Hybrid Electric Vehicles, 2nd Edition

16Wireless Power Transfer for Electric Vehicle Applications

Wireless power transfer (WPT) is the technology which could set people free from annoying wires. In fact, WPT adopts a basic theory that has been developed for at least 30 years under the term inductive power transfer (IPT). WPT technology has been developed rapidly in recent years. At kilowatts power level, the transfer distance increases from several millimeters to several hundred millimeters with a grid to load efficiency above 90%. These advances make WPT very attractive for use in electric vehicle (EV) charging applications in both stationary and dynamic charging scenarios. This chapter reviews the technologies in the WPT area applicable to EV wireless charging. By introducing WPT in EVs, the obstacles of charging time, range and cost can be easily mitigated. Furthermore, battery technology is no longer relevant in the mass market penetration of EVs. It is hoped that researchers, encouraged by state‐of‐the‐art achievements, will continue to push forward and further the development of WPT, as well as the expansion of EVs.

The Sections 16.1–7 introduce the basics of WPT with a focus on the IPT technology, while Section 16.8 discusses a double‐sided LCC topology. Finally, capacitive wireless power transfer is introduced and discussed briefly in Section 16.9.

16.1 Introduction¹

Owing to energy, environmental, and many other concerns, the electrification of transportation has been carried out for many years. In railway ...