Supply of power to primary conductors

• US 6,621,183 B1
• Filed: 08/14/2000
• Issued: 09/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Auckland UniServices Limited (Auckland University)
• Original Assignee: Auckland UniServices Limited (Auckland University)
• Inventors: Boys, John Talbot
• Primary Examiner(s): Leja, Ronald W.
• Application Number:
  US09/555,796
• Time in Patent Office: 1,128 Days
• Field of Search: 307/104, 307/147, 191/10
• US Class Current: 307/145
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 17/06 with core substantially closed in itself, e.g. toroid
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 3/14 Constrictions; Gaps, e.g. air-gaps in magnetic shunt paths H01F3/12
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/005 Mechanical details of housing or structure aiming to accommodate the power transfer means, e.g. mechanical integration of coils, antennas or transducers into emitting or receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/402 the two or more transmitting or the two or more receiving devices being integrated in the same unit, e.g. power mats with several coils or antennas with several sub-antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/70 involving the reduction of electric, magnetic or electromagnetic leakage fields
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00309 Overheat or overtemperature protection
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/00 Near-field transmission systems, e.g. inductive or capacitive transmission systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/22 Capacitive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

Apparatus for providing effective amounts of high-frequency AC power to a long primary trackway (1102), used for inductive power transfer includes transconductance-pi filters (1105) for deliberate mismatching; resulting in independence of current flow and track impedance. These cause the source (1101) to appear as a voltage source and the trackway to appear as a low reactance. Shorting the output (1106) cuts the connected trackway from power without harm. The filter can cause a voltage step-up so driving a longer track. Track termination apparatus is disclosed that acts as a short circuit at only the operating frequency while terminating the track at its characteristic impedance otherwise. Half-bridge and full-bridge power supplies (1101) are described for providing effective amounts of high-frequency AC power to a long primary trackway used for inductive power transfer.

Claims

1. An apparatus for the supply of power from an alternating power source to the primary conductors of an inductive power transfer system having at least one series compensated primary trackway, each primary trackway having an inherent resonant frequency, wherein said apparatus comprises at least one reactive network having an input and an output;

the network being connected between the power source and said at least one primary trackway, wherein said network comprises at least one inductance having a selected value and connected to at least one capacitance having a selected value, and wherein said network controls transfer of power between the supply of power and the at least one primary trackway.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the network comprises a transconductance pi network wherein the transconductance pi network comprises one or more inductors and one or more capacitors, the transconductance pi network having an input and an output;

the network being connected at the input to the power source and at the output to at least one primary trackway, wherein the network is capable of providing a deliberately mismatched coupling between the source of alternating power and the primary trackway so that the source appears to present a substantially infinite impedance and the primary trackway appears to present a substantially zero impedance; and

so that the voltage at the output of the transconductance pi network may in use be substantially greater than that provided to the input of the transconductance pi network.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the component values within any one transconductance pi network are selected so that the network is capable of determining the proportion of circulating current to be fed from the output of the network into the primary trackway and so that the amount of circulating current within the primary trackway can be controlled.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the apparatus comprises at least one transconductance pi network, each network being connected to a corresponding primary trackway, the network or networks being capable by means of a selection of suitable component values of determining the proportion of circulating current that may be fed from the network into each primary trackway so that the amount of circulating current within the primary trackway can be controlled.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the apparatus comprises more than one transconductance pi network each connected through controllable switching means to one primary trackway, so that the amount of circulating current within the primary trackway can be controlled by connection of the outputs of one or more networks at any time to the primary trackway.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the apparatus comprises at least one transconductance pi network connected to each primary trackway, the at least one network being provided with at least one set of additional reactive components capable as a group of being controllably switched into or out of the network circuit from a first set of components capable of determining a first current, to a second set of components, capable of determining a second current, so that the circulating current to be supplied from the output of the network into each primary trackway can be controlled from time to time and so that the amount of circulating current within the primary trackway can be controlled.

7. The apparatus, according to claim 6, wherein the transconductance pi network is associated with an inductor provided with a ferrimagnetic or ferromagnetic core capable of saturation at an intended level of current, so that the total circulating current within the network maybe limited.

8. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the transconductance pi network is associated with an inductor in which more than one turn of litz wire is held within a conductive container and apart from the inner surface of the container.

9. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the transconductance pi network is associated with an inductor which has a ferrimagnetic core comprising one or more ferrite elements each having an interrupted toroidal ferrite core including an air gap threaded over about one turn of litz wire.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the one or more ferrite elements are each means of a support occupying the air gap.

11. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the apparatus provides switching means across the primary conductors of a primary trackway at a position where any one transconductance pi network is connected to the trackway;

the switching means being capable when in a closed state of shorting the trackway so that the amount of circulating current within the primary trackway falls, and so that the primary trackway is in effect disconnected from the power supply yet the power supply itself does not experience a short-circuited output.

12. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein one or more of the inductive components of any one transconductance pi network are selected so that the one or more inductive components are capable of entering a state of saturation if a current greater than an intended current should flow through the saturable inductor, so that the circulating current within the primary trackway can be limited.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said apparatus comprises more than one primary trackway, wherein each primary trackway forms a part of an extended primary trackway;

an end of each primary trackway meeting an end of at least one other primary trackway near an alternating power source;

each primary trackway being fed at the connection point by a separate transconductance pi network having a switching means connected across the output of the transconductance pi network, so that in use any primary trackway may be energised in response to the presence of a consumer of inductive power upon that primary trackway by opening the corresponding switching means, so that the power supply output may be directed down a selected section of the primary trackway and limitations of trackway length based on power supply capacity are substantially overcome.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising termination apparatus;

the termination apparatus being connected between an end or one conductor and an end of the other conductor at a position remote from a connection to a power supply, the termination apparatus comprising in parallel connection (A) a resistance capable of exhibiting the characteristic impedance of the track at substantially any frequency, and (B) a series tuned resonant circuit tuned to the inherent resonant frequency;

the termination apparatus being capable at the resonant frequency of presenting a short circuit to the track and capable of presenting the characteristic impedance to the track at other frequencies, so that the harmonic content of the current circulating in the track is reduced.