Misalignment insensitive wireless power transfer

• US 9,406,435 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2013
• Issued: 08/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Florida International University Board of Trustees (State University System of Florida), Georgia Tech Research Corporation (University System of Georgia)
• Original Assignee: The Florida International University Board of Trustees (State University System of Florida), Georgia Tech Research Corporation (University System of Georgia)
• Inventors: Georgakopoulos, Stavros, Tentzeris, Manos
• Primary Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford
• Assistant Examiner(s): PARRIES, DRU M
• Application Number:
  US13/916,168
• Publication Number:
  US 20130328409A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,147 Days
• Field of Search: 307/104
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/006 with special arrangement or spacing of turns of the winding(s), e.g. to produce desired self-resonance
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10

Abstract

A wireless power transmission device for transmitting power from a power source to a load includes a three-dimensional source conductive element that is electrically coupled to the power source and that induces an alternating current therein. A first three-dimensional resonating conductive element surrounds the source conductive element, but is physically decoupled therefrom and resonates in response to the alternating current induced in the source conductive element. A second three-dimensional resonating conductive element is physically spaced apart from the first three-dimensional resonating conductive element and resonates in response to an oscillating field generated by the first three-dimensional resonating conductive element. A three-dimensional load conductive element is within the second three-dimensional resonating conductive element, but is physically decoupled therefrom. The three-dimensional load conductive element applies power to the load in response to resonation in the second three-dimensional resonating conductive element.

Claims

1. A wireless power transmission device for transmitting power from a power source to a load, comprising:

(a) a three-dimensional source conductive element that is electrically coupled to the power source and that is configured to induce an alternating current therein that has been received from the power source, the three-dimensional source conductive element including a conductor formed into a first source loop portion and a second source loop portion that is transverse to the first source loop portion;

(b) a first three-dimensional resonating conductive element that surrounds the source conductive element, but that is physically decoupled therefrom and that is configured to resonate in response to the alternating current induced in the source conductive element, the first three-dimensional resonating conductive element including a conductor formed into a first resonating loop portion that is in electrical communication with a second loop resonating portion that is transverse to the first resonating loop portion;

(c) a second three-dimensional resonating conductive element that is physically spaced apart from the first three-dimensional resonating conductive element and that is configured to resonate in response to an oscillating field generated by the first three-dimensional resonating conductive element, the second three-dimensional resonating conductive element including a conductor formed into a first resonating loop portion that is in electrical communication with a second loop resonating portion that is transverse to the first resonating loop portion; and

(d) a three-dimensional load conductive element that is disposed within the second three-dimensional resonating conductive element, but that is physically decoupled therefrom, the three-dimensional load conductive element configured to apply power to the load in response to resonation in the second three-dimensional resonating conductive element, the three-dimensional load conductive element including a conductor formed into a first load loop portion and a second load loop portion that is transverse to the first load loop portion.

2. The wireless power transmission device of claim 1, wherein the first three-dimensional resonating conductive element and the second three-dimensional resonating conductive element are configured to resonate at the same resonant frequency.

3. The wireless power transmission device of claim 1, wherein the first three-dimensional resonating conductive element has a resonant frequency and a frequency-dependent quality factor, wherein the frequency-dependent quality factor is at a maximum value when resonating at the resonant frequency.

4. The wireless power transmission device of claim 1, wherein the conductor has a first end and an opposite second end and further comprising a capacitor that couples the first end to the second end.

5. The wireless power transmission device of claim 1, wherein the second three-dimensional resonating conductive element has a resonant frequency and a frequency- dependent quality factor, wherein the frequency-dependent quality factor is at a maximum value when resonating at the resonant frequency.

6. The wireless power transmission device of claim 1, wherein the conductor has a first end and an opposite second end and further comprising a capacitor that couples the first end to the second end.

7. The wireless power transmission device of claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional source conductive element, the first three-dimensional resonating conductive element, the second three-dimensional resonating conductive element and the three-dimensional load conductive element each comprise a conductive material that has been printed onto a non-conductive substrate.

8. The wireless power transmission device of claim 7, wherein the non-conductive substrate comprises a flat sheet material that has been folded into a three-dimensional shape.

9. The wireless power transmission device of claim 1, wherein the non-conductive substrate comprises a three dimensional structure.

10. A wireless power transmission system for transmitting power from a power source to a load, comprising:

(a) a source unit, including;

(i) a source conductive element electrically coupled to the power source, the source conductive element including a first source loop portion, a second source loop portion and a third source loop portion, wherein each source loop portion is orthogonal to each other source loop portion; and

(ii) a first resonating conductive element that is electrically decoupled from the source conductive element, the first resonating conductive element including a first resonating loop portion, a second loop resonating portion and a third loop resonating portion, wherein each loop resonating portion is orthogonal to each other loop resonating portion, the first resonating conductive element defining an outer region, wherein the source conductive element is disposed inside of the outer region, the first resonating conductive element having a resonant frequency and a maximum quality factor at the resonant frequency; and

(b) a load unit that is spaced apart from the source unit, including;

(i) a second resonating conductive element that is spaced apart from the first resonating conductive element, the second resonating conductive element including a first resonating loop portion, a second loop resonating portion and a third resonating loop portion, wherein each resonating loop portion is orthogonal to each other resonating loop portion, the second resonating conductive element having a resonant frequency that is substantially the same as the resonant frequency of the first resonating conductive element and having a maximum quality factor at the resonant frequency, the second resonating conductive element defining an outer region; and

(ii) a load conductive element disposed within the outer region of the second resonating conductive element and electrically coupled to the load, the load conductive element including a first load loop portion, a second load loop portion and a third load loop portion, wherein each load loop portion is orthogonal to each other load loop portion.

11. The wireless power transmission system of claim 10, wherein the source conductive element, the first resonating conductive element, the second resonating conductive element and the load conductive element each comprise a conductive material that has been printed onto a non-conductive substrate.

12. The wireless power transmission system of claim 11, wherein the non-conductive substrate comprises a flat sheet material that has been folded into a three-dimensional shape.

13. The wireless power transmission system of claim 11, wherein the non-conductive substrate comprises a three dimensional structure.

14. A method of transmitting power from a source to a load, comprising:

(a) generating an alternating current at the source and causing the alternating current to flow through a three-dimensional source conductive element, the three-dimensional source conductive element including a conductor formed into a first source loop portion and a second source loop portion that is transverse to the first source loop portion;

(b) inductively coupling a periodic electromagnetic field resulting from the alternating current flowing through the three-dimensional source conductive element to a first three-dimensional resonating conductive element that surrounds the three-dimensional source conductive element, the three-dimensional resonating conductive element including a conductor formed into a first source loop portion and a second source loop portion that is transverse to the first source loop portion;

(c) inductively coupling the first three-dimensional resonating conductive element to a second three-dimensional resonating conductive element, wherein the second three-dimensional resonating conductive element and the first three-dimensional resonating conductive element have a substantially same resonant frequency, the second three-dimensional resonating conductive element including a conductor formed into a first resonating loop portion that is in electrical communication with a second loop resonating portion that is transverse to the first resonating loop portion;

(d) inductively coupling a three-dimensional load conductive element to the second three-dimensional resonating conductive element, thereby inducing a current in the three-dimensional load conductive element, the three-dimensional load conductive element including a conductor formed into a first load loop portion and a second load loop portion that is transverse to the first load loop portion, wherein the three-dimensional load conductive element is disposed within the second three-dimensional resonating conductive element; and

(e) applying the current induced in the three-dimensional load conductive element to the load.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of selecting at least one physical parameter of each of the first three-dimensional resonating conductive element and the second three-dimensional resonating conductive element so that each has a frequency-dependent quality factor that is at a maximum at the resonant frequency.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the physical parameter comprises a capacitance of a first capacitor that couples a first end of the first three-dimensional resonating conductive element to a second end of the first three-dimensional resonating conductive element and a second capacitor that couples a first end of the second three-dimensional resonating conductive element to a second end of the second three-dimensional resonating conductive element.