Characterization of wireless power transfer system with aligned 4-transmitters and 1-receiver

Abstract

The use of various technologies to increase efficiency and safety has been continuously increasing. Wireless power transfer (WPT) has emerged as a key technology to increase in this regard. WPT can simplify complex wiring and improve safety by eliminating the need for mechanical contact. Most electronic devices used in buildings are of medium power, and research is being conducted to increase the output power of WPT through the combination of different technologies. This study proposes a 4-Tx WPT system using four transmitters (Tx) to satisfy the power requirements of medium-power electronic devices used in buildings. The existing WPT methods, 1-Tx and 2-Tx, were compared with the proposed 4-Tx WPT. The characteristics of efficiency and output power were analyzed through each Tx phase control of the 4-Tx system. The mutual inductance based on the distance between Tx and Rx was measured, and the relationship between the efficiency and output power was analyzed. Experimental results show that the proposed 4-Tx system is more advantageous in terms of medium power than the existing WPT methods. The proposed WPT system has power control capability, high output power, and high efficiency by adapting the phase control of each Tx. Moreover, it is confirmed that the range of the distance between Tx and Rx that is satisfying the minimum output power of medimum-power electronic device based on the relationship between the efficiency and the output power with the separation distance of Tx and Rx.