Extending the design space of minimized VA rating inductive wireless power transfer links operating in restricted sub-resonant frequency region with constant current output

Wireless power transfer systems are typically required to operate under varying geometrical positioning (vertical distance, misalignment) between the transmitter and receiver coils while supporting a load with non-constant characteristics. This creates the need for robust systems that can operate over a range of coupling coefficients under time-varying load. Widespread control methods utilized to support such an operation typically suffer from volt-ampere (VA) over-rating of the inductive wireless power transfer link (IWPTL) transmitter. Sub-resonant frequency control has proven to be an effective solution to this problem, attaining robust operation and minimized transmitter VA rating by utilizing operational frequency as the control variable for system output regulation under above-mentioned constraints. However, allowed operating frequency range is usually restricted in practical applications (e.g. to 79 kHz-90 kHz by SAE J2954 EV charging standard), limiting the misalignment tolerance of sub-resonant control method. Recently, extension of the classical sub-resonant control methodology was proposed in order to overcome this limitation. However, no clear guidelines were given for designing practical IWPTLs operating under extended sub-resonant control. To this end, this work bridges the gap between academical findings and practical applications by establishing generalized guidelines for designing sub-resonant controlled series-series (SS) compensated IWPTL with minimized transmitter VA rating, allowing to maximize misalignment tolerance under given operating frequency and output voltage ranges. The proposed methodology is accurately validated by simulations and experiments, demonstrate close correlation with analytical predictions. Experimental framework reveals that IWPTL operating under extended sub-resonant control methodology attains 50 % increase of tolerable coupling coefficients range compared to a classical system designed to operate under sub-resonant control under identical operating conditions while achieving nearly similar DC-to-DC efficiency.