Work

A 9 kW, 3.47 MHz Wireless Power Transfer System With a Parallel Differential Class E Inverter for Industrial Applications

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: Wireless power transfer (WPT) in the low kW power range can have numerous applications in industrial settings, such as powering machinery and charging automated guided vehicles (AGVs). High-frequency (HF) inductive power transfer (IPT) combines lightweight and compact coils with efficient resonant converters resulting in high power density. However, combining multi-MHz operating frequency with multi-kW level power output using conventional half-bridge or multiresonant Class E-type topologies and wide band-gap (WBG) devices is challenging. In this article we demonstrate a 9 kW, 3.47 MHz dc to three-phase wireless system that is capable of reliably providing 50 Hz, 400 V mains supply to industrial units that cannot be physically plugged in, over an air gap of 12 cm. The system is robust over the entire load range, providing a stable output voltage to the load, with 95% dc-dc efficiency over most of the load range. The power density of the inverter is 4.8 W/cm3 and it can produce over 70 A peak current in the primary coil. This performance is achieved using power-combining Class E-type converters with the secondary operating slightly off-resonance to better accommodate the effects of the highly varying load.

Source: IEEE Journal of Emerging and Selected Topics in Power Electronics

DOI: 10.1109/jestpe.2024.3497712

Authors: Ioannis Nikiforidis, Konstantinos Bampouras, Prateek Wagle, David C. Yates, Paul D. Mitcheson

Institution: Imperial College London

Language: English

Topic: Wireless Power Transfer Systems

Subfield: Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Industry, innovation and infrastructure, Affordable and clean energy

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $2,495