Wireless power transmission system

• US 9,866,072 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2016
• Issued: 01/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kikuchi, Satoru, Sakata, Tsutomu, Takahashi, Eiji, Kanno, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Kessie, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US15/271,047
• Publication Number:
  US 20170098965A1
• Time in Patent Office: 476 Days
• Field of Search: 307104, 320108
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/0045 Contactless power transmission, e.g. by magnetic induction
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/50 using additional energy repeaters between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices

Abstract

A wireless power transmission system includes a power transmission apparatus, a power reception apparatus, a load driving apparatus, and a power control apparatus. The power control apparatus includes a direct current power supply, a main control circuit, and a communicator. Each time an operation load to be achieved by the load driving apparatus changes, the main control circuit updates a load instruction value for the load driving apparatus and a control parameter for adjusting a voltage of first alternating current power, the control parameter being used by the power transmission apparatus to convert first direct current power into the first alternating current power. The power transmission apparatus includes an inverter circuit and a power transmission control circuit that determines the voltage of the first alternating current power on the basis of the control parameter updated by the power control apparatus and that controls the inverter circuit.

Claims

1. A wireless power transmission system comprising:

a power transmission apparatus;

a power reception apparatus;

a load driving apparatus; and

a power control apparatus that supplies power from a direct current power supply to the load driving apparatus through the power transmission apparatus and the power reception apparatus and outputs a load instruction value which decides an operation condition of a load included in the load driving apparatus to the load driving apparatus without using the power transmission apparatus and the power reception apparatus,

wherein the power control apparatus includes

the direct current power supply,

a main control circuit that updates the load instruction value each time an operation load to be achieved by the load driving apparatus changes, and

a communicator that outputs the updated load instruction value to the load driving apparatus,

wherein the power transmission apparatus includes

a power transmission inverter circuit that converts first direct current power supplied from the direct current power supply into first alternating current power, and

a power transmission antenna that wirelessly transmits the converted first alternating current power,

wherein the power reception apparatus includes

a power reception antenna that is electromagnetically coupled with the power transmission antenna and receives the transmitted first alternating current power, and

a rectifier that converts the received first alternating current power into second direct current power,

wherein the load driving apparatus includes

a load,

a load inverter circuit that converts the second direct current power into second alternating current power,

a load receiver that receives the load instruction value from the power control apparatus, and

a load control circuit that determines a current of the second alternating current power on the basis of the load instruction value and drives the load,

wherein the main control circuit updates, if the operation load to be achieved by the load driving apparatus changes, a control parameter for adjusting a voltage of the first alternating current power, the control parameter being used by the power transmission apparatus to convert the first direct current power into the first alternating current power,

wherein the communicator outputs the updated control parameter to the power transmission apparatus and the updated load instruction value to the load driving apparatus, and

wherein the power transmission apparatus further includes a power transmission control circuit that determines the voltage of the first alternating current power on the basis of the updated control parameter and that controls the power transmission inverter circuit using the voltage.

2. The wireless power transmission system according to claim 1,

wherein, before the load is driven on the basis of the updated load instruction value, the power transmission control circuit determines the voltage of the first alternating current power on the basis of the control parameter from the power control apparatus and controls the power transmission inverter circuit.

3. The wireless power transmission system according to claim 1,

wherein the power transmission control circuit simultaneously outputs the updated control parameter and the updated load instruction value to the power transmission apparatus and the load driving apparatus, respectively.

4. The wireless power transmission system according to claim 1,

wherein, if the operation load to be achieved by the load driving apparatus changes, the main control circuit updates the control parameter using a table in which the load instruction value and the control parameter are associated with each other and stored.

5. The wireless power transmission system according to claim 1,

wherein the load is a motor.

6. The wireless power transmission system according to claim 1,

wherein the second alternating current power includes three-phase alternating current power.

7. The wireless power transmission system according to claim 1,

wherein the power reception apparatus further includes

a voltage detector that detects a voltage of the second direct current power, and

a power reception transmitter that outputs the detected voltage of the second direct current power to the power transmission apparatus, and

wherein the power transmission control circuit performs, using the power transmission inverter circuit, control for eliminating a difference between i) a voltage of the second direct current power corresponding to the first alternating current power based on the control parameter, which is one before the update, and ii) a voltage of the second direct current power corresponding to the first alternating current power based on the updated control parameter.

8. The wireless power transmission system according to claim 1,

wherein the power transmission inverter circuit includes four switching devices,

wherein the four switching devices include a first switching device pair that outputs, when closed, a voltage having the same polarity as a voltage of the first direct current power supplied from the direct current power supply and a second switching device pair that outputs, when closed, a voltage having a polarity opposite to a polarity of the voltage of the first direct current power,

wherein the power transmission control circuit supplies pulse signals for opening or closing the four switching devices to the four switching devices and adjusts the voltage of the first alternating current power output from the power transmission inverter circuit by adjusting a phase difference between two pulse signals supplied to the first switching device pair and a phase difference between two pulse signals supplied to the second switching device pair, and

wherein the control parameter is a value indicating a phase difference.

9. The wireless power transmission system according to claim 1,

wherein the power transmission control circuit adjusts the voltage of the first alternating current power output from the power transmission inverter circuit by changing frequency of the first alternating current power output from the power transmission inverter circuit, and

wherein the control parameter is a value indicating a frequency.

10. The wireless power transmission system according to claim 1,

wherein the power transmission inverter circuit includes a plurality of switching devices, and

wherein the power transmission control circuit supplies pulse signals for opening or closing the plurality of switching devices to the plurality of switching devices and adjusts the voltage of the first alternating current power output from the power transmission inverter circuit by adjusting duty ratios of the pulse signals.