Inductive power transfer apparatus

• US 20120025602A1
• Filed: 02/05/2010
• Published: 02/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Auckland UniServices Limited (Auckland University)
• Original Assignee: Auckland UniServices Limited (Auckland University)
• Inventors: Boys, John Talbot, Covic, Grant Anthony, Huang, Chang-yu, Budhia, Michel Bipin
• Granted Patent: US 9,071,061 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/9.1
• 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: H02J 50/005 Mechanical details of housing or structure aiming to accommodate the power transfer means, e.g. mechanical integration of coils, antennas or transducers into emitting or receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• 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: 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 magnetic flux pad for receiving or generating magnetic flux. The pad includes two pole areas (11, 12) associated with a magnetically permeable core 14. Coils 17 define the pole areas. The pad allows useable flux to be generated at a significant height above a surface of the pad.

Claims

1. A magnetic flux pad having a front face and a back face for generating or receiving magnetic flux in or from a space beyond the front face, the pad comprising:

two pole areas for sending or receiving flux,

a magnetically permeable core,

two coils magnetically associated with the core,

whereby the flux enters the pad at one of the pole areas and exits the pad at the other pole area.

2. A magnetic flux pad as claimed in claim 1 wherein the coils are flat coils.

3. A magnetic flux pad as claimed in claim 1 wherein each coil defines one of the pole areas.

4. A magnetic flux pad as claimed in claim 1 wherein the coils are spiral wound coils.

5. A magnetic flux pad as claimed in claim 1 wherein the coils are located on a side of the core nearest to the front face of the pad.

6. A magnetic flux pad as claimed in claim 1 wherein the coils and the core together form a flux path in the pad,

7. A magnetic flux pad as claimed in claim 1 wherein the core comprises lengths of permeable material.

8. A magnetic flux pad as claimed in claim 7 wherein the permeable material comprises ferrite.

9. A magnetic flux pad as claimed in claim 1 wherein the coils are each asymmetric, the combination of windings of a coil being wider between the pole areas than at a periphery of the pad.

10. A magnetic flux pad as claimed in claim 1 wherein the coils are located immediately adjacent to each other in the region between the pole areas.

11. A magnetic flux pad as claimed in claim 1 wherein the coils are shaped to provide the poles areas and a flux pipe between the pole areas.

14. An IPT system including a magnetic flux pad according to claim 1.

16. An IPT system as claimed in claim 14 for supplying power to an electric vehicle.

20. A magnetic flux pad as claimed in claim 2 wherein each coil defines one of the pole areas.

21. A magnetic flux pad as claimed in claim 2 wherein the coils are spiral wound coils.

22. A magnetic flux pad as claimed in claim 3 wherein the coils are spiral wound coils.

12. A magnetic flux pad having a front face and back face for generating a magnetic flux in a space beyond the front face of the pad, the pad comprising:

two pole areas for sending or receiving flux,

a magnetically permeable core,

two coils associated with the core and being provided on a side of the core adjacent to the front face of the pad,

whereby the pad produces an arch shaped flux in the space such that essentially each line flux starts on one of the pole areas, arches to the second pole area and joins on itself through the core with essentially no flux present at the back face of the pad.

23. An IPT system including a magnetic flux pad according to claim 12.

13. A magnetic flux pad having a front face and back face for receiving a magnetic flux from a space beyond the front face of the pad, the pad comprising:

two pole areas for sending or receiving flux,

a magnetically permeable core,

two coils associated with the core and being provided on a side of the core adjacent to the front face of the pad and adapted to receive a horizontal flux component,

and a further coil magnetically associated with the core and adapted to receive a vertical flux component.

24. An IPT system including a magnetic flux pad according to claim 13.

15. An IPT system comprising:

a magnetic flux pad having a front face and back face for generating a magnetic flux in a space beyond the front face of the pad, the pad comprising;

two pole areas for sending or receiving flux,

a magnetically permeable core,

two coils associated with the core and being provided on a side of the core adjacent to the front face of the pad,

whereby the pad produces an arch shaped flux in the space such that essentially each line flux starts on one of the pole areas, arches to the second pole area and joins on itself through the core with essentially no flux present at the back face of the pad; and

a magnetic flux pad having a front face and back face for receiving a magnetic flux from a space beyond the front face of the pad, the pad comprising;

two pole areas for sending or receiving flux,

a magnetically permeable core,

two coils associated with the core and being provided on a side of the core adjacent to the front face of the pad and adapted to receive a horizontal flux component,

and a further coil magnetically associated with the core and adapted to receive a vertical flux component.

25. An IPT system as claimed in claim 15 for supplying power to an electric vehicle

17. An IPT power transfer magnetic flux transmitter or receiver including:

a magnetic flux carrying member having a relatively high magnetic permeability and having two ends, two windings electromagnetically associated with the flux carrying member, and the flux carrying member having two flux transmission or reception regions, one region being provided adjacent to each end, whereby magnetic flux exists or enters the flux carrying member substantially only at or adjacent to the transmission or reception regions.

18. (canceled)

19. (canceled)