Systems for contactless power transfer

• US 8,174,134 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2010
• Issued: 05/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Bohori, Adnan Kutubuddin, Ramachandrapanicker, Somakumar, Bhat, Suma Memana Narayana
• Primary Examiner(s): Ponomarenko, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US12/914,512
• Publication Number:
  US 20110140429A1
• Time in Patent Office: 558 Days
• Field of Search: 290/1.R, 290/1.A, 290/7, 310/171, 310/40.R
• US Class Current: 290/1.R
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/18 Rotary transformers
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• 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

Abstract

A system includes a first coil mechanically coupled to a first component and electrically coupled to a power source. The system further includes a second coil mechanically coupled to a second component and configured to receive power from the first coil via a magnetic field. At least one of the first and second components includes a rotatable component. The system also includes a field focusing element disposed between the first coil and the second coil and configured as a self resonant coil having a standing wave current distribution to focus the magnetic field onto the second coil and enhance the coupling between the first coil and the second coil.

Claims

1. A system for contactless power transfer comprising:

a first coil mechanically coupled to a first component and electrically coupled to a power source, wherein the first coil is configured to produce a magnetic field;

a second coil mechanically coupled to a second component and configured to receive power from the first coil via the magnetic field,

wherein at least one of the first and second components comprises a rotatable component; and

a field focusing element disposed between the first coil and the second coil and configured as a self resonant coil having a standing wave current distribution to focus the magnetic field onto the second coil and enhance the coupling between the first coil and the second coil.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a high frequency converter coupling the power source and the first coil.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the field focusing element comprises at least one resonator.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the at least one resonator comprises an axially symmetric structure configured to focus the magnetic field along an axis of rotation.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the axially symmetric structure comprises a Swiss roll shaped structure, a helical structure or a spiral structure.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the at least one resonator comprises a plurality of resonators with at least two of the plurality of resonators having different resonant frequencies.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the different resonant frequencies are configured to enable simultaneous transfer of power and data signals.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the field focusing element is configured for bi-directional power transfer.

9. The system of claim 3, wherein the at least one resonator is disposed within at least one of a dielectric medium, a magnetic medium, or a magneto-dielectric medium.

10. The system of claim 3, wherein the at least one resonator is configured to focus at least one of an electric field, a magnetic field, or an electromagnetic field.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the wherein at least one other of the first and second components comprises a stationary component, and wherein the rotatable component is configured to rotate with respect to a stationary component along an axis of rotation.

12. A turbine comprising a contactless power transfer system configured to transfer power to a blade pitch motor from a power generator comprising:

a first coil coupled to the power generator of the turbine, wherein the first coil is configured to produce a magnetic field,

a second coil coupled to a blade pitch motor of the turbine and configured to receive power from the first coil via the magnetic field; and

a field focusing element disposed between the first coil and the second coil comprising at least one resonator configured to focus a magnetic field onto the second coil and form a standing wave current distribution.

13. The turbine of claim 12, wherein the turbine comprises a wind turbine and wherein the field focusing element comprises a rotatable field focusing element.

14. The turbine of claim 12, wherein the at least one resonator comprises an axially symmetric structure configured to focus the magnetic field along an axis of rotation.

15. The turbine of claim 12, wherein the at least one resonator comprises a plurality of resonators with at least one of the resonators configured for excitation in a different phase than at least one other resonator.

16. The turbine of claim 12, further comprising a cycloconverter coupling the second coil and the pitch motor and configured to lower a resonant frequency of the received power.

17. A computed tomography machine comprising a contactless power transfer system configured to transfer power to an X ray tube from a power source comprising:

a first coil coupled to a high voltage transformer, wherein the first coil is configured to produce a magnetic field,

a second coil coupled to the X ray tube, wherein the second coil is configured to receive power from the first coil via the magnetic field; and

a field focusing element disposed between the first coil and the second coil comprising at least one resonator configured to focus a magnetic field onto the second coil and form a standing wave current distribution.

18. The computed tomography machine of claim 17, wherein the field focusing element comprises a rotatable field focusing element.

19. The computed tomography machine of claim 17, wherein the at least one resonator comprises an axially symmetric structure configured to focus the magnetic field along an axis of rotation.

20. The computed tomography machine of claim 17, wherein the at least one resonator comprises a plurality of resonators with at least one of the plurality of resonators being excitable at a different phase than at least one other of the plurality of resonators.