WIRELESS POWER SYSTEM TUNING APPARATUS

• US 20170179933A1
• Filed: 12/07/2016
• Published: 06/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Garrity Power Services LLC
• Original Assignee: Garrity Power Services LLC
• Inventors: GARRITY, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 10,193,534 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 21/08 by varying the permeability of the core, e.g. by varying magnetic bias
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 2200/06 Tuning of antenna
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 3/00 Continuous tuning H03J7/00, H03J9/00 take precedence; combination of continuous and discontinuous tuning other than for bandspreading H03J5/00
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 3/20 of single resonant circuit by varying inductance only or capacitance only

Abstract

A wireless power transmission system comprising a wireless transmitter capable of transmitting power and a wireless receiver capable of receiving power such that the transmitter or receiver comprises a controller and resonant tank, and the resonant tank comprises a capacitor and an electrically tunable inductor.

Claims

1. A wireless power transmission system comprising:

a wireless transmitter capable of transmitting power; and

a wireless receiver capable of receiving power such that the transmitter or receiver comprises a controller and a resonant tank, and the resonant tank comprises a capacitor and an electrically tunable inductor.

2. The wireless power transmission system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to adjust an inductance of the electrically tunable inductor to adjust a resonance of the resonant tank.

3. The wireless power transmission system of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to adjust the resonance of the resonant tank in such a way as to adjust transfer of power between the transmitter and receiver.

4. The wireless power transmission system of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to adjust the resonance of the resonant tank in such a way as to maximize the transfer of power between the transmitter and receiver.

5. The wireless power transmission system of claim 1, wherein the electrically tunable inductor comprises a control coil.

6. The wireless power transmission system of claim 5, wherein the electrically tunable inductor further comprises a power coil.

7. The wireless power transmission system of claim 5, wherein the controller is configured to adjust a current in the control coil to adjust the inductance of the electrically tunable inductor.

8. The wireless power transmission system of claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to produce a constant value of current in the control coil to produce a desired inductance of the electrically tunable inductor.

9. The wireless power transmission system of claim 6, wherein the electrically tunable inductor comprises a magnetic core.

10. The wireless power transmission system of claim 9, wherein the magnetic core comprises a material which has gradually lower permeability at gradually higher flux densities.

11. The wireless power transmission system of claim 9, further comprising a second power coil, wherein the magnetic core comprises two core loops such that the control coil links both magnetic core loops, the power coil links only one of the two magnetic core loops, and a second power coil links the other of the two magnetic core loops.

12. The wireless power transmission system of claim 11, wherein the first power coil and the second power coil are wired in parallel in such a direction that no net voltage is induced across the control coil.

13. The wireless power transmission system of claim 6, wherein the ratio of the number of turns in the control coil to the number of turns in the power coil is greater than or equal to 10.

14. The wireless power transmission system of claim 1, wherein the transmitter comprises an electrically tunable inductor.

15. The wireless power transmission system of claim 1, wherein the receiver comprises an electrically tunable inductor.

16. The wireless power transmission system of claim 9, wherein the magnetic core material comprises a low permeability Nickel-Zinc ferrite.

17. The wireless power transmission system of claim 11, wherein each of the two core loops comprises a separate magnetic core piece-part.

18. The wireless power transmission system of claim 11, wherein the magnetic core comprises three distinct core legs.