Center-Fed Resonator Array for Increased Misalignment Tolerance in Automotive Wireless Power Transfer

An alternative topology of resonator array for wireless power transfer (WPT) applications is proposed and discussed. The system is composed of an array of magnetically coupled resonant circuits which feeds a receiver that can be placed at any position over it. The power source is connected to the central resonator of the array. This study firstly defines the equivalent circuit of the resonator array for a generic receiver position considering the power source and the load of a typical WPT battery charger. This circuit model is then exploited to investigate the system performance and a suitable control strategy of the array-termination impedances is proposed to ensure maximum efficiency for any receiver position.