A Distributed, Phase-locked, Class-E, RF Generator with Automatic Zero-Voltage Switching

In this paper, a system is described which is capable of driving an RF current in a large, flexible, resonant wire structure using a distributed RF generator, consisting of multiple phase-locked, Class-E RF generators with Automatic Zero-Voltage Switching (AZVS). This distributed RF generator passively maintains a constant RF current amplitude under varying load conditions, without the need for an active impedance-matching network. In addition, the Automatic Zero-Voltage Switching allows efficient Class-E operation over a range of resonant frequencies. This wire structure may be cut to length and reshaped to fit areas of different size without the need for adaptive impedance-matching. By enabling large volumes of space to be filled with an oscillating magnetic field, the distributed RF generator described in this paper finds immediate application for the purpose of resonant magnetic wireless power transfer in large spaces.