Device for the inductive transfer of electrical energy
First Claim
1. A device for inductive transmission of electrical energy from a charging station to a vehicle, the device comprising:
- at least two primary inductors of a same type, each of the primary inductors electrically connected to a current supply unit such that each primary inductor has its own power supply for producing an electrical output;
voltage-measuring devices, each current supply unit having a voltage-measuring device integrated therein;
a controller in electrical communication with the current supply units; and
signal leads, each current supply unit having a signal lead running to the controller;
wherein the voltage-measuring devices measure voltage induced by presence of a secondary inductor producing a magnetic field at each primary inductor and emit measurement signals through the signal leads to the controller, each of the measurement signals indicating an induced voltage measured at each primary inductor; and
wherein electrical current is supplied to each primary inductor individually through a switch activated or deactivated by the controller to control the electrical current supplied to each primary inductor based upon distribution of induced voltages measured at each of the primary inductors.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention relates to a device for the inductive transfer of electric energy from a stationary unit that has at least two similar primary inductances (1-4) to a vehicle (5) standing adjacent to said unit. The primary inductances (1-4) of the stationary unit can be supplied with electrical current independently of one another and the current supply can be individually activated or deactivated by a central control unit (12). Preferably, the device is equipped with a uniform two-dimensional arrangement (26-32, 27A-31A) of a plurality of primary inductances that are similar to one another and are in the form of a rectangular matrix (26-31). Either a dedicated output of a central current supply unit or a dedicated current supply unit (7-10) is assigned to each primary inductance. Preferably, the vehicle has several secondary inductances that are similar to one another, the dimensions and arrangement of said inductances being designed in such a way that several pairs of secondary and primary inductances overlap at any one time in at least one position of the vehicle (5A, 5B, 5C).
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A device for inductive transmission of electrical energy from a charging station to a vehicle, the device comprising:
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at least two primary inductors of a same type, each of the primary inductors electrically connected to a current supply unit such that each primary inductor has its own power supply for producing an electrical output; voltage-measuring devices, each current supply unit having a voltage-measuring device integrated therein; a controller in electrical communication with the current supply units; and signal leads, each current supply unit having a signal lead running to the controller; wherein the voltage-measuring devices measure voltage induced by presence of a secondary inductor producing a magnetic field at each primary inductor and emit measurement signals through the signal leads to the controller, each of the measurement signals indicating an induced voltage measured at each primary inductor; and wherein electrical current is supplied to each primary inductor individually through a switch activated or deactivated by the controller to control the electrical current supplied to each primary inductor based upon distribution of induced voltages measured at each of the primary inductors. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A device for inductive transmission of electrical energy from a charging station to a vehicle, the device comprising:
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at least two primary inductors of a same type; a controller in electrical communication with the at least two primary inductors; a current supply unit in electrical communication with the controller, the current supply unit having a plurality of separately-activateable outputs; a voltage-measuring device integrated with the current supply unit; and a signal lead running from the current supply unit to the controller; wherein the voltage-measuring device measures voltage induced by presence of a secondary inductor producing a magnetic field at each primary inductor and emits measurement signals through the signal lead to the controller, each of the measurement signals indicating an induced voltage measured at each primary inductor; and wherein electrical current is supplied to each primary inductor individually from the separately-activateable outputs through a switch activated or deactivated by the controller to control the electrical current supplied to each primary inductor based upon distribution of induced voltages measured at each of the primary inductors. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method for charging a battery of an electric vehicle using a device for inductive transmission of electrical energy from a charging station to the electric vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:
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positioning the electric vehicle in a charging position at the charging station; inducing a voltage at at least one of at least two of primary inductors of the device using a magnetic field produced by a secondary inductor of the electric vehicle; measuring the induced voltage at each primary inductor using a voltage-measuring device of the device; emitting signals through signal leads of the device to a controller of the device to indicate induced voltage at each of the primary inductors; comparing the induced voltages to a predetermined threshold; identifying primary inductors in which the induced voltage exceeds the predetermined threshold and identifying primary inductors in which the induced voltage does not exceed the predetermined threshold; and supplying electrical current individually to each primary inductor in which the induced voltage exceeds the pre-determined threshold through a switch activated by the controller and cutting off electrical current individually to each primary inductor in which the induced voltage does not exceed the predetermined threshold through a switch deactivated by the controller, whereby the battery of the electric vehicle is charged.
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Specification