Wireless power transfer frequency adjustment

• US 9,857,821 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2014
• Issued: 01/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WiTricity Corporation
• Original Assignee: WiTricity Corporation
• Inventors: Kurs, Andre B., Kesler, Morris P., Katz, Noam, Dillon, Matthew, Lou, Herbert Toby
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, VAN H
• Application Number:
  US14/459,870
• Publication Number:
  US 20150051750A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,237 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/122 Circuits or methods for driving the primary coil, e.g. supplying electric power to the coil
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/625 wherein it is irrelevant whether the variable actually regulated is ac or dc
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/66 Regulating electric power
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• 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 7/00712 the cycle being controlled or terminated in response to electric parameters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

The disclosure features wireless power transfer systems that include a power transmitting apparatus configured to wirelessly transmit power, a power receiving apparatus connected to an electrical load and configured to receive power from the power transmitting apparatus, and a controller connected to the power transmitting apparatus and configured to receive information about a phase difference between output voltage and current waveforms in a power source of the power transmitting apparatus, and to adjust a frequency of the transmitted power based on the measured phase difference.

Claims

1. A wireless power transfer system, comprising:

a power transmitting apparatus configured to wirelessly transmit power;

a power receiving apparatus connected to an electrical load and configured to receive power from the power transmitting apparatus;

a detector comprising;

a first input terminal configured to receive a first electrical signal comprising information about an output voltage waveform of a power source of the power transmitting apparatus;

a second input terminal configured to receive a second electrical signal comprising information about an output current waveform of the power source of the power transmitting apparatus;

a first logic unit connected to the first and second input terminals and configured to produce a first output waveform based on the first and second electrical signals; and

a second logic unit connected to the first logic unit and configured to produce a second output waveform based on the first output waveform, wherein the second output waveform comprises a pulse having a width that corresponds to a phase difference between the output voltage and current waveforms; and

a controller connected to the power transmitting apparatus and to the detector, and configured to;

receive the second output waveform; and

adjust a frequency of the transmitted power based on the phase difference.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the power receiving apparatus is mounted on an electric vehicle.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the load comprises one or more batteries of an electric vehicle.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the load comprises an electrical circuit or electrical system of a vehicle.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to adjust the frequency to minimize the phase difference.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the controller is configured to iteratively adjust the frequency and determine, after each iteration, whether the adjustment to the frequency increases or decreases the phase difference.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to adjust the frequency by a magnitude of at most 5% of a nominal operating frequency of the wireless power transfer system.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to adjust a bus voltage of the power source based on a target output power of the power transmitting apparatus.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to adjust a phase control of the power source based on the target output power.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the first logic unit comprises an AND gate.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the second logic unit comprises an XOR gate.

12. A method for wireless power transfer, comprising:

using a power transmitting apparatus to wirelessly transfer power at a selected frequency to a power receiving apparatus connected to an electrical load to deliver power to the load;

receiving a first electrical signal comprising information about an output voltage waveform of a power source of the power transmitting apparatus, and a second electrical signal comprising information about an output current waveform of the power source of the power transmitting apparatus;

performing a first logical operation on the first and second electrical signals to generate a first output waveform;

performing a second logical operation on the first output waveform and the first electrical signal to generate a second output waveform, wherein the second output waveform comprises a pulse having a width that corresponds to a phase difference between the output voltage and current waveforms; and

adjusting the frequency based on the phase difference.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising adjusting the frequency to determine a minimum value of the phase difference.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising iteratively adjusting the frequency and determining, after each iteration, whether the adjustment to the frequency increases or decreases the phase difference.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising adjusting the frequency by a magnitude of at most 5% of a nominal frequency of the power transferred by the wireless power transmitting apparatus.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising adjusting a bus voltage of a power source of the power transmitting apparatus based on a target output power of the power transmitting apparatus.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising adjusting a phase control value of the power source based on the target output power.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the first logical operation corresponds to an AND operation.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the second logical operation corresponds to an XOR operation.

20. The method of claim 12, further comprising receiving the first and second electrical signals at different terminals of a first logic unit, and receiving the first output waveform at a terminal of a second logic unit different from the first logic unit.