Search Results (47)

In this study, we investigate a shielded capacitive power transfer (S-CPT) system that employs cast iron road covers as transmission electrodes for both dynamic and static charging of electric vehicles. Coupling capacitance was evaluated from S-parameters using copper, aluminum, ductile cast iron, structural steel, and carbon steel electrodes, with additional comparisons of ductile iron surface conditions (casting, machining, electrocoating). In a four-plate S-CPT system operating at 13.56 MHz, capacitance decreased with electrode spacing, yet ductile cast iron reached ~70 pF at 2 mm, demonstrating a performance comparable to that of copper and aluminum despite having higher resistivity and permeability. Power transmission experiments using a Ø330 mm cast iron cover meeting road load standards achieved 58% efficiency at 100 W, maintained around 40% efficiency at power levels above 200 W, and retained 45% efficiency under 200 mm lateral displacement, confirming robust dynamic performance. Simulations showed that shield electrodes enhance grounding, stabilize potential, and reduce return-path impedance. Finite element analysis confirmed that the ductile cast iron electrodes can withstand a 25-ton design load. The proposed S-CPT concept integrates an existing cast iron infrastructure with thin aluminum receiving plates, enabling high efficiency, mechanical durability, EMI mitigation, and reduced installation costs, offering a cost-effective approach to urban wireless charging. Full article

Cumulative mistuning effects in electric vehicle wireless charging systems, arising from component tolerances, coil misalignments, and aging-induced drifts, can significantly degrade system performance. To mitigate this issue, this work establishes an analysis model for mistuned series–series-compensated wireless power transfer (WPT) systems. Through equivalent simplification of mistuned parameters, we systematically examine the effects of compensation capacitances and coil inductances on input impedance, output power, and efficiency in SS-compensated topologies across wide load ranges and different coupling coefficients. Results reveal that transmitter-side parameter deviations exert more pronounced impacts on input impedance and power gain than receiver-side variations. Remarkably, under receiver-side inductance mistuning of −20%, a significant 32° shift in the input impedance angle was observed. Experimental validation on a 500 W prototype confirms ≤5% maximum deviation between calculated and measured values for efficiency, input impedance angle, and power gain. Full article

This paper proposes a 1000 W high-frequency three-phase power inversion underwater capacitive wireless power transfer (UCWPT) system for power delivery to autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). The multi-phase coupling structure is designed as a columnar configuration that conforms to the shape of AUVs. This paper innovatively presents a curved coupling coupler composed of six metal plates. This design significantly enhances the mutual capacitance of the coupling structure and the power transfer capacity of the UCWPT system. Utilizing the columnar structure, the receiver of the capacitive wireless power transfer system can be easily integrated into AUVs, reducing the installation space. Furthermore, the cylindrical dock-transmitter terminal structure of the system greatly improves the anti-misalignment capability. This addresses issues such as charging voltage and current fluctuations caused by vehicle rolling in dynamic ocean environments. Additionally, the wireless power transfer capacity is notably enhanced. An experimental platform was constructed, and tests were conducted in both air and water media. A 1000 W experimental setup was developed to validate the theoretical analysis and simulations. The experimental results align closely with the theoretical predictions. At a fixed distance of 3 cm between transmitter and receiver, peak power transfer efficiencies of 80% in air and 74% in water were achieved with stable operational performance. The cylindrical structure demonstrates robust anti-misalignment properties. Full article

In this study, we propose a model that integrates a near-field communication (NFC) coupler and a wireless power transfer (WPT) coupler for mobile device applications. The NFC and WPT couplers were independently designed and then combined into a four-port NFC–WPT coupler. The proposed practical equivalent circuit (PEC) introduces a novel multi-port network representation, where inductive and capacitive coupling structures are modeled using T-model and Pi-model configurations, respectively. Based on this circuit model, we present a detailed theoretical approach for deriving a 4 × 4 S-parameter matrix by converting the transmission matrices of the partitioned circuit networks into S-parameters. The comparison between the theoretical analysis and the simulation results shows an error of less than 2.4%, which demonstrates the high accuracy of the proposed method. Full article

This article deals with the design, development, and analysis of a wireless power transfer system prototype based on capacitive coupling. The system is intended for the continuous charging of a suspended mine drivetrain. It consists of a resonant inverter, primary and secondary matching circuits, a suitable capacitive coupler, and a rectifier with a load, ultimately serving as a battery charger for a mobile energy storage device. The system successfully achieved the target output voltage of 320 V and a charger output power of 2 kW at an operating frequency of 300 kHz. Additionally, the total system efficiency was at the level of 60%, ensuring that the RMS voltages on passive components remained below 3 kV. Full article

A capacitive wireless power transfer (CPT) system based on parity–time (PT) symmetry achieves constant output characteristics under distance variation without additionally increasing the system complexity of the control strategy, where the concept of PT symmetry is derived from quantum mechanics, and the systems satisfying PT symmetry are invariant under space and time inversion. However, the exact PT-symmetric region (i.e., strong coupling region) of the general system is limited by the symmetry of the structure and parameters. To overcome this limitation, a novel generalized parity–time (GPT)-symmetric CPT system is proposed in this article. According to the equivalent circuit method, the circuit model of the proposed system is built, and the transfer characteristics are analyzed. Furthermore, a prototype is implemented to verify the feasibility of the proposed CPT system. The results show that the PT-symmetric region is extended by 169.23% compared with the traditional PT-based CPT system, and a constant output power of 21.5 W is transferred with a constant transfer efficiency of 90%. Full article

Robotics is a highly active, multidisciplinary research area with a broad list of applications. A large research focus is to enhance modularity in order to expand kinematic capabilities, lower fabrication time, and reduce construction costs. Traditional wiring within a robot presents major challenges with mobility and long-term maintenance. Designing robotics without wires would make a significant functional impact. This work presents a new application of quasi-wireless capacitive power transfer that investigates impedance matching parameters over a highly resonant, coupled transmission line to achieve efficient power transfer over a robotic chassis. A prototype is developed and its operating metrics are analyzed with regard to the matching parameters. Full article

Implantable medical devices (IMDs) necessitate a consistent energy supply, commonly sourced from an embedded battery. However, given the finite lifespan of batteries, periodic replacement becomes imperative. This paper addresses the challenge by introducing a wireless power transfer system designed specifically for implantable medical devices (IMDs). It begins with a detailed analysis of the four conventional topologies. Following this, the paper provides a thorough explanation for choosing the PS topology, highlighting its advantages and suitability for the intended application. The primary parallel capacitance necessitates power from current sources; thus, a Class-E amplifier was implemented. Additionally, the selected circuit was engineered to deliver 1 W at the biocompatible resonance frequency of 13.56 MHz. The delineation of the resonance parameters hinges on multifaceted solutions, encompassing bifurcation-free operation and the attainment of peak efficiency. To ensure the feasibility of the proposed solution, a Differential-Evolution-based algorithm was employed. The results obtained from simulation-based evaluations indicated that the system achieved an efficiency exceeding 86%. This efficiency level was maintained even in the face of frequency fluctuations and variations in the coupling between the coils, thereby ensuring stable operational performance. This aligns seamlessly with the specified application prerequisites, guaranteeing a feasible and reliable operation. Full article

This paper explores the use of load modulation feedback (LMF) in adaptive matching networks (MN) for low-coupling inductive wireless power transfer systems, with an emphasis on its use in implantable medical devices. After deriving the handy expressions of link efficiency and modulation depth in the case of LMF in the case of loose coupling, a brief overview of the most common capacitive resonance networks is presented. In particular, the MN employing two capacitors in Series–Parallel and in Parallel–Series configurations allow adaptivity with a wide range of load conditions. Then, the authors describe an effective design procedure of an adaptive matching network with LMF for an inductive wireless power transfer system, exploring the trade-off between power efficiency and modulation depth. Analytical and electrical simulations show that the proposed simple modulation strategy can successfully achieve high power transfer efficiency while maintaining steady back telemetry under varying loading conditions. Full article

This article presents a type of power injection and free resonance decoupled wireless power transfer (WPT) system, the double-switch independent power injection and free resonance wireless power transfer (IPIFR-WPT) system working in CCM. Based on the stroboscopic mapping model, the theoretical results show that the operation point of the proposed WPT system is determined by itself instead of the switching control strategy. Specifically, once the voltage on the primary capacitance does not decrease to the input voltage in the free-resonance process, the diode in series would not turn on and the system would not switch to the power injection process. Therefore, there is a wide soft-switching margin to ensure the system operating in soft-switching states. Another characteristic of the proposed WPT system is the monotonicity between output power and operation cycle, which presents a simple power control method. And since the soft-switching margin may have intersection under dynamic coupling coefficient, the proposed system maintains soft-switching states with a fixed switching strategy and presents advantage to resist the dynamic change of coupling coefficient. All the characteristics of the proposed WPT system mentioned above have been verified in both theory and experiment. Full article

Energy harvesting systems are key elements for the widespread deployment of wireless sensor nodes. Although many energy harvesting systems exist, electric field energy harvesting is a promising choice because it can provide uninterrupted power regardless of external conditions and depends only on the presence of AC voltage in the grid, regardless of the magnitude of the line current, even under no-load conditions. However, it also has some disadvantages, such as low power availability, the need for storage, or reliance on capacitive coupling, which is a complex phenomenon that depends on parasitic capacitances. This paper aims to provide useful and practical information on the possibilities of electric field energy harvesting for both high- and low-voltage applications. Since the objective of this paper is to quantify the physical limit of the harvested energy, it considers only the physical harvester itself and not the electronic circuitry required to transfer the harvested energy to the load. Theoretical, simulation, and experimental results show the feasibility of this energy source for low-power applications such as wireless sensor nodes. Full article

This paper presents preliminary tests on a capacitively coupled wireless energy-transfer system (C-WET). Significant emphasis has been placed on discerning the fundamental characteristics of the system. This allowed the simulation model to be refined and the parameters of the physical prototype to be fine-tuned. Then, start-up tests of the prototype of the power supply system were presented, up to about 25% of the rated power. Selected simulation and laboratory test results are presented and directions for further work are set. The system is envisaged for underground mining applications, and the work is being carried out as part of the HEET II (High-Efficiency Energy Transfer) project, funded by the Research Fund for Coal and Steel (RFCS). Full article

Electric Vehicle (EV) wireless power transfer technology is an excellent solution to propel EVs forward. The existing wireless power transfer technology for EVs based on Inductive Power Transfer (IPT) technology has the drawbacks of large size, high weight, and high eddy current loss, limiting the further application of this technology. Capacitive Power Transfer (CPT) technology, with its advantages of low cost and light weight, has attracted widespread focus in recent years and has great potential in the field of EV wireless power transfer. This paper begins with the principle of CPT, introduces the potential and development history of CPT technology in the field of EV wireless power transfer, and then reviews the coupling mechanism and resonance compensation network of the CPT system to satisfy the requirements of EV wireless power transfer, including the coupling mechanism of EV static power transfer and dynamic power transfer, and the high-performance resonance compensation network to the requirements of EV wireless power transfer. Finally, this paper reviews the existing problems of CPT technology in the field of EV wireless power transfer and summarizes its future development directions. Full article

This study proposes an approach to obtain maximum power via wireless power transfer using a single primary-side capacitor. It is shown that higher power is achieved when compared to the common wireless power transfer circuit under resonance with dual (primary- and secondary-side) capacitors. This approach is divided into three phases. By choosing the capacitor and frequency as freely assignable variables, we symbolically obtain a formula that allows us to determine the optimized capacitance and frequency for maximum power. To verify our method, we used a numerical analysis and compared it with an electronic circuit simulation. The symbolic formula is able to maintain maximum power despite changes in load or in the coupling coefficients. Full article

This work presents an inductive wireless power transfer system for powering an endoscopy capsule supplying energy to power electronic devices allocated inside a capsule of ≈26.1 mm × 9 mm. A receiver with three coils in quadrature with dimensions of ≈9 mm × 9 mm × 10 mm is located inside the capsule, moving freely inside a transmitter coil with 380 mm diameter through translations and revolutions. The proposed system tracks the variations of the equivalent magnetic coupling coefficient compensating misalignments between the transmitter and receiver coils. The power on the load is estimated and optimized from the transmitter, and the tracking control is performed by actuating on a capacitance in the matching network and on the voltage source frequency. The proposed system can prevent load overheating by limiting the power via adjusting of the magnitude of voltage source $V_S$. Experimental results with uncertainties analysis reveal that, even at low magnetic coupling coefficients k ranging from (1.7 × 10${}^{-3}$, 3.5 × 10${}^{-3}$), the power on the load can be held within the range of 100–130 mW. These results are achieved with any position of the capsule in the space, limited by the diameter of the transmitter coil and height of 200 mm when adjusting the series capacitance of the transmitter in the range (17.4, 19.4) pF and the frequency of the power source in the range (802.1, 809.5) kHz. Full article