I-Corps: Efficient Wireless Power Transfer Technology Enabling Transportation Electrification

这个I-Corps项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力是无线电力传输（WPT）技术的发展。与现有的电力系统相比，所提出的技术可以提高电力传输效率，同时降低成本和重量。 这可以有益于各种各样的应用，包括低功率消费电子设备和高功率电动车辆（EV）的充电。 所提出的技术足够薄，可以集成到电子设备中，而不会增加其尺寸和厚度。此外，在EV充电应用中，通过移除充电电缆并为客户提供便利，可以显著提高EV的移动性。 每个无线充电板都是一个独立的电源系统，为客户提供安全的数据链路服务，以支持智能充电需求和管理。 该应用可以扩展到生物医学植入物，以消除患者的有线连接充电器，并在医疗保健领域带来好处。 该技术也可应用于高压电力系统，以支持可再生能源和分布式能源的渗透，并具有高压隔离能力。I-Corps项目基于基于磁共振的无线电力传输（WPT）技术的开发。所提出的技术使用谐振电路拓扑设计和特殊的磁耦合器结构实现。 它已被证明可以在长达8英寸的距离上实现超过97%的效率，这代表了最先进的性能。此外，磁耦合器结构被优化以将磁场限制在有限区域内并减少对周围环境的磁场发射。该技术旨在满足IEEE C95.2标准和国际非电离辐射防护委员会（ICNIRP）指南中提出的安全要求。 建议的WPT技术的目标是高功率，高效率，长距离和紧凑（高功率密度）的应用，从低功率到高功率系统，并可能在电力，能源和生物医学领域使用。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得支持的评估使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the development of wireless power transfer (WPT) technology. Compared to the existing power systems, the proposed technology may increase power transfer efficiency while reducing cost and weight. This may benefit a wide variety of applications including the charging of low-power consumer electronic devices and high-power electric vehicles (EVs). The proposed technology is thin enough to be integrated into an electronic device without increasing its size and thickness. In addition, in EV charging applications, it may significantly improve the mobility of EVs by removing the charging cables and providing convenience to customers. Each wireless charging pad works as an independent power system with a secured data-link service for customers to support intelligent charging demand and management. The applications may be expanded to biomedical implants to eliminate wire-connected chargers for patients and bring benefits in healthcare area. The proposed technology also may be applied in high-voltage power systems to support the penetration of renewable energy and distributed energy resources with high-voltage isolation capabilities.This I-Corps project is based on the development of wireless power transfer (WPT) technology based on magnetic resonance. The proposed technology uses a resonant circuit topology design and a special magnetic coupler structure implementation. It has been demonstrated to achieve multi-kW power transfer with over 97% efficiency across a distance up to 8 inches, which represents state-of-the-art performance. In addition, the magnetic coupler structure is optimized to confine the magnetic fields within a limited area and reduce magnetic field emissions to the surrounding environment. The technology is designed to satisfy the safety requirements proposed in both the IEEE C95.2 standard and the international commission on non-ionizing radiation protection (ICNIRP) guideline. The proposed WPT technology targets high power, high efficiency, long distance, and compact (high power density) applications, spanning from low power to high-power systems and may be used in the power, energy, and biomedical areas.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.