Measurement of Inductive Power Transfer Coupling Pad Stress by Reconfiguring the Double-Sided-LCC Topology in a Limited Laboratory Environment

Abstract

This paper proposes a process for measuring the rated power electrical characteristics of inductive power transfer (IPT) coupling pads in limited laboratory environments through topology reconfiguration. Among the components of IPT systems, the coupling pad is responsible for the main losses in the converter. Moreover, coupling pads have nonlinear characteristics that depend on various factors, such as the number of coil turns, the diameter, the permeability of the magnetic material, and the amount of aluminum. Therefore, verifying the operation is necessary when applying various position and control algorithms after configuring an IPT system. The input/output characteristics of the IPT system are mainly determined by the coupling pad and the employed compensation topology. Verifying the operation of the coupling pad becomes challenging when the IPT application's required input/output characteristics exceed the experimental voltage range in laboratory environments. The same electrical stress is applied to the coupling pad through topology reconfiguration and resonance component tuning, and the input/output characteristics can be flexibly changed to present a guideline that can be tested in a laboratory environment. A 3-resonance component circuit allows for modeling various compensation topologies. The same electrical and heating stress are verified through a 3.3-kW experimental prototype.