DETERMINING PHYSICAL ALIGNMENT BETWEEN MAGNETIC COUPLERS FOR WIRELESS POWER TRANSFER

摘要

An apparatus includes an energy input module that applies an amount of energy to a primary converter of a wireless power transfer (“WPT”) system. The WPT system includes secondary converter with a secondary receiver pad. The WPT system transfers energy from a primary transmitter pad to the secondary receiver pad and the secondary converter provides power to a load. The apparatus includes a coupling measurement module that measures a coupling coefficient between the primary transmitter pad and the secondary receiver pad when the primary transmitter pad and the secondary receiver pad are separated by a vertical distance and horizontally aligned at a horizontal position. The apparatus includes a coupling threshold module that determines if the coupling coefficient is above a coupling threshold, and an alignment alert module that sends an alignment alert in response to the coupling coefficient being above the coupling threshold.

主权项

1. An apparatus comprising:
an energy input module that applies an amount of energy to a primary converter of a wireless power transfer (“WPT”) system, the WPT system comprising the primary converter with a primary transmitter pad and a secondary converter with a secondary receiver pad, the WPT system transferring energy from the primary transmitter pad of the primary converter to the secondary receiver pad of the secondary converter, the secondary converter providing power to a load; a coupling measurement module that measures a coupling coefficient between the primary transmitter pad and the secondary receiver pad when the primary transmitter pad and the secondary receiver pad are separated by a vertical distance and horizontally aligned at a horizontal position; a coupling threshold module that determines if the coupling coefficient is above a coupling threshold; and an alignment alert module that sends an alignment alert in response to the coupling coefficient being above the coupling threshold.