claim 22, wherein said first frequency is 135 kHz.

24. The system as in claim 23, wherein said inductive element is a conducting coil.

25. The system as in claim 22, further comprising at least one additional high-Q magnetic resonator.

26. The system as in claim 25, further comprising a power supply, which produces a signal that is magnetically resonant at said first frequency, said signal of a type that, when output to said at least one high-Q magnetic resonator, transmits power to a remote high-Q magnetic resonator.

27. The system as in claim 26, wherein said power supply couples to one of said coils of said at least one high-Q magnetic resonator.

28. The system as in claim 27, further comprising a coupling mechanism, which couples the signal to a selected coil only, and does not send any signal to any other coil.

29. The system as in claim 22, further comprising a power supply, which produces a signal that is magnetically resonant at said first frequency, said signal of a type that, when output to said high-Q magnetic resonator, transmits power to a remote high-Q magnetic resonator.

30. A transmitter system for wireless power, comprising:

at least one high-Q magnetic resonator, and each of said at least one high-Q magnetic resonators comprising a capacitor that brings said at least one high-Q magnetic resonators to substantial magnetic resonance at a first frequency, said at least one high-Q magnetic resonators embedded in a ground area.

31. The system as in claim 30, further comprising a power supply, which produces a signal that is magnetically resonant at said first frequency, said signal of a type that, when output to one of said at least one high-Q magnetic resonators, transmits power to a remote high-Q magnetic resonator.

32. The system as in claim 31, wherein said first frequency is 135 kHz.

33. The system as in claim 31, further comprising a coupling mechanism, which couples said output signal to a coil of said at least one high-Q magnetic resonator.

34. The system as in claim 33, further comprising information exchange between said at least one high-Q magnetic resonator and said remote high-Q magnetic resonator, wherein said information exchange is used to improve wireless power transmission.

35. A receiver system for wireless power, comprising:

a receiving high-Q magnetic resonator, comprising a coil and capacitor that are collectively magnetically resonant at a first frequency;

wherein said receiving high-Q magnetic resonator may change positions.

36. The receiver system as in claim 35, further comprising an information exchange, which automatically provides information for improved coupling between said receiving high-Q magnetic resonator and said at least one transmitting high-Q magnetic resonator.

37. The receiver system as in claim 35, further comprising circuitry that receives a magnetically induced signal from said receiving high-Q magnetic resonator and produces power therefrom.

38. The receiver system as in claim 37, wherein said circuitry is resonant at 135 kHz.

39. The receiver system as in claim 35, wherein said receiving high-Q magnetic resonator is part of a battery operated vehicle.

40. A receiver system for wireless power, comprising:

a vehicle that operates based on electric power;

a high-Q receiving magnetic resonator, formed in said vehicle, comprising a coil and capacitor that are collectively magnetically resonant at a first frequency, and is connected to produce an output power to said vehicle; and

wherein said receiver system performance relies on information exchange between said receiver system and a transmitter system for wireless power.

41. The receiver as in claim 40, further comprising an information exchange, which automatically provides information for improved coupling between said receiving high-Q magnetic resonator and said at least one transmitting high-Q magnetic resonator.

42. The receiver as in claim 40, further comprising circuitry that receives a magnetically induced signal from said high-Q receiving magnetic resonator, and produces power therefrom, and uses said power to operate said vehicle.

43. The receiver as in claim 42, wherein said circuitry is resonant at 135 kHz.

44. A method, comprising:

wirelessly transmitting power from a high-Q source resonator to a high-Q device resonator attached to a battery operated vehicle; and

utilizing information exchange between the resonators to enable the wireless power transmission.