Compliance assessment of human exposure from wireless electric vehicle charging system using at least one phantom model

• US 9,575,108 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2014
• Issued: 02/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WiTricity Corporation
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Lu, Lin, Nadakuduti, Jagadish, Guckian, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Application Number:
  US14/574,095
• Publication Number:
  US 20150177302A1
• Time in Patent Office: 797 Days
• Field of Search: 340/540, 340/573.1, 340/600, 307/104
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/44 by parameter estimation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/147 electro magnetic [EMI]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/12 Recording operating variables ; Monitoring of operating variables
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/122 Circuits or methods for driving the primary coil, e.g. supplying electric power to the coil
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/124 Detection or removal of foreign bodies
• 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 53/30 Constructional details of charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/66 Data transfer between charging stations and vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/68 Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 29/0814 Field measurements related to measuring influence on or from apparatus, components or humans EMC, EMI and similar testing in general G01R31/001, e.g. in ESD, EMI, EMC, EMP testing, measuring radiation leakage; detecting presence of micro- or radiowave emitters; dosimetry; testing shielding; measurements related to lightning
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 29/0857 Dosimetry, i.e. measuring the time integral of radiation intensity; Level warning devices for personal safety use nuclear radiation dosimetry G01T
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 29/0878 Sensors; antennas; probes; detectors wave guide measuring sections G01R1/24
• 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 30/12 Remote or cooperative charging

Abstract

This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for assessing electromagnetic exposure. In one aspect an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes at least a first circuit configured to calculate electromagnetic exposure of at least a portion of at least one human in proximity to a wireless electric vehicle charging system. The portion of the at least one human is modeled by at least one homogeneous phantom model having dielectric properties that are representative of human tissue. The apparatus further includes at least a second circuit configured to scale the calculated electromagnetic exposure to simulate an electromagnetic exposure based on an inhomogeneous anatomical model of the portion of the at least one human.

Claims

1. An apparatus for assessing electromagnetic exposure, the apparatus comprising:

at least a first circuit configured to calculate electromagnetic exposure of at least a portion of at least one human in proximity to a wireless electric vehicle charging system, the portion of the at least one human modeled by at least one homogeneous phantom model having dielectric properties that are representative of human tissue; and

at least a second circuit configured to scale the calculated electromagnetic exposure to simulate an electromagnetic exposure based on an inhomogeneous anatomical model of the portion of the at least one human.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one homogeneous phantom model comprises a homogeneous body phantom model representing a body of the at least one human.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the homogeneous body phantom model represents a trunk portion of the at least one body in the human population having a specific absorption rate value predetermined using statistical data of weight, height, and body-mass index of the human population.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the at least one homogeneous phantom model further comprises a plurality of limb phantom models representing limbs of the at least one human.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the plurality of limb phantom models represents limbs of the at least one body in the human population having dimensions predetermined using statistical data of weight, height, and body-mass index of the human population.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the calculated electromagnetic exposure is scaled using at least one enhancement factor derived from a ratio of a first peak exposure metric of the simulated electromagnetic exposure calculated using the inhomogeneous anatomical model to a second peak exposure metric of the electromagnetic exposure calculated using the at least one homogeneous phantom model.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first and second peak exposure metrics are based on a peak induced current within the portion of the at least one human.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first and second peak exposure metrics are each selected from a group consisting of:

a peak electric field within the portion of the at least one human;

a peak 1 g-averaged specific absorption rate (SAR) within the portion of the at least one human;

a peak 10 g-averaged SAR within the portion of the at least one human; and

a peak whole-body-averaged SAR within the whole of the at least one human.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the ratio is between one and 1.2.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the ratio is between one and 1.1.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first circuit comprises a processor and the second circuit comprises the processor.

12. An apparatus for assessing electromagnetic exposure, the apparatus comprising:

simulating means for simulating at least a portion of at least one human in proximity to a wireless electric vehicle charging system;

calculating means for calculating electromagnetic exposure of the portion of the at least one human, the portion of the at least one human modeled by at least one homogeneous phantom model having dielectric properties that are representative of human tissue; and

scaling means for scaling the calculated electromagnetic exposure to simulate an electromagnetic exposure based on an inhomogeneous anatomical model of the portion of the at least one human.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the simulating means comprises at least a first circuit of a processor and the calculating means comprises the first circuit of the processor.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the enhancing means comprises at least a second circuit of the processor.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one homogeneous phantom model comprises a homogeneous body phantom model representing a body of the at least one human and a plurality of limb phantom models representing limbs of the at least one human.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the calculated electromagnetic exposure is scaled using at least one enhancement factor derived from a ratio of a first peak exposure metric of the simulated electromagnetic exposure calculated using the inhomogeneous anatomical model to a second peak exposure metric of the electromagnetic exposure calculated using the at least one homogeneous phantom model.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the first and second peak exposure metrics are each selected from a group consisting of:

a peak induced current within the portion of the at least one human;

a peak electric field within the portion of the at least one human;

a peak 1 g-averaged specific absorption rate (SAR) within the portion of the at least one human;

a peak 10 g-averaged SAR within the portion of the at least one human; and

a peak whole-body-averaged SAR within the portion of the at least one human.

18. A method for assessing electromagnetic exposure, the method comprising:

simulating at least a portion of at least one human in proximity to a wireless electric vehicle charging system;

calculating electromagnetic exposure of the portion of the at least one human, the portion of the at least one human modeled by at least one homogeneous phantom model having dielectric properties that are representative of human tissue; and

scaling the calculated electromagnetic exposure to simulate an electromagnetic exposure based on an inhomogeneous anatomical model of the portion of the at least one human.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the at least one homogeneous phantom model comprises a homogeneous body phantom model representing a body of the at least one human.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the homogeneous body phantom model represents a trunk portion of the at least one body in the human population having a specific absorption rate value predetermined using statistical data of weight, height, and body-mass index of the human population.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the at least one homogeneous phantom model further comprises a plurality of limb phantom models representing limbs of the at least one human.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the plurality of limb phantom models represents limbs of the at least one body in the human population having dimensions predetermined using statistical data of weight, height, and body-mass index of the human population.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the calculated electromagnetic exposure is scaled using at least one enhancement factor derived from a ratio of a first peak exposure metric of the simulated electromagnetic exposure calculated using the inhomogeneous anatomical model to a second peak exposure metric of the electromagnetic exposure calculated using the at least one homogeneous phantom model.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the first and second peak exposure metrics are based on a peak induced current within the portion of the at least one human.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the first and second peak exposure metrics are each selected from a group consisting of:

a peak electric field within the portion of the at least one human;

a peak 1 g-averaged specific absorption rate (SAR) within the portion of the at least one human;

a peak 10 g-averaged SAR within the portion of the at least one human; and

a peak whole-body-averaged SAR within the portion of the at least one human.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the ratio is between one and 1.2.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein the ratio is between one and 1.1.

28. A method for demonstrating compliance with predetermined electromagnetic exposure limitations, the method comprising:

calculating an expected electromagnetic intensity distribution from a wireless electric vehicle charging system;

assessing the electromagnetic exposure expected from the wireless electric vehicle charging system using the method of claim 18 to produce an assessment; and

demonstrating compliance using the assessment.

29. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for assessing electromagnetic exposure, the medium having encoded thereon instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to:

simulate at least a portion of at least one human in proximity to a wireless electric vehicle charging system;

calculate electromagnetic exposure of the portion of the at least one human, the portion of the at least one human modeled by at least one homogeneous phantom model having dielectric properties that are representative of human tissue; and

scale the calculated electromagnetic exposure to simulate an electromagnetic exposure based on an inhomogeneous anatomical model of the portion of the at least one human.