METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR VOLTAGE REGULATION

• US 20170324351A1
• Filed: 05/05/2017
• Published: 11/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WiTricity Corporation
• Original Assignee: WiTricity Corporation
• Inventors: Rochford, Conor Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 9,979,316 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/10 Regulating voltage or current G05F1/02 takes precedence; for electric railways B60M3/02
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/30 semiconductor devices only
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/613 using semiconductor devices in parallel with the load as final control devices G05F1/461 takes precedence
• 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: H02M 1/007 Plural converter units in cascade push-pull DC/DC converters with pre-regulator H02M3/3374; DC-AC converters following a DC-DC stage including a high frequency transformer H02M7/4807; DC-AC converters following a DC-DC conversion stage generating periodically varying voltages H02M7/4826
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0093 wherein the output is created by adding a regulated voltage to or subtracting it from an unregulated input
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/12 using discharge tubes with control electrode or semiconductor devices with control electrode
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/219 in a bridge configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/23 arranged for operation in parallel H02M7/2176 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/25 arranged for operation in series, e.g. for multiplication of voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/4818 with means for adaptation of resonance frequency, e.g. by modification of capacitance or inductance of resonance circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/2176 Class E amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/26 using coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/10 Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes

Abstract

Methods and apparatus provide compensation for impedance changes in a network energized by an amplifier, such as a class E amplifier. In embodiments, bus voltage amplifier fundamental AC output voltage can be used to generate a feedback signal for adjusting impedance of one or more components in the network. In embodiments, the amplifier fundamental AC output voltage is determined from current to the load, wherein the load is coupled to the amplifier by an LCL impedance matching network.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

compensating for impedance changes in a network to energize a load, wherein the network is coupled to an amplifier which has a fundamental AC output voltage that varies with the load impedance of the amplifier, by;

determining a feedback signal based on a bus voltage and the amplifier fundamental AC output voltage, wherein the bus voltage corresponds to a voltage driving the amplifier and the amplifier fundamental AC output voltage corresponds to a fundamental component of voltage input to a load of the amplifier; and

adjusting impedance of one or more components in the network based on the feedback signal.

2. The method according to claim 1, where the amplifier fundamental AC output voltage is determined from a measurement of current to the load, wherein the load is coupled to the amplifier by an LCL impedance matching network.

3. The method according to claim 1, further including directly measuring the amplifier fundamental AC output voltage.

4. The method according to claim 3, where the amplifier fundamental AC output voltage is determined using at least one of a mixer or a bandpass filter.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the load includes a resonator having a coil.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the network includes at least one capacitor coupled to the coil of the resonator.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the network comprises an impedance matching network coupled to the coil.

8. The method according to claim 1, further including generating the feedback signal from a ratio of the bus voltage and the amplifier fundamental AC output voltage.

9. The method according to claim 1, further including maintaining a given ratio of the bus voltage and amplifier fundamental AC output voltage based on the feedback signal.

10. The method according to claim 1, further including maintaining a given ratio of the bus voltage and amplifier fundamental AC output voltage within a range based on the feedback signal.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the range includes a minimum value and a maximum value, and further including decreasing an impedance in the network when the feedback signal is less than the minimum value and increasing an impedance in the network when the feedback signal is above the maximum value.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein adjusting impedance of one or more components in the network based on the feedback signal includes controlling a capacitor bank based on the feedback signal.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the amplifier comprises at least one class E amplifier.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the load includes a resonator having a source coil, wherein resonator impedance changes in response to proximity of a device having a device resonator coil.

15. A system, comprising:

a network configured for energizing a load;

an amplifier coupled to the network; and

a processor to compensate for impedance changes in the network based on a bus voltage and a fundamental AC output voltage of the amplifier, wherein the bus voltage corresponds to a voltage driving the amplifier and the amplifier fundamental AC output voltage corresponds to a fundamental component of voltage input to a load of the amplifier.

16. The system according to claim 15, where the amplifier fundamental AC voltage output is determined from a measurement of the current to the load, wherein the load is coupled to the amplifier by an LCL impedance matching network.

17. The system according to claim 15, wherein the network comprises an impedance matching network coupled to a coil.

18. The system according to claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to compensate for impedance changes based upon a feedback signal determined from a ratio of the bus voltage and the amplifier fundamental AC output voltage.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein the processor is configured to maintain a given ratio of the bus voltage and the amplifier fundamental AC output voltage within a range based on the feedback signal.

20. The system according to claim 15, further including a capacitor bank, wherein compensating for the impedance changes includes controlling the capacitor bank based on the feedback signal.

21. The system according to claim 15, wherein the amplifier includes at least one class-E amplifier.

22. The system according to claim 15, wherein the load includes a resonator having a source coil, wherein resonator impedance changes in response to proximity of a device having a device resonator coil.

23. An article, comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable medium containing stored instructions that enable a machine to;

compensate for impedance changes in a network that includes a load, wherein the network is configured for coupling to an amplifier which has a fundamental AC output voltage that varies with the load impedance of the amplifier, by;

determining a feedback signal based on the bus voltage and the amplifier fundamental AC output voltage, wherein the bus voltage corresponds to a voltage driving the amplifier and the amplifier fundamental AC output voltage corresponds to a fundamental component of voltage input to a load of the amplifier; and

generating one or more signals to adjust impedance of one or more components in the network based on the feedback signal.

24. A system, comprising:

a network for energizing a load

an amplifier means for driving the network; and

a processor means for controlling the amplifier means to compensate for impedance changes in the network based on a bus voltage and a fundamental AC output voltage of the amplifier, wherein the bus voltage corresponds to a voltage driving the amplifier means and the amplifier fundamental AC output voltage corresponds to a fundamental component of voltage input to a load of the amplifier.

25. The system according to claim 24, where the amplifier fundamental AC output voltage is determined from current to the load, wherein the load is coupled to the amplifier by an LCL impedance matching network.