Suspension-Mounted Vehicle Charging Coils for Alignment and Loss Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional wireless charging systems for vehicles face challenges such as eddy current losses due to the location of receiving coils near critical components, risk of foreign substance ingress, and alignment issues due to varying vehicle sizes and positions.
Innovation Solution
The system includes power receiving coils located on vehicle suspensions near wheels, with a voltage detection module, suspension driving module, and control module to adjust wheel height and ensure uniform voltage, allowing for charging using fewer wheels and reducing foreign substance ingress.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the receiving coil is located at the center of the vehicle's underside, then wireless power reception is enabled, but foreign substances or cats can easily enter and magnetic flux interferes with other components causing eddy current losses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the single central receiving coil into multiple receiving coils distributed at different locations on the vehicle (front left, front right, rear left, rear right). This segmentation allows the system to avoid the harmful effects of central coil placement while maintaining wireless power reception capability through distributed coil configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a single-point central coil placement to a multi-dimensional distributed coil arrangement across the vehicle's wheel areas. By spreading coils across multiple spatial dimensions and locations, the system achieves power reception while avoiding the harmful effects concentrated at the center location.
2Area of stationary object
If the receiving coil is placed where essential vehicle components are located, then space utilization is improved, but magnetic flux interferes with other parts leading to eddy current losses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by placing receiving coils in specific local areas (near wheels) that have different electromagnetic characteristics compared to the central vehicle underside. These locations have fewer essential components and less magnetic interference, reducing eddy current losses while still providing adequate space utilization through distributed placement.
3Ease of manufacture
If vehicles of different sizes are used with a fixed charging entry point, then charging infrastructure is simplified, but alignment of receiving and transmitting coils becomes challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the charging system universal by distributing receiving coils across multiple wheel locations. This allows the same charging infrastructure to accommodate vehicles of different sizes and types, as the system can adapt to which wheels are positioned over the transmitting coils, ensuring coil alignment across diverse vehicle platforms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic adaptability by allowing the system to select and activate receiving coils based on which wheels are currently positioned over the transmitting coils. This dynamic selection process enables automatic alignment adaptation for vehicles of different sizes without requiring physical adjustment of the charging infrastructure.
4Productivity
If all four wheels are used for charging, then charging speed is improved, but system complexity and installation costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by enabling charging to occur with only two wheels positioned over the transmitting coils rather than requiring all four. This partial charging capability reduces system complexity and installation costs while still providing effective charging, with the option to increase charging speed by positioning more wheels if needed.
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 minimizes eddy current losses, prevents foreign substance ingress, and enables uniform charging across wheels, reducing installation costs and ensuring efficient power transfer.
Implementation Method 1
This wireless power transmission technology transfers power using the principle of mutual induction. It supplies power wirelessly from a transmitting coil 7 embedded in the road to a receiving coil 3 of the vehicle V using magnetic induction
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and method for charging wirelessly of a vehicle battery includes a plurality of power receiving coils each located on a suspension, located near wheels of a vehicle, and receiving power transmitted from an external charging system; a voltage detection module configured to detect a power of the plurality of power receiving coils; a suspension driving module configured to drive the suspension to adjust a height of each wheel of the vehicle; and a control module configured to control the suspension driving module based on the voltage detected by the voltage detection module.