Inductive Vehicle Charging Segments with Controllable Coupling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for transferring electric energy to vehicles, such as track-bound vehicles and road automobiles, face challenges in maintaining electromagnetic field intensity within safe threshold values while minimizing manufacturing and operational effort, particularly in ensuring continuous energy transfer without inducing excessive electromagnetic fields when no vehicle is present.
Innovation Solution
The system employs a controllable coupling mechanism that dams induced alternating electric currents in non-operational segments, using a load that is decoupled during energy transfer to prevent field intensity exceedance, allowing for efficient energy transfer while maintaining safety and reducing operational complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If segments are operated independently with individual controllers, then energy transfer reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The conductor arrangement is divided into multiple independent segments, each with its own controller that can operate autonomously. This segmentation allows continuous energy transfer along the vehicle's path while maintaining system reliability, as each segment can independently provide energy without affecting others.
Solution Approach 2:
A single converter can serve multiple non-neighbouring segments by switching its output between them. This multi-functionality reduces the total number of converters needed in the system, thereby decreasing device complexity while maintaining the ability to operate multiple segments independently.
2Reliability
If neighbouring segments are operated simultaneously, then continuous energy transfer is improved, but electromagnetic field intensity exceeds safe threshold values
Solution Approach 1:
Neighbouring segments are operated in alternating periods rather than simultaneously. When one segment is active for energy transfer, its neighbouring segments are deactivated. This periodic operation ensures continuous energy transfer to the vehicle while limiting electromagnetic field intensity to safe levels by preventing overlapping fields from multiple active segments.
3Device complexity
If a single converter serves multiple segments, then device complexity is reduced, but operational flexibility is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The converter is designed with dynamic switching capability that allows it to adaptively connect to different segments based on operational requirements. The converter can switch between serving multiple non-neighbouring segments or focus on a single segment, providing both complexity reduction and operational flexibility through its dynamic reconfiguration ability.
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 approach effectively reduces electromagnetic field intensity to safe levels, eliminates the need for short segments and additional switches, and enhances energy transfer efficiency by operating segments at resonance frequency, ensuring continuous energy delivery while preventing over-currents and maintaining electromagnetic compatibility.
Implementation Method 1
an electric conductor arrangement for producing an alternating electromagnetic field and for thereby transferring electromagnetic energy to the vehicle
Implementation Method 2
the controller is the control device of an inverter, which inverts a direct current in a current supply (e.g. a direct current line providing electric energy to a plurality of the segments) into an alternating current through the segment
Implementation Method 3
the controller is the control device of an AC/AC converter which converts an alternating current in an alternating current supply to an alternating current in the respective segment having a different alternating current frequency
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to an arrangement (11, 21, 41) for transferring electric energy to a vehicle, in particular to a track bound vehicle such as a light rail vehicle (81 ) or to a road automobile, wherein - the arrangement (11, 21, 41) comprises an electric conductor arrangement (41 ) for producing an alternating electromagnetic field and for thereby transferring the energy, - the conductor arrangement (41 ) comprises a plurality of consecutive segments (T1, T2, T3, T4, T5), wherein the segments (T1, T2, T3, T4, T5) extend in the direction of travel of the vehicle, - each of the consecutive segments (T1, T2, T3, T4, T5) comprises at least one alternating current line (44a, 44b, 44c) for carrying a phase of an alternating current in order to produce the alternating electromagnetic field, - each of the consecutive segments (T1, T2, T3, T4, T5) is combined with an assigned controller (CTR1; 31) adapted to control the operation of the segment (T1, T2, T3, T4, T5) independently of the other segments (T1, T2, T3, T4, T5), - at least two neighbouring segments (41a, 41b) of the consecutive segments (T1, T2, T3, T4, T5) are inductively coupled to each other so that a first segment (41b) of the neighbouring segments (41a, 41b), while the first segment (41b) is operated under control of its assigned controller (CTR1; 31), induces a voltage and thereby produces an induced alternating electric current in a second segment (41a) of the neighbouring segments (41a, 41b), if the second segment (41a) is not operated under control of its assigned controller (CTR1; 31), - the arrangement (11, 21, 41) comprises a controllable coupling (S1) for coupling the second segment (41a) to a load (RL; F1, S1; 105), which controllable coupling (S1) has a first operating state in which the second segment (41a) is coupled to the load (RL; F1, S1; 105) so that any alternating electric current in the second segment (41a) is damped by the load (RL; F1, S1; 105), and has a second operating state in which the second segment (41a) is not coupled to the load (RL; F1, S1; 105) so that any alternating electric current in the second segment (41a) is not damped by the load (F1, S1; 105), - the arrangement (11, 21, 41) is adapted to switch the controllable coupling (S1) to the first operating state before, while and/or after a time interval starts in which the second segment (41a) is not operated under control of its assigned controller (CTR1; 31) and in which the first segment (41b) is operated under control of its assigned controller (CTR1; 31) so that the induced alternating electric current in the second segment (41a), which is produced by operation of the first segment (41b), is damped by the load (F1, S1; 105).