Using skin effect to produce a magnetic vector potential for inducing a voltage

• US 9,385,537 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2015
• Issued: 07/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Divergent, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Divergent, Inc.
• Inventors: Kapcia, Jason
• Primary Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ortiz, Elim
• Application Number:
  US14/635,872
• Publication Number:
  US 20150249341A1
• Time in Patent Office: 491 Days
• Field of Search: 307/104
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 11/00 Circuit arrangements for providing service supply to auxiliaries of stations in which electric power is generated, distributed or converted
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type

Abstract

Apparatuses and methods are provided for driving a conductor with a signal comprising a series of pulses for inducing a voltage in an output circuit wirelessly. The pulses can be sufficiently short so as to reduce an amount of current produced along the conductor, thereby reducing the Lenz effect, which is proportional to a change in current along the conductor. Further, the pulses can have a sufficiently fast rise time (e.g., less than 30 ns) to induce a sufficiently high voltage in the output circuit (e.g., greater than 5 or 10 V). A surprisingly high voltage can be induced in an output circuit when using fast rise times of less than 30 ns.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a power supply circuit for providing a direct current (DC) voltage, wherein the power supply circuit comprises at least one resonant circuit and a diode, wherein a first resonant circuit includes a first capacitor and a first inductor;

an input conductor selectably connected to the power supply circuit, wherein the input conductor is situated for inducement of an output voltage in an output circuit;

a switching mechanism coupled with the power supply circuit and the input conductor and configured to connect and disconnect the input conductor to the power supply circuit, thereby causing the diode to store charges in a depletion layer when a forward current exists and to rapidly switch open after the depletion layer is discharged by a reverse current such that an input voltage pulse of the reverse current is provided to the input conductor for inducing an output voltage pulse in the output circuit;

a controller on a separate ground from the power supply circuit and communicably coupled with the switching mechanism for controlling a connection state of the switching mechanism, wherein the controller is configured to control the switching mechanism, such that the power supply circuit provides a series of input voltage pulses to the input conductor for inducing a series of output voltage pulses in the output circuit, each input voltage pulse having a rise time of less than 30 nanoseconds and having an amplitude of at least 1 volt.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each input voltage pulse has a rise time of 3 nanoseconds or less.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each input voltage pulse has an amplitude of at least 50 volts.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein each input voltage pulse has an amplitude of at least 900 volts.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each input voltage pulse has a pulse width of 100 microseconds or less.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein each input voltage pulse has a pulse width of 1 microsecond or less.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first capacitor is configured to be charged by an external power supply when the switching mechanism is open, and wherein the first capacitor is configured to provide the forward current.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each input voltage pulse has a slew rate of more than 10 V volts per nanosecond.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the series of input voltage pulses create a time-varying magnetic vector potential perpendicular to a surface of the input conductor.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the time-varying magnetic vector potential forms a longitudinal wave.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the input conductor comprises a wire, and wherein the wire comprises a coil.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the input conductor has a length of at least one foot.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the coil comprises a solenoid.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the solenoid is a toroidal solenoid.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the switching mechanism includes a solid-state switch, and wherein the solid-state switch includes at least one of a MOSFET or an IGBT.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to provide signals to the switching mechanism to control the connection state of the switching mechanism, and wherein the signals are not periodic.

17. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the diode is a junction recovery diode.

18. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first inductor is in parallel with the diode.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein a second resonant circuit includes a second inductor that is in series with the first capacitor of the first resonant circuit.

20. A method of generating a curl-free magnetic vector potential for inducing an output voltage in an output circuit using a power supply circuit selectably connected to an input conductor, the input conductor situated for inducement of the output voltage in the output circuit, the power supply circuit providing a direct current (DC) voltage, wherein the power supply circuit comprises at least one resonant circuit and a diode, wherein a first resonant circuit includes a first capacitor and a first inductor, the method comprising:

selectably connecting the power supply circuit to the input conductor using a switching mechanism to cause the diode to store charges in a depletion layer when a forward current exists and to rapidly switch open after the depletion layer is discharged by a reverse current such that an input voltage pulse of the revere current is provided to the input conductor, where the switching mechanism is configured to connect and disconnect the input conductor to the power supply circuit;

providing, with the power supply circuit, a series of input voltage pulses to the input conductor for inducing a series of output voltage pulses in the output circuit, each input voltage pulse having a rise time of less than 30 nanoseconds and having an amplitude of at least 1 volt; and

using a controller to control a connection state of the switching mechanism such that the series of input voltage pulses each have a rise time of less than 30 nanoseconds and an amplitude of at least 1 volt, the controller being on a separate ground from the power supply circuit.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the controller provides signals to the switching mechanism to control the connection state of the switching mechanism, and wherein the signals are periodic.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein each input voltage pulse has an amplitude of at least 50 volts.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein each input voltage pulse has an amplitude of at least 900 volts.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein each input voltage pulse has a pulse width of 100 microseconds or less.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein each input voltage pulse has a pulse width of 1 microsecond or less.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein each pulse has a slew rate of more than 10 V volts per nanosecond.

27. The method of claim 20, wherein the series of input voltage pulses create a time-varying magnetic vector potential perpendicular to a surface of the input conductor, wherein the time-varying magnetic vector potential forms a longitudinal wave.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

receiving at the output circuit an electric field generated by the time-varying magnetic vector potential, the electric field creating the series of output voltage pulses in the output circuit.

29. The method of claim 20, wherein the input conductor comprises a wire, and wherein the wire comprises a coil.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the input conductor has a length of at least one foot.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the wire comprises a solenoid.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the solenoid is a toroidal solenoid.