Wireless Power Transfer System

• US 20170140870A1
• Filed: 11/18/2016
• Published: 05/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of Hong Kong (Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region)
• Original Assignee: University of Hong Kong (Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region)
• Inventors: HUI, Shu Yuen Ron, Zhang, Cheng
• Granted Patent: US 10,573,455 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/24 Magnetic cores
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/28 Coils; Windings; Conductive connections
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/32 Insulating of coils, windings, or parts thereof
• 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 50/12 of the resonant type

Abstract

Novel and advantageous insulator discs with embedded resonator coils are provided. By linking the insulator discs in a series using an appropriate mechanical mechanism, the insulator discs form an insulator or insulator string for a high power transmission line system. The resonator coils embedded inside the insulator discs therefore form a series of relay resonators that can be used for wireless power transfer through the principle of near-field magnetic coupling and resonance. The insulator string can provide the simultaneous functions of voltage insulation and wireless power transfer over the length of the string. Applications include, but not limited to, wireless power transfer in a high-voltage environment such as that encountered in high-voltage power transmission line systems.

Claims

1. An insulator device, comprising:

a body formed of an electrically insulating material and defining a cavity; and

a resonator coil located within the cavity and configured for resonator inductive coupling with a similar such coil when placed in the vicinity of the similar such coil.

2. The insulator device of claim 1, wherein the resonator coil comprises a coil connected in parallel with a resonator capacitor to form an inductive-capacitor resonator tank such that a resonance frequency of the resonator coil is determined by the inductance of the inductor and the capacitance of the capacitor.

3. The insulator device of claim 1, wherein the electrically insulating material comprises a material rated for use in high voltage power transmission systems.

4. The insulator device of claim 1, wherein the insulator device comprises a component for forming a string insulator comprising a series of connected insulator devices.

5. The insulator device of claim 1, wherein the cavity of the body of the insulator device is a sealed cavity.

6. The insulator device of claim 1, wherein the body of the insulator device has means for connecting the device to a support rod.

7. The insulator device of claim 1, wherein the body of the insulator device has means provided on top and bottom surfaces thereof for connecting the device respectively to two adjacent such devices.

8. The insulator device of claim 1, wherein the insulator device is configured for a high voltage power transmission system application.

9. The insulator device of claim 1, wherein the resonator coil comprises at least one ferromagnetic material in a central region thereof

10. An insulator, comprising:

a series of connected insulator devices, a plurality of which each comprises a body formed of an electrically insulating material and defining a cavity, and a resonator coil located within the cavity and configured for resonator inductive coupling with a similar such coil when placed in the vicinity of the similar such coil;

wherein the plurality of insulator devices having a resonator coil are arranged within the series of devices so as to enable the near field transmission of electrical energy from a first end of the series to a second end of the series.

11. The insulator of claim 10, wherein the plurality of insulator devices each comprising a body and a resonator coil comprises all of the insulator devices of the series of connected insulator devices.

12. The insulator of claim 10, wherein the series of connected insulator devices comprise a wireless power transfer domino-resonator system to direct the flow of electrical energy from the first end of the series to the second end of the series.

13. The insulator of claim 10, wherein the plurality of insulator devices having a resonator coil are arranged within the series of devices so as to enable the near field transmission of electrical energy from the second end of the series to the first end of the series.

14. The insulator of claim 10, wherein the insulator is configured as an insulator for a high voltage power transmission system.

15. The insulator of claim 14, wherein the insulator is configured to support a power transmission cable.

16. The insulator of claim 10, wherein the resonator coils embedded inside the plurality of insulator devices are identical for optimal transmission of electrical energy from the first end of the series to the second end of the series.

17. The insulator of claim 10, wherein a distance between adjacent resonator coil insulator devices is less than the diameter of an embedded resonator coil such that a mutual coupling factor between adjacent devices is large enough for efficient transmission of electrical energy from the first end of the series to the second end of the series.

18. The insulator of claim 10, wherein each resonator coil comprises at least one ferromagnetic material in a central region thereof.

19. A wireless power transfer system, comprising:

an insulator comprising a series of connected insulator devices, a plurality of which each comprises a body formed of an electrically insulating material and defining a cavity, and a resonator coil located within the cavity and configured for resonator inductive coupling with a similar such coil when placed in the vicinity of the similar such coil;

an energy transmitting coil magnetically coupled to a first resonator coil insulator device of the series of connected insulator devices for wirelessly delivering electrical energy to the first resonator coil insulator device; and

an energy receiving coil magnetically coupled to a last resonator coil insulator device of the series of connected insulator devices for wirelessly receiving electrical energy from the last resonator coil insulator device,

wherein the plurality of insulator devices of the series having a resonator coil are arranged within the series of devices so as to enable the near field transmission of electrical energy from a first end of the series to a second end of the series.

20. The wireless power transfer system of claim 19, wherein the energy transmitting coil comprises part of an energy harvesting circuit that is configured to wirelessly harvest energy from a high voltage power transmission line.

21. The wireless power transfer system of claim 20, wherein the energy harvesting circuit is configured to convert harvested electrical energy into a high frequency AC signal for driving the energy transmitting coil.

22. The wireless power transfer system of claim 19, wherein the energy receiving coil comprises part of a circuit configured to convert a received high frequency AC signal into a voltage or current output suitable for powering one or more power transmission system monitoring apparatuses.

23. The wireless power transfer system of claim 19, wherein each resonator coil comprises at least one ferromagnetic material in a central region thereof.