Witricity Corporation

Ron Fiorello

Morris P Kesler

Katherine L Hall

Konrad J Kulikowski

Herbert Toby Lou

Andre B Kurs

Eric R Giler

Andrew J Campanella

David A Schatz

Aristeidis Karalis

Marin Soljacic

Simon Verghese

Qiang Li

Volkan Efe

Noam Katz

Matthew J MacDonald

Michael Alan Feldstein

Frank Pergal

Steven J Ganem

Aaron Gilchrist

Daniel Bronson

Matthew Dillon

Benjamin K Sampson

Frank J Pergal

Steven Joseph Ganem

A control architecture for electric vehicle wireless power transmission systems that may be segmented so that certain essential and/or standardized control circuits, programs, algorithms, and the like, are permanent to the system and so that other non-essential and/or augmentable control circuits, programs, algorithms, and the like, may be reconfigurable and/or customizable by a user of the system. The control architecture may be distributed to various components of the wireless power system so that a combination of local or low-level controls operating at relatively high-speed can protect critical functionality of the system while higher-level and relatively lower speed control loops can be used to control other local and system-wide functionality.

Reconfigurable control architectures and algorithms for electric vehicle wireless energy transfer systems

This application includes a source for a wireless power transfer system including: sensing and measurement circuitry configured to process signals associated with a source resonator and a source impedance matching network including a tunable component; a PWM generator coupled with power transistors of an amplifier coupled with the source impedance matching network, wherein the PWM generator is configured to control a driving signal to drive the source resonator using the power transistors; and a controller coupled with the sensing and measurement circuitry to receive measured signals, wherein the controller is configured to control a component value or an operating point of at least one of the tunable component(s), and the controller is configured to modify operation of the PWM generator based on the measured signals to modify at least a phase of the driving signal while changing power delivered to the source resonator.

Tunable wireless energy transfer systems

Described herein are improved configurations for a wireless power transfer. Described are methods and designs to reduce and manage heating and heat dissipation in resonator structures. Configuration and orientation of magnetic material as well as heat sinking material with respect to the dipole moment of the resonator is used to reduce and control thermal properties of the resonator structure and reduce the effects of heating on the performance of wireless power transfer.

Wireless energy transfer resonator thermal management

Described herein are improved configurations for a wireless power transfer for electronic devices. In embodiments reconfigurable or flexible attachment between a source and a device is realized using permanent magnets or electromagnets. Magnetic material may be positioned on or around one or more of the resonator to provide for locations for attaching permanent magnets. A permanent magnet attached to or near one of a source or device or repeater resonators may be used to flexibly attach to the non-lossy magnetic material of another resonator structure. In embodiments, replacing lossy permanent magnets and/or electromagnets in even one of the resonators of a wireless power system may be advantageous to system performance.

Flexible resonator attachment

This application includes systems and techniques relating to wireless power transfer, such as a system including: sensing and measurement circuitry configured to process signals associated with a resonator and an impedance matching network coupled with the resonator; a PWM (pulse width modulation) generator configured to control a driving signal to drive the resonator through the impedance matching network; and a controller coupled with the sensing and measurement circuitry, the controller configured to adjust operation of the PWM generator and operation of the impedance matching network based on measured signals from the sensing and measurement circuitry.

A resonator structure for wireless power transfer includes a first piece and a second piece of magnetic material disposed adjacent to one another, a spacer disposed between the first and second pieces of magnetic material forming a gap of 1 mm or less between the first and second pieces of magnetic material, and an electrical conductor wound to form a plurality of loops. The electrical conductor is disposed on the first and second pieces of magnetic material. The resonator structure includes a thermal conductor positioned in contact with the electrical conductor and at least one of the first and second pieces of magnetic material.

A wireless power system for powering a television includes at least one device resonator including at least one loop of conductive material, a matching network including at least two capacitive elements, and power and control circuitry coupled to the matching network and configured to connect with a load of the television, wherein the at least one device resonator is configured to wirelessly receive power via an oscillating magnetic field generated by a source resonator when the distance between the source resonator and the at least one device resonator is at least 2 cm, wherein the load of the television is configured to draw at least 5 Watts of power, and wherein an efficiency of wirelessly receiving power by the least one device resonator is at least 50%.

Wireless powered television

A vehicle powering wireless receiver for use with a first electromagnetic resonator coupled to a power supply. The wireless receiver including a load configured to power the drive system of a vehicle using electrical power, a second electromagnetic resonator adapted to be housed upon the vehicle and configured to be coupled to the load, a safety system for to provide protection with respect to an object that may become hot during operation of the first electromagnetic resonator. The safety system including a detection subsystem configured to detect the presence of the object in substantial proximity to at least one of the resonators, and a notification subsystem operatively coupled to the detection subsystem and configured to provide an indication of the object, wherein the second resonator is configured to be wirelessly coupled to the first resonator to provide resonant, non-radiative wireless power to the second resonator from the first resonator.

Safety systems for wireless energy transfer in vehicle applications

A vehicle powering wireless receiver for use with a first electromagnetic resonator coupled to a power supply. The wireless receiver includes a load configured to power the drive system of a vehicle using electrical power, and a second electromagnetic resonator adapted to be housed upon the vehicle and configured to be coupled to the load, at least one other electromagnetic resonator configured with the first electromagnetic resonator and the second electromagnetic resonator in an array of electromagnetic resonators to distribute power over an area, wherein the second electromagnetic resonator is configured to be wirelessly coupled to the array to provide resonant, non-radiative wireless power to the second electromagnetic resonator from the first electromagnetic resonator.

Wireless energy transfer with multi resonator arrays for vehicle applications

Described herein are improved configurations for a resonator enclosure for wireless high power transfer that includes a support plate, a sheet of good conductor positioned on one side of the support plate, a separator piece for maintaining a separation distance between the resonator and the sheet of good conductor, and a cover of a non-lossy material covering the resonator, the separator, the sheet of good conductor and attached to the support plate, wherein the size of the sheet of good conductor is larger than the size of the resonator.

Wireless energy transfer resonator enclosures

Described herein are improved configurations for a resonator for wireless power transfer that includes a conductor forming one or more loops and having an inductance L, a network of capacitors, having a capacitance, C, and a desired electrical parameter, coupled to the conductor, the network having at least one capacitor of a first type with a first temperature profile of the electrical parameter, and the network having at least one capacitor of a second type with a second temperature profile of the electrical parameter.

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Tewksbury, MA, United States of America

Ron Fiorello