Segmented Power Transfer Coils for Positional Displacement Tolerance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing power transfer systems experience a significant decrease in coupling coefficient and transmission efficiency when the power transmission coil and power receiving coil become positionally displaced, leading to variations in coupling efficiency between correctly positioned and displaced states.

Innovation Solution

The power transmission and receiving coils are wound such that the first power transmission winding portion and the first power receiving winding portion overlap when positionally displaced, while the second power transmission and receiving winding portions do not overlap, maintaining a high coupling coefficient by forming a magnetic circuit only between the first power transmission and receiving winding portions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the power transmission coil and power receiving coil are positioned to overlap completely, then the coupling coefficient is maximized in the correctly positioned state, but the coupling coefficient decreases significantly when positional displacement occurs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecoupling coefficientVSAvoidpositional displacement tolerance
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The power transmission coil is divided into a first power transmission winding portion and a second power transmission winding portion, and the power receiving coil is divided into a first power receiving winding portion and a second power receiving winding portion. This segmentation allows selective magnetic circuit formation between specific portions, improving positional displacement tolerance while maintaining coupling coefficient.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies different spatial arrangements to different portions of the coils. The first power transmission winding portion and first power receiving winding portion are arranged to form a magnetic circuit when displaced, while the second portions are arranged to avoid forming a magnetic circuit when displaced. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between maximizing coupling and tolerating displacement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If the coil sizes are increased to improve positional displacement performance, then the coupling coefficient is maintained better under displacement, but the device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepositional displacement performanceVSAvoidcoil configuration complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of increasing overall coil size, the patent segments the coils into portions with specific spatial arrangements. This achieves positional displacement performance improvement without proportionally increasing device complexity, as the segmentation uses existing coil structures in different configurations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

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 configuration reduces variations in the coupling coefficient and maintains high transmission efficiency in both correctly positioned and displaced states, minimizing the impact of positional displacement on power transfer.

Implementation Method 1

a power transfer system including a power receiving device which contactlessly receives electric power from a power transmission device

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectromagnetic induction: Electromagnetic Induction

Data Source

PatentEP3213330B1Power transfer system, power transmission device, and power receiving device
Publication Date: 2021.04.07 TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK
  • EP3213330B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3213330B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3213330B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

In this power transfer system, a power receiving coil (250) and a power transmission coil (450) are wound such that a first power transmission winding portion (450a) and a second power receiving winding portion (250b) do not overlap with each other when the first power transmission winding portion (450a) and the first power receiving winding portion (250a) overlap with each other at a position where a power transmission winding axis (CL1) and a power receiving winding axis (CL2) are positionally displaced when viewed in a plan view.