新しい電力伝送技術により、ワイヤレス充電にかつてない自由度をもたらす(New power transfer technology provides unprecedented freedom for wireless charging)

This paper introduces a method for efficient and robust free-positioning wireless power transfer (WPT) in a large area, which can be applied to many use cases including wireless charging of industrial robots, drones, or electric scooters. Multiple transmitters (Txs) are placed in a pad-like area, and the transmitter coils are optimally excited to enable robust and efficient power transfer to movable receivers within the charging area. The proposed configuration enables almost continuous magnetic flux path from a set of Tx coil(s) to another set of Tx coil(s) through the receiver coil ferrite core. Therefore, efficient power transfer is ensured throughout the whole Tx coverage area. The paper introduces a novel method to detect the position and orientation of the receiver only from the Tx-side measurements. The proposed solution is experimentally verified in a laboratory prototype, and the experimental results show DC-to-DC efficiency of 91% with only 1% variation in most of the Rx positions.