SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR NEAR RESONANT WIRELESS POWER AND DATA TRANSFER

• US 20160285300A1
• Filed: 03/27/2015
• Published: 09/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Goodrich Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Goodrich Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Summers, Paul L., Leaves, Perry, Stein, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 10,243,389 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• 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 7/06 using discharge tubes or semiconductor devices

Abstract

A distributed sensing system is provided. The system may have a primary portion and a distributed sensing portion separated by an air gap. The primary portion and the distributed sensing portion may be inductively coupled by a transformer having a primary coil and a secondary coil. A controller may direct a power supply to drive the primary coil with a driving waveform. The controller may vary a frequency of the driving waveform to substantially equal a resonant frequency of the transformer. The controller may monitor the power transfer between the primary coil and the secondary coil and may vary the frequency of the driving waveform in response. In this manner, the amount of power transferred from the primary coil to the secondary coil may be optimized in response to the controller substantially matching the driving waveform to the resonant frequency of the transformer.

Claims

1. A method of power transfer efficiency optimization comprising:

exciting a primary coil of a transformer with a driving waveform comprising an alternating current;

coupling, by the transformer, the alternating current to a secondary coil in response to the exciting;

monitoring, by an effectivity monitor, at least one of the alternating current coupled to the secondary coil and a load on the primary coil;

communicating, by the effectivity monitor, data representative of a magnitude of at least one of the alternating current and the load to a controller;

directing, by the controller, a power supply to change a frequency of the driving waveform in response to the data;

maximizing, by the controller, at least one of the alternating current coupled to the secondary coil and the load on the primary coil in response to the directing.

2. The method of power transfer efficiency optimization according to claim 1, wherein the effectivity monitor comprises a sense resistor connected in electrical communication to one of the primary coil and the secondary coil.

3. The method of power transfer efficiency optimization according to claim 1, wherein the primary coil comprises a parallel inductor-capacitor (LC) circuit.

4. The method of power transfer efficiency optimization according to claim 1, wherein the secondary coil comprises a parallel inductor-capacitor (LC) circuit.

5. The method of power transfer efficiency optimization according to claim 1, wherein the driving waveform further comprises data.

6. A distributed sensing system, comprising:

a primary portion comprising;

a power supply configured to generate a carrier of a driving waveform;

a transmitter configured to generate a modulation of the driving waveform;

a controller configured to set a frequency of the carrier of the driving waveform;

a primary coil comprising a resonant circuit in electrical connection to the transmitter and the controller and configured to receive the driving waveform and generate an electromagnetic field; and

a distributed sensing portion comprising;

a sensor capable of monitoring a parameter;

a secondary coil comprising a resonant circuit in electrical connection to the sensor and configured to be connected in inductive communication to the primary coil by the electromagnetic field; and

wherein the controller sets the frequency of the carrier of the driving waveform in correspondence to a resonant frequency of at least one of the primary coil and the secondary coil.

7. The distributed sensing system according to claim 6, wherein the sensor communicates sensed data to the secondary coil, whereby the sensed data is communicated to the controller by the primary coil connected in inductive communication to the secondary coil.

8. The distributed sensing system according to claim 6, the primary portion further comprising an effectivity monitor in electrical connection to the primary coil and the controller, whereby the controller may monitor at least one voltage and current in the primary coil to determine the resonant frequency of at least one of the primary coil and the secondary coil.

9. The distributed sensing system according to claim 8, the effectivity monitor comprising a load sensor configured to determine an electrical load of the primary coil to determine the resonant frequency of at least one of the primary coil and the secondary coil.

10. The distributed sensing system according to claim 9, wherein the load sensor comprises a resistor.

11. The distributed sensing system according to claim 6, the distributed sensing portion further comprising an effectivity monitor in electrical connection to the secondary coil, whereby the controller may monitor at least one of a voltage and a current in the secondary coil to determine the resonant frequency of at least one of the primary coil and the secondary coil.

12. The distributed sensing system according to claim 11, the effectivity monitor comprising a voltage sensor configured to determine a potential difference across at least a portion of the secondary coil to determine the resonant frequency of at least one of the primary coil and the secondary coil.

13. The distributed sensing system according to claim 12, wherein the voltage sensor comprises a resistor.

14. The distributed sensing system according to claim 6, wherein the primary coil comprising a resonant circuit comprises a parallel inductor-capacitor (LC) circuit.

15. The distributed sensing system according to claim 6, wherein the secondary coil comprising a resonant circuit comprises a parallel inductor-capacitor (LC) circuit.