Counter-Wound Inductive Power Supply Spatial Freedom
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Solution Overview
Problem
Contactless power supplies face a challenge in achieving high power transfer efficiency while providing spatial freedom to portable devices, as a high coupling coefficient is often confined to a single location, and maximizing spatial freedom lowers the coupling coefficient and power transfer efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The use of two or more spaced-apart coaxial primary coils wound in alternating directions or driven approximately 180 degrees out of phase to generate a cumulative magnetic flux, allowing for improved power transfer and spatial freedom, with a driving circuit to adjust and balance current among coils for efficient energy transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If a high coupling coefficient is achieved between primary and secondary coils, then power transfer efficiency is improved, but spatial freedom of device placement is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The primary coil array is divided into multiple independently controllable coil segments. By selectively energizing specific segments based on device position, the system maintains high coupling coefficient and power transfer efficiency while enabling placement across multiple positions and orientations on the power transfer surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts which primary coils are energized based on the real-time position and orientation of the portable device. This dynamic reconfiguration allows the coupling coefficient to be optimized for each device position, maintaining high power transfer efficiency across multiple locations rather than being fixed to a single position.
2Adaptability or versatility
If an array of vertically-oriented primary coils is used to provide spatial freedom, then power can be supplied across multiple positions, but manufacturing cost and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the need for complex vertical coil arrays by using a different architectural approach. The simplified planar coil design with selective energization achieves the same spatial freedom function without requiring vertically-oriented coils, thereby reducing manufacturing complexity and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using vertically-oriented coils as in conventional approaches, the patent inverts the approach by using horizontally-oriented planar coils with selective energization. This inverted architecture achieves spatial freedom through a different mechanism that is simpler to manufacture and assemble.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple primary coils are used to provide spatial freedom, then power transfer across multiple positions is enabled, but assembly cost and manufacturing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple primary coils are merged into a single planar array structure that can be manufactured and assembled as one integrated unit. This combining approach maintains the capability to selectively energize multiple coil segments for spatial freedom while reducing assembly complexity compared to separate vertical coil assemblies.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by making different regions of the primary coil array selectively active rather than requiring all coils to be permanently assembled in complex configurations. Each coil segment can be independently controlled, allowing the system to activate only the necessary local region for each device position, simplifying overall assembly while maintaining spatial freedom.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution provides an improved contactless power supply that offers efficient power transfer to portable devices across multiple positions and orientations with reduced manufacturing costs, accommodating various secondary coil configurations and enabling modular designs.
Implementation Method 1
A typical contactless power supply drives a time-varying current through a primary coil to create a time-varying electromagnetic field. One or more portable devices can each include a secondary coil. When the secondary coil is placed in proximity to the time-varying electromagnetic field, the field induces an alternating current in the secondary coil, thereby transferring power from the contactless power supply to the portable device.
Implementation Method 2
The spaced-apart primary coils can be wound in alternating directions about a common axis and driven in phase, or can be wound in a single direction about a common axis and driven approximately 180 degrees out of phase from one another, for example.
Data Source
AI summary
A contactless power supply is provided. The contactless power supply includes two or more primary coils for generating a region of cooperative magnetic flux generally therebetween. A portable device having a secondary coil can be positioned proximate this region of magnetic flux to receive wireless power from the contactless power supply. The spaced-apart primary coils can be wound in alternating directions about a common axis and driven in phase, or can be wound in a single direction about a common axis and driven approximately 180 degrees out of phase. The contactless power supply can include a plurality of primary coils in an adjustable array to accommodate multiple portable devices each with different secondary configurations and power consumption needs.