WIRELESS ENERGY TRANSFER FOR VEHICLES

• US 20120112536A1
• Filed: 10/19/2011
• Published: 05/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: WiTricity Corporation
• Original Assignee: WiTricity Corporation
• Inventors: Karalis, Aristeidis, Kurs, Andre B., Soljacic, Marin, Campanella, Andrew J., Kesler, Morris P., Hall, Katherine L.
• Application Number:
  US13/277,106
• Publication Number:
  US 20120112536A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/12 Bikes
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/124 Detection or removal of foreign bodies
• 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 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/05 using capacitive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/50 using additional energy repeaters between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/60 responsive to the presence of foreign objects, e.g. detection of living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/70 involving the reduction of electric, magnetic or electromagnetic leakage fields
• 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: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 7/40 Automatic matching of load impedance to source impedance
• 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

Abstract

A vehicle powering wireless receiver for use with a first electromagnetic resonator coupled to a power supply. The wireless receiver includes a load configured to power the drive system of a vehicle using electrical power, and a second electromagnetic resonator adapted to be housed upon the vehicle and configured to be coupled to the load, wherein the second electromagnetic resonator is of substantially different size from the first electromagnetic resonator, wherein the second electromagnetic resonator configured to be wirelessly coupled to the first electromagnetic resonator to provide resonant, non-radiative wireless power to the second electromagnetic resonator from the first electromagnetic resonator, and a second electromagnetic resonator adapted to be housed upon the vehicle and comprising an inductive loop and configured to be coupled to the load via a capacitive network comprising at least one capacitor in series with the inductive loop and one capacitor in parallel with the inductive loop.

Claims

1. A vehicle-powering wireless receiver for use with a first electromagnetic resonator coupled to a power supply, first electromagnetic resonator having a mode with a resonant frequency w₁, an intrinsic loss rate G₁, and a first Q-factor Q₁=w₁/2G₁, the wireless receiver comprising:

a load configured to power the drive system of a vehicle using electrical power; and

a second electromagnetic resonator adapted to be housed upon the vehicle and configured to be coupled to the load via a capacitive network, the second electromagnetic resonator comprising at least one capacitor in series with an inductive loop and one capacitor in parallel with an inductive loop, the second electromagnetic resonator having a mode with a resonant frequency w₂, an intrinsic loss rate G₂, and a second Q-factor Q₂=w₂/2G₂;

wherein the second electromagnetic resonator is of substantially different size from the first electromagnetic resonator; and

wherein the second electromagnetic resonator is configured to be wirelessly coupled to the first electromagnetic resonator to provide resonant, non-radiative wireless power to the second electromagnetic resonator from the first electromagnetic resonator.

2. The wireless receiver of claim 1, wherein the second electromagnetic resonator is configured to be disposed on the under-carriage of a vehicle.

3. The wireless receiver of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is an electric car.

4. The wireless receiver of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is a hybrid car.

5. The wireless receiver of claim 1, wherein the second electromagnetic resonator is moveable relative to the first electromagnetic resonator while power is transferred.

6. The wireless receiver of claim 1, wherein a parameter of at least one of the electromagnetic resonators is tuned to optimize the power transferred based on the configuration of the vehicle.

7. A power source for wirelessly providing power to a wireless receiver of at least partially electrically powered vehicle, the power source comprising:

a power supply, the power supply configured to supply power at a rate sufficient to charge the battery of a vehicle that is driven at least in part by electrical power; and

a first electromagnetic resonator coupled to the power supply and having a mode with a resonant frequency ω

₁, an intrinsic loss rate Γ

₁, and a first Q-factor Q₁=ω

₁/2Γ

₁, the first electromagnetic resonator housed in a housing configured to be disposed in proximity to the vehicle,

wherein the first electromagnetic resonator is configured to be wirelessly coupled to a second electromagnetic resonator to provide non-radiative wireless power to the second electromagnetic resonator,

wherein the second electromagnetic resonator is adapted to be housed on the vehicle, the second electromagnetic resonator comprising an inductive loop and configured to be coupled to a load associated with the drive system of the vehicle via a capacitive network comprising at least one capacitor in series with the inductive loop and one capacitor in parallel with the inductive loop, the second electromagnetic resonator having a mode with a resonant frequency ω

₂, an intrinsic loss rate Γ

₂, and a second Q-factor Q₂=ω

₂/2Γ

₂,

wherein the second electromagnetic resonator is substantially different in size from the first electromagnetic resonator.

8. The power source of claim 7, wherein the second electromagnetic resonator is configured to be disposed on the under-carriage of a vehicle.

9. The power source of claim 7, wherein the vehicle is an electric car.

10. The power source of claim 7, wherein the vehicle is a hybrid car.

11. The power source of claim 7, wherein the second electromagnetic resonator is moveable relative to the first electromagnetic resonator while power is transferred.

12. The power source of claim 7, wherein a parameter of at least one of the electromagnetic resonators is tuned to optimize the power transferred based on the configuration of the vehicle.

13. A vehicle wireless power system, comprising:

a power supply, the power supply configured to supply power at a rate sufficient to charge the battery of a vehicle that is driven at least in part by electrical power;

a first electromagnetic resonator coupled to the power supply and having a mode with a resonant frequency ω

₁, an intrinsic loss rate Γ

₁, and a first Q-factor Q₁=ω

₁/2Γ

₁, the first electromagnetic resonator housed in a housing configured to be disposed in proximity to the vehicle;

a load configured to power the drive system of the vehicle using electrical power; and

a second electromagnetic resonator configured to be wirelessly coupled to the first electromagnetic resonator thereby providing resonant, non-radiative wireless power to the second electromagnetic resonator,

wherein the second electromagnetic resonator is adapted to be housed upon the vehicle and comprises an inductive loop,

wherein the second electromagnetic resonator is configured to be coupled to the load via a capacitive network comprising at least one capacitor in series with the inductive loop and one capacitor in parallel with the inductive loop,

wherein the second electromagnetic resonator comprises a mode with a resonant frequency ω

₂, an intrinsic loss rate Γ

₂, and a second Q-factor Q₂=ω

₂/2Γ

₂, and

wherein the second electromagnetic resonator is substantially different in size from the first electromagnetic resonator.

14. The wireless power system of claim 13, wherein the second electromagnetic resonator is configured to be disposed on the under-carriage of a vehicle.

15. The wireless power system of claim 13, wherein the vehicle is an electric car.

16. The wireless power system of claim 13, wherein the vehicle is a hybrid car.

17. The wireless power system of claim 13, wherein a parameter of at least one of the electromagnetic resonators is tuned to optimize the power transferred based on the configuration of the vehicle.

18. The wireless power system of claim 13, wherein the second electromagnetic resonator is moveable relative to the first electromagnetic resonator while power is transferred.