Highly Efficient Inductive Power Transfer: Variable Compensation for Misalignment Tolerance and Voltage/Current Doubler for Battery Interoperability

Wireless charging has the potential to speed up the transition to electric vehicles (EVs) because it is intrinsically a user-friendly technology. Furthermore, it is essential when charging completely autonomous EVs, and it enables the charging of EVs in motion without using overhead cables. The most common technology used in EV wireless charging is inductive power transfer (IPT) with magnetic resonance coupling. This is based on the magnetic field exchange between coupled coils connected to compensation networks to minimize the circulating reactive power. IPT systems have two main variables influencing their operation: the coupling factor between the coils depending on their alignment, and the equivalent load based on the battery charging profile.

The coils' alignment and load operating conditions might vary when considering different applications. Nevertheless, all IPT systems share the same challenges: ensuring a highly efficient power transfer, guaranteeing that the intentionally radiated electromagnetic field (EMF) is both safe for the living beings in the surroundings and lower than the recommended electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) limits, and providing interoperability between IPT charging stations and EVs produced by different manufacturers. This thesis explores these matters. For instance, the content is divided into three main parts: conventional inductive power transfer systems, variable compensation, and voltage/current doubler (V/I-D) converter.