Comparing Magnetorheological Material with other Cores in Wireless Power Transfer

Wireless power transfer (WPT) transmits power between a transmitter to a receiver without physical connections, but the transmission efficiency strongly depends on the coupling between transmitter and receiver. Misalignments and distance between each side are factors that affects WPT’s mutual inductances which are related to the coupling. Self and mutual inductances are also dependent on the core material. Magnetorheological (MR) fluids are a type of material that can be easily fabricated and is moldable, but it has its magnetic permeability smaller than regular Ferrite cores. This paper investigates the effects of transmitter-receiver misalignment and distance on the coupling factor and mutual inductance of a WPT considering different types of core to verify how MR fluids can be used as a WPT core. The aim is to explore the mutual and self-inductance of WPT with different core types. The study is experimenting with cores made of Ferrite, flexible Ferrite, and MR fluids of varying concentrations. The findings from the results have significant implications for the design of WPT systems, and supports best selection of core material depending on the WPT application.