A 100-kW Wireless Power Transfer System Development Using Polyphase Electromagnetic Couplers

Wireless power transfer (WPT) is an essential technology enabling automated charging of electric vehicles with safety, convenience, and flexibility while having high efficiencies. High-power wireless charging systems will be one of the dominating charging technologies for electric vehicles (EVs) in an effort to eliminate range anxiety and reduce charging times similar to that of gas station refueling practice. Polyphase electromagnetic coupler with rotating fields is a new bipolar wireless charging pad technology that can significantly increase the surface power density (kW/m2) of wireless charging coils. This study proposes a 100-kW wireless power transfer system with a compact vehicle-side (receiver) coupler that reaches to about 0.905 MW/m2 surface power density with a transmitter rated for up to 300 kW with 0.68 MW/m2. High-frequency power electronics including the inverter and rectifier designs are included in this digest along with the hardware prototype developments and preliminary experimental results.