WIRELESS POWER TRANSFER SYSTEMS USING LOAD FEEDBACK

• US 20160006356A1
• Filed: 07/03/2014
• Published: 01/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eaton Capital Unlimited Co. (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Original Assignee: Cooper Industries Holdings Ireland
• Inventors: Pahl, Birger, Nirantare, Prasanna Sharadchandra, Kothekar, Milind Suresh
• Granted Patent: US 9,590,525 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/1842 wherein at least one reactive element is actively controlled by a bridge converter, e.g. active filters
• 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: H02J 7/00712 the cycle being controlled or terminated in response to electric parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0058 by employing soft switching techniques, i.e. commutation of transistors when applied voltage is zero or when current flow is zero using an auxiliary actively switched resonant commutation circuit connected to an intermediate DC voltage or between two push-pull branches of an inverter bridge H02M7/4811; in resonant inverters H02M7/4815; in inverters operating from a resonant DC source H02M7/4826
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/008 Plural converter units for generating at two or more independent and non-parallel outputs, e.g. systems with plural point of load switching regulators
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/12 Arrangements for reducing harmonics from ac input or output
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/4233 using a bridge converter comprising active switches
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/4283 by adding a controlled rectifier in parallel to a first rectifier feeding a smoothing capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/06 using discharge tubes without control electrode or semiconductor devices without control electrode
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/219 in a bridge configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/23 arranged for operation in parallel H02M7/2176 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/10 Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes

Abstract

A system includes an AC input port configured to be coupled to an AC power source, a first AC/DC converter circuit having a first port coupled to the AC input port, and a first resonant circuit coupled to the first port of the first AC/DC converter circuit. The system further includes a second resonant circuit inductively coupled to the first resonant circuit, a second AC/DC converter circuit coupled to the second resonant circuit and a control circuit configured to control the first AC/DC converter circuit responsive to an output of the second AC/DC converter circuit.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an AC input port configured to be coupled to an AC power source;

a first AC/DC converter circuit having a first port coupled to the AC input port;

a first resonant circuit coupled to the first port of the first AC/DC converter circuit;

a second resonant circuit inductively coupled to the first resonant circuit;

a second AC/DC converter circuit coupled to the second resonant circuit; and

a control circuit configured to control the first AC/DC converter circuit responsive to an output of the second AC/DC converter circuit.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first AC/DC converter circuit comprises an H-bridge circuit.

3. The system of claim 2:

wherein the H-bridge circuit comprises first and second half-bridge circuits, each comprising first and second switches coupled in series between first and second buses;

wherein the first resonant circuit is coupled to respective first and second nodes between the first and second switches of respective ones of the first and second half-bridge circuits.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising at least one inductor coupled between the AC input port and at least one of the first and second nodes.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the second AC/DC converter circuit comprises a diode bridge circuit.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to control a current at the AC input port responsive to an output produced by the second AC/DC converter circuit.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the control circuit is further configured to control the current at the AC input port responsive to a voltage at the AC input port.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising and energy storage circuit coupled to a second port of the first AC/DC converter circuit.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a communications circuit configured to transmit a signal representative of the output of the second AC/DC converter circuit and wherein the control circuit is configured to receive the transmitted signal and to control the first AC/DC converter circuit responsive to the received signal.

10. A wireless power transfer apparatus comprising:

an AC input port configured to be coupled to an AC power source;

a converter circuit having first port coupled to the AC input port;

an energy storage circuit coupled to a second port of the converter circuit;

a resonant circuit coupled to the first port of the converter circuit and configured to inductively transfer power to an external device; and

a control circuit configured to control the converter circuit responsive to a signal indicative of a state of the external device.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the converter circuit comprises an AC/DC converter circuit.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the converter circuit comprises an H-bridge active rectifier circuit.

13. The apparatus of claim 12:

wherein the H-bridge rectifier circuit comprises first and second half-bridge circuits, each comprising first and second switches coupled in series between first and second buses; and

wherein the first port of the converter circuit comprises respective first and second nodes between the first and second switches of respective ones of the first and second half-bridge circuits.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising at least one inductor coupled between the AC input port and at least one of the first and second nodes.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the control circuit is configured to control a current at the AC input port responsive to a signal indicative of a voltage produced by the external device.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the control circuit is configured to receive a communications signal representative of the voltage produced by the external device and to control the converter circuit responsive to the received communications signal.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the control circuit is further configured to control the current at the AC input port responsive to a voltage at the AC input port.

18. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the resonant circuit comprises a first resonant circuit and wherein the apparatus further comprises a receiver unit having an output configured to be coupled to a load and comprising a second resonant circuit configured to be inductively coupled to the first resonant circuit.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the converter circuit comprises a first converter circuit and wherein the receiver unit further comprises a second converter circuit coupled to the second resonant circuit and wherein the control circuit is configured to control the first converter circuit responsive to an output of the second converter circuit.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the control circuit is configured to control a current at the AC input port responsive to an output voltage at the load.

21. A method of operating a wireless power transfer apparatus comprising an AC input port configured to be coupled to an AC power source, a converter circuit having a port coupled to the AC input port and a resonant circuit coupled to the port of the converter circuit, the method comprising:

inductively transferring power from the resonant circuit to an external device; and

controlling the converter circuit responsive to a signal indicative of a state of the external device.