Wireless power transfer electric vehicle supply equipment installation and validation tool

• US 9,035,790 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2012
• Issued: 05/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: UT-Battelle LLC
• Original Assignee: UT-Battelle LLC
• Inventors: Jones, Perry T., Miller, John M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lau, Hoi
• Application Number:
  US13/526,659
• Publication Number:
  US 20130021168A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,064 Days
• Field of Search: 340/870.02, 340/657, 340/691.1, 324/537, 324/226, 324/66, 307/45, 307/104, 307/17, 307/38
• US Class Current: 340/870.02
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/00 Supplying electric power to auxiliary equipment of vehicles circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• 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 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/00 Arrangements for testing electric properties; Arrangements for locating electric faults; Arrangements for electrical testing characterised by what is being tested not provided for elsewhere measuring superconductive properties G01R33/1238; testing or measuring semiconductors or solid state devices during manufacture H01L22/00; testing line transmission systems H04B3/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/00 Arrangements or instruments for measuring magnetic variables
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• 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 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• 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 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

A transmit pad inspection device includes a magnetic coupling device, which includes an inductive circuit that is configured to magnetically couple to a primary circuit of a charging device in a transmit pad through an alternating current (AC) magnetic field. The inductive circuit functions as a secondary circuit for a set of magnetically coupled coils. The magnetic coupling device further includes a rectification circuit, and includes a controllable load bank or is configured to be connected to an external controllable load back. The transmit pad inspection device is configured to determine the efficiency of power transfer under various coupling conditions. In addition, the transmit pad inspection device can be configured to measure residual magnetic field and the frequency of the input current, and to determine whether the charging device has been installed properly.

Claims

1. A transmit pad inspection device comprising:

a magnetic coupling device including an inductive circuit that is configured to magnetically couple to a primary circuit of a charging device in a transmit pad as a secondary circuit through an alternating current (AC) magnetic field;

a controllable load bank connected to said magnetic coupling device;

the transmit pad inspection device configured to determine an input power applied to said primary circuit through communication with a device configured to measure said input power;

the transmit pad inspection device configured to determine an output power delivered to a load in said controllable load bank,

a magnetic field measurement device configured to measure at least a frequency of a magnetic field generated by said charging device,

wherein the transmit pad inspection device is configured to vary said output power by changing a selected impedance of said controllable load bank, and to determine a correlation between said output power and a frequency of said AC magnetic field as measured by the magnetic field measurement device for each setting for the selected impedance for the controllable load bank.

2. The transmit pad inspection device of claim 1, wherein said device configured to measure said input power is a utility feed smart meter connected to said primary circuit of said charging device.

3. The transmit pad inspection device of claim 1, further comprising a programmable logic control configured to determine an efficiency of power transfer under at least one coupling condition between said primary circuit and said inductive circuit.

4. The transmit pad inspection device of claim 1, further comprising a magnetic field measurement device configured to measure a magnitude of a residual magnetic field in a transition zone and a public zone of said charging device.

5. The transmit pad inspection device of claim 1, further comprising:

a magnetic field measurement device configured to measure at least a frequency of a magnetic field generated by said charging device; and

programmable logic control configured to determine a time delay between a first time point at which a load within said controllable load bank is changed and a second time point at which said frequency of said magnetic field stabilizes after said change in said load.

6. The transmit pad inspection device of claim 1, further comprising a means for varying a spacing between said charging device and said magnetic coupling device.

7. The transmit pad inspection device of claim 1, further comprising programmable logic control configured for transmitting a command for turning off said input power to said primary circuit, wherein said transmit pad inspection device is configured to monitor power delivered to said controllable load bank as a function of time after transmission of said command for turning off said input power to said primary circuit.

8. The transmit pad inspection device of claim 1, further comprising:

a communication means configured to transmit information on a value of the selected impedance of said controllable load bank to a device controlling said input power to said primary circuit.

9. The transmit pad inspection device of claim 1, wherein said transmit pad inspection device is configured to transmit instructions that set a frequency of a grid converter connected to said primary circuit, and wherein said transmit pad inspection device is configured to determine a correlation between said output power and said frequency of a grid converter for each setting for a selected impedance of said controllable load bank, and wherein said transmit pad inspection device further comprises a means for varying a spacing between said charging device and said magnetic coupling device, wherein said transmit pad inspection device is configured to determine a correlation between said spacing and said frequency of a grid converter.

10. A method of inspecting a transmit pad for wireless power transfer, said method comprising:

providing a transmit pad inspection device comprising a magnetic coupling device including an inductive circuit and a controllable load bank connected to said magnetic coupling device;

positioning said magnetic coupling device in a vicinity of a transmit pad of a charging device that includes a primary circuit, wherein said vicinity is selected to magnetically couple said inductive circuit to said primary circuit through an alternating current (AC) magnetic field generated by said primary circuit;

determining an input power applied to said primary circuit;

determining an output power delivered to a load in said controllable load bank;

transmitting instructions that set a frequency of a grid converter from said transmit pad inspection device to said primary circuit;

determining a correlation between said output power and said frequency of a grid converter for each setting for a selected impedance of said controllable load bank;

changing a spacing between said charging device and said magnetic coupling device; and

determining a correlation between said spacing and said frequency of a grid converter.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said determining of said input power comprises transmitting information on said input power from a device wired to said primary circuit and configured to measure said input power to said transmit pad inspection device, and wherein said device wired to said primary circuit and configured to measure said input power is a utility feed smart meter connected to said primary circuit of said charging device.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising determining an efficiency of power transfer under at least one coupling condition between said primary circuit and said inductive circuit.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising measuring a magnitude of a residual magnetic field in a transition zone and a public zone of said charging device employing a magnetic field measurement device.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

measuring at least a frequency of a magnetic field generated by said charging device employing a magnetic field measurement device; and

determining a time delay between a first time point at which a load within said controllable load bank is changed and a second time point at which said frequency of said magnetic field stabilizes after said change in said load.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

changing a spacing between said charging device and said magnetic coupling device;

determining another input power applied to said primary circuit after said changing of said spacing; and

determining another output power delivered to a load in said controllable load bank after said changing of said spacing.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

transmitting a command for turning off said input power from said transmit pad inspection device to said primary circuit; and

monitoring power delivered to said controllable load bank as a function of time after transmission of said command for turning off said input power to said primary circuit.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

transmitting information on a value of a selected impedance of said controllable load bank from said transmit pad inspection device to a device controlling said input power to said primary circuit; and

measuring at least a frequency of a magnetic field generated by said charging device employing a magnetic field measurement device.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

varying said output power by changing said selected impedance of said controllable load bank; and

determining a correlation between said output power and a frequency of said AC magnetic field as measured by said magnetic field measurement device for each setting for said selected impedance for said controllable load bank.