Design Methodology for High Efficient Inductive Power Transfer Systems With High Coil Positioning Flexibility

Abstract

With contactless inductive power transfer (IPT), it is possible to transfer electrical energy to stationary or movable consumers without contacts, cables, or slip rings. To reduce the very high development effort of new contactless inductive energy supplies, a new systematic and modular design methodology is presented in the paper. This methodology includes new methods to increase the transfer efficiency and the positioning flexibility of the consumer device and is particularly implemented into a simulation software tool. The positioning tolerance is improved by the optimization of the coil and ferrite geometry. Thereby, the influence of physical and geometrical parameters on the magnetic coupling and on the electrical transfer characteristics is investigated. As a result of the design methodology, a new IPT system for household appliances in the output power range of 1 kW at an overall efficiency of more than 90% and with a high positioning tolerance is presented.