Project Abstract

Abstract
Wireless power transfer (WPT) systems have gained substantial attention in recent years due to their potential for various applications, including electric vehicle charging, consumer electronics, medical implants, and industrial automation. This research focuses on the development and implementation of a WPT system that aims to efficiently transfer power over a distance without the need for physical connectors. The proposed system utilizes magnetic resonance coupling between the transmitter and receiver coils to transfer power wirelessly. By optimizing the design of the coils and the operating frequency, the system can achieve high efficiency and power transfer capabilities. The efficiency of the WPT system is a critical factor, and this research investigates various techniques to improve efficiency, such as impedance matching, resonant frequency tuning, and power management algorithms. One of the key challenges in WPT systems is the alignment between the transmitter and receiver coils. This research explores different alignment strategies, including using multiple coils and adaptive tuning mechanisms to ensure efficient power transfer even with misalignment. Additionally, the impact of environmental factors, such as obstacles and interference, on the system performance is analyzed, and mitigation techniques are proposed to enhance the system's robustness. The implementation of the WPT system involves developing hardware components, such as power electronics circuits, control systems, and communication interfaces. Furthermore, the system integration with existing power grids and devices is considered to enable seamless operation and compatibility. Safety aspects, including electromagnetic field exposure and thermal management, are also addressed to ensure the system complies with regulatory standards and user safety requirements. Experimental validation of the WPT system is conducted to evaluate its performance under various operating conditions. The system is tested for efficiency, power transfer distance, alignment tolerance, and reliability. The results demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the developed WPT system for practical applications. Overall, this research contributes to the advancement of WPT technology by presenting a comprehensive study on the development and implementation of a wireless power transfer system. The proposed system design, efficiency optimization techniques, alignment strategies, and experimental validation results provide valuable insights for the practical realization of WPT systems in diverse applications.

Project Overview

1 Introduction

Wireless power transfer (WPT) is an important topic nowadays. Although WPT has been known for more than a century, only now has the WPT industry started its rapid growth. The number of publications on wireless power has increased by at least 1200%

in the last 10 years [9,2]. Current solutions are having great success in the marketplace with diffusions of innovations from innovators to early adopters as of now. However the main focus of the current solutions is a “wow” factor which in most cases neglects convenience [7,14]. Obviously, there is a need for a real-life application, for average users

who are not particularly familiar with the engineering world and do not follow state of the art technologies.

The goal of the project was to evaluate and study the wireless power transfer technologies and physics behind it. The design and implementation of the wireless energy transmission system prototype and its implementation in the NextFloor innovative floor

was the main plan. It was crucial for NextFloor to integrate advanced technologies into their floor system in order to make it really “smart” and innovative and wireless power transfer was one of them.

WPT is a very broad though relatively new technology – almost 80% of my references

are dated later than the year 2010; hence, the scope of the project was limited to implementation of the inductive power transfer mode only. However, other types of WPT are also discussed in the thesis. The question my project was aimed to answer was

simple: Are we ready to use cordless electricity in our everyday lives?

Last but not least, my utmost aims that I set in the beginning were to apply the gained knowledge in practice, assess my professional competence and development needs and learn how to work in a professional team researching a totally new technology.