SAFETY SYSTEMS FOR WIRELESS ENERGY TRANSFER IN VEHICLE APPLICATIONS

• US 20120119576A1
• Filed: 10/18/2011
• Published: 05/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WiTricity Corporation
• Original Assignee: WiTricity Corporation
• Inventors: Kesler, Morris P., Kulikowski, Konrad, Hall, Katherine L., Fiorello, Ron, Verghese, Simon, Kurs, Andre B., Karalis, Aristeidis, Campanella, Andrew J., Lou, Herbert Toby
• Granted Patent: US 8,946,938 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/12 Inductive energy transfer
• 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: 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 50/05 using capacitive coupling
• 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: H02J 50/50 using additional energy repeaters between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/502 the energy repeater being integrated together with the emitter or the receiver
• 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 7/00309 Overheat or overtemperature protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0047 with monitoring or indicating devices or circuits
• 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

Abstract

A vehicle powering wireless receiver for use with a first electromagnetic resonator coupled to a power supply. The wireless receiver including a load configured to power the drive system of a vehicle using electrical power, a second electromagnetic resonator adapted to be housed upon the vehicle and configured to be coupled to the load, a safety system for to provide protection with respect to an object that may become hot during operation of the first electromagnetic resonator. The safety system including a detection subsystem configured to detect the presence of the object in substantial proximity to at least one of the resonators, and a notification subsystem operatively coupled to the detection subsystem and configured to provide an indication of the object, wherein the second resonator is configured to be wirelessly coupled to the first resonator to provide resonant, non-radiative wireless power to the second resonator from the first resonator.

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 ω

₁, an intrinsic loss rate Γ

₁, and a first Q-factor Q₁=ω

₁/2Γ

₁, 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, 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,

a safety system to provide protection with respect to an object that may become hot during operation of the first electromagnetic resonator, the safety system comprising;

a detection subsystem configured to detect the presence of the object in substantial proximity to at least one of the first electromagnetic resonator and the second electromagnetic resonator; and

a notification subsystem operatively coupled to the detection subsystem and configured to provide an indication of the object;

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 a parameter of at least one of the electromagnetic resonators is tuned to optimize the power transferred based on the configuration of the vehicle.

6. The wireless receiver of claim 1, wherein the safety system is configured to detect objects under 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 located on the vehicle and coupled to a load associated with the drive system of the vehicle to provide non-radiative wireless power to the second electromagnetic resonator, 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;

a safety system for to provide protection with respect to an object that may become hot during operation of the first electromagnetic resonator, the safety system comprising;

a detection subsystem configured to detect the presence of the object in substantial proximity to at least one of the first electromagnetic resonator and the second electromagnetic resonator; and

a notification subsystem operatively coupled to the detection subsystem and configured to provide an indication of the object.

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 a parameter of at least one of the electromagnetic resonators is tuned to optimize the power transferred based on the configuration of the vehicle.

12. The power source of claim 7, wherein the safety system is configured to detect objects under 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 adapted to be housed upon the vehicle and configured to be coupled to the load, 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,

a safety system for to provide protection with respect to an object that may become hot during operation of the first electromagnetic resonator, the safety system comprising;

a detection subsystem configured to detect the presence of the object in substantial proximity to at least one of the first electromagnetic resonator and the second electromagnetic resonator; and

a notification subsystem operatively coupled to the detection subsystem and configured to provide an indication of the object;

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.

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 safety system is configured to detect objects under the vehicle.