CONTACTLESS POWER FEEDING SYSTEM, VEHICLE, POWER FEEDING FACILITY AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING CONTACTLESS POWER FEEDING SYSTEM

• US 20130257370A1
• Filed: 12/24/2010
• Published: 10/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Ichikawa, Shinji
• Granted Patent: US 9,634,733 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/10 DC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/30 AC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/44 by parameter estimation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/51 characterised by AC-motors
• 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 53/36 by positioning the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/14 for vehicles propelled by ac motors
• 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 50/80 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 7/00712 the cycle being controlled or terminated in response to electric parameters
• 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

Abstract

When an impedance adjustment process of a resonant system is started, a power feeding facility outputs power for adjustment. Then, an ECU of the power feeding facility adjusts an impedance matching box provided in the power feeding facility, and when the adjustment is completed, transmits an instruction for adjustment in a vehicle to the vehicle. When the vehicle receives the adjustment instruction from the power feeding facility, the vehicle adjusts an impedance matching box provided in the vehicle. That is, in this contactless power feeding system, the impedance adjustment in the power feeding facility is performed first, and the adjustment in the vehicle is performed thereafter.

Claims

1. A contactless power feeding system comprising:

a power feeding facility; and

a power receiving apparatus for receiving electric power in a contactless manner from said power feeding facility,

said power feeding facility including

a power supply device for generating electric power having a prescribed frequency,

a power transmission unit for receiving the power from said power supply device, and resonating with said power receiving apparatus through an electromagnetic field to transmit the power in a contactless manner to said power receiving apparatus,

a first variable impedance device provided between said power supply device and said power transmission unit, and

a first control device for adjusting said first variable impedance device,

said power receiving apparatus including

a power reception unit for resonating with said power transmission unit through said electromagnetic field to receive the power in a contactless manner from said power transmission unit,

a load for receiving the power received by said power reception unit,

a second variable impedance device provided between said power reception unit and said load, and

a second control device for adjusting said second variable impedance device,

said first control device adjusting said first variable impedance device prior to adjustment of said second variable impedance device in said power receiving apparatus,

said second control device adjusting said second variable impedance device after the adjustment of said first variable impedance device by said first control device.

2. The contactless power feeding system according to claim 1, wherein

said power feeding facility further includes a first communication device,

said power receiving apparatus further includes a second communication device capable of establishing communication with said first communication device,

said second communication device transmits information on said power receiving apparatus to said power feeding facility,

said first control device adjusts said first variable impedance device by using the information on said power receiving apparatus received by said first communication device,

said first communication device transmits information on said power feeding facility to said power receiving apparatus, and

said second control device adjusts said second variable impedance device by using the information on said power feeding facility received by said second communication device.

3. The contactless power feeding system according to claim 2, wherein

said first control device adjusts said first variable impedance device based on a position mismatch amount of said power reception unit relative to said power transmission unit, which is estimated based on the information on said power receiving apparatus,

said first communication device transmits estimated said position mismatch amount to said power receiving apparatus, and

said second control device adjusts said second variable impedance device based on said position mismatch amount received by said second communication device.

4. The contactless power feeding system according to claim 1, wherein

said power receiving apparatus further includes

a resistor element electrically connected between a pair of power lines provided between said power reception unit and said second variable impedance device during the adjustment of said first and second variable impedance devices, and

a switching device for electrically connecting said resistor element between said pair of power lines and electrically disconnecting said second variable impedance device from said power reception unit during the adjustment of said first and second variable impedance devices.

5. The contactless power feeding system according to claim 1, wherein

said power receiving apparatus further includes

a rectifier provided between said second variable impedance device and said load, for rectifying the power received by said power reception unit,

a resistor element electrically connected between a pair of power lines provided between said rectifier and said load during the adjustment of said first and second variable impedance devices, and

a switching device for electrically connecting said resistor element between said pair of power lines and electrically disconnecting said load from said rectifier during the adjustment of said first and second variable impedance devices.

6. The contactless power feeding system according to claim 1, wherein

said power transmission unit includes a primary self-resonant coil for receiving the power from said power supply device to generate said electromagnetic field, and

said power reception unit includes a secondary self-resonant coil for resonating with said primary self-resonant coil through said electromagnetic field to receive the power from said primary self-resonant coil.

7. The contactless power feeding system according to claim 1, wherein

said power transmission unit includes

a primary coil for receiving the power from said power supply device, and

a primary self-resonant coil for receiving the power from said primary coil by electromagnetic induction to generate said electromagnetic field, and

said power reception unit includes

a secondary self-resonant coil for resonating with said primary self-resonant coil through said electromagnetic field to receive the power from said primary self-resonant coil, and

a secondary coil for extracting the power received by said secondary self-resonant coil by electromagnetic induction to output the power.

8. The contactless power feeding system according to claim 1, wherein

said power receiving apparatus is mounted on a vehicle.

9. A vehicle capable of receiving electric power in a contactless manner from a power feeding facility, said power feeding facility including a first variable impedance device provided between a power supply device and a power transmission unit, said vehicle comprising:

a power reception unit for resonating with said power transmission unit through an electromagnetic field to receive the power in a contactless manner from said power transmission unit;

a load for receiving the power received by said power reception unit;

a second variable impedance device provided between said power reception unit and said load; and

a control device for adjusting said second variable impedance device,

said control device adjusting said second variable impedance device after adjustment of said first variable impedance device in said power feeding facility.

10. The vehicle according to claim 9, further comprising a communication device capable of establishing communication with said power feeding facility, wherein

said control device adjusts said second variable impedance device by using information on said power feeding facility received by said communication device.

11. The vehicle according to claim 10, wherein

said control device adjusts said second variable impedance device based on a position mismatch amount of said power reception unit relative to said power transmission unit.

12. The vehicle according to claim 9, further comprising:

a resistor element electrically connected between a pair of power lines provided between said power reception unit and said second variable impedance device during the adjustment of said first and second variable impedance devices; and

a switching device for electrically connecting said resistor element between said pair of power lines and electrically disconnecting said second variable impedance device from said power reception unit during the adjustment of said first and second variable impedance devices.

13. The vehicle according to claim 9, further comprising:

a rectifier provided between said second variable impedance device and said load, for rectifying the power received by said power reception unit;

a resistor element electrically connected between a pair of power lines provided between said rectifier and said load during the adjustment of said first and second variable impedance devices; and

a switching device for electrically connecting said resistor element between said pair of power lines and electrically disconnecting said load from said rectifier during the adjustment of said first and second variable impedance devices.

14. The vehicle according to claim 9, wherein

said power transmission unit includes a primary self-resonant coil for receiving the power from said power supply device to generate said electromagnetic field, and

said power reception unit includes a secondary self-resonant coil, for resonating with said primary self-resonant coil through said electromagnetic field to receive the power from said primary self-resonant coil.

15. The vehicle according to claim 9, wherein

said power transmission unit includes

a primary coil for receiving the power from said power supply device, and

a primary self-resonant coil for receiving the power from said primary coil by electromagnetic induction to generate said electromagnetic field, and

said power reception unit includes

a secondary self-resonant coil for resonating with said primary self-resonant coil through said electromagnetic field to receive the power from said primary self-resonant coil, and

a secondary coil for extracting the power received by said secondary self-resonant coil by electromagnetic induction to output the power.

16. A power feeding facility capable of transmitting electric power in a contactless manner to a power receiving apparatus, said power receiving apparatus including a first variable impedance device provided between a power reception unit and a load for receiving the power received by said power reception unit, said power feeding facility comprising:

a power supply device for generating electric power having a prescribed frequency;

a power transmission unit for receiving the power from said power supply device, and resonating with said power receiving apparatus through an electromagnetic field to transmit the power in a contactless manner to said power receiving apparatus;

a second variable impedance device provided between said power supply device and said power transmission unit; and

a control device for adjusting said second variable impedance device,

said control device adjusting said second variable impedance device prior to adjustment of said first variable impedance device in said power receiving apparatus.

17. The power feeding facility according to claim 16, further comprising a communication device capable of establishing communication with said power receiving apparatus, wherein

said control device adjusts said second variable impedance device by using information on said power receiving apparatus received by said communication device.

18. The power feeding facility according to claim 17, wherein

said control device adjusts said second variable impedance device based on a position mismatch amount of said power reception unit relative to said power transmission unit, which is estimated based on the information on said power receiving apparatus.

19. The power feeding facility according to claim 16, wherein

said power transmission unit includes a primary self-resonant coil for receiving the power from said power supply device to generate said electromagnetic field, and

said power reception unit includes a secondary self-resonant coil for resonating with said primary self-resonant coil through said electromagnetic field to receive the power from said primary self-resonant coil.

20. The power feeding facility according to claim 16, wherein

said power transmission unit includes

a primary coil for receiving the power from said power supply device, and

a primary self-resonant coil for receiving the power from said primary coil by electromagnetic induction to generate said electromagnetic field, and

said power reception unit includes

a secondary self-resonant coil for resonating with said primary self-resonant coil through said electromagnetic field to receive the power from said primary self-resonant coil, and

a secondary coil for extracting the power received by said secondary self-resonant coil by electromagnetic induction to output the power.

21. A method of controlling a contactless power feeding system in which electric power is fed in a contactless manner from a power feeding facility to a power receiving apparatus,

said power feeding facility including

a power supply device for generating electric power having a prescribed frequency,

a power transmission unit for receiving the power from said power supply device, and resonating with said power receiving apparatus through an electromagnetic field to transmit the power in a contactless manner to said power receiving apparatus, and

a first variable impedance device provided between said power supply device and said power transmission unit,

said power receiving apparatus including

a power reception unit for resonating with said power transmission unit through said electromagnetic field to receive the power in a contactless manner from said power transmission unit,

a load for receiving the power received by said power reception unit, and

a second variable impedance device provided between said power reception unit and said load,

said method comprising the steps of:

adjusting said first variable impedance device prior to adjusting said second variable impedance device; and

adjusting said second variable impedance device after adjusting said first variable impedance device.