An Inductive Coupler System for In-Motion Wireless EV Charging

This paper presents a novel inductive power transfer (IPT) system designed for electric vehicle (EV) charging, focusing on dynamic IPT systems that require electrified roadways with embedded couplers. To address the complexity and reliability issues of existing systems, we propose a push-pull driven coupler array (PPCA) that uses only N+1 switches to independently energize N primary couplers. This setup allows multiple couplers to be activated simultaneously without increasing current stress on the switches. A state-space model implemented in PLECS evaluates the system's efficiency and power transfer, considering variations in coupling and self-inductance. A scaled 3.3 kW prototype with three primary and two secondary couplers has been developed to validate the configuration's performance.