UK launches electric car wireless charging technology

With the increasing promotion of electric vehicles, how to make the charging of electric vehicles more convenient has become one of the topics that researchers are focusing on. Today, British researchers have developed a new type of wireless charging system that can fully realize wireless charging for a new generation of electric vehicles.

According to the British PhysOrg website, a British company recently used London’s newly developed inductive power transmission technology to successfully implement wireless charging for electric vehicles. During the demonstration, the company called HaloIPT installed power receiving pads on the underside of a Citroen electric vehicle body, allowing the battery to be charged via a wireless charging system.

It is understood that some electric vehicles currently on the market, such as the Nissan Leaf and the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, must all be charged through a single wire connecting the car to a street car charging station or home plug. This newly developed inductive power transmission technology utilizes the principle of induced charge to bury the power board under the road's asphalt for wireless charging. At the same time, the power board is not exposed and can be effectively protected from wear and tear, without being affected by inclement weather.

HaloIPT, which researched and developed this technology, claims that the charging system they developed can also support a larger lateral sensing range, which means that the vehicle's power receiving pad does not need to be placed directly above the power transmission board. It is more convenient.

According to the researchers, in the inductive power transmission system, the main power source is provided by alternating current, which is used to provide a gang ring with a voltage ranging from 5 amps to 125 amps. Since the lumped ring is inductive, series or shunt capacitors must be used to reduce the operating voltage and operating current in the supply circuit. The power receiving mat coil is magnetically connected to the main power coil. By adjusting the operating frequency of the receiving mat coil, it is consistent with the main power coil equipped with a series or shunt capacitor, so as to achieve power transmission. In addition, a switch controller is also needed to control the power transmission.

HaloIPT stated that another benefit of this inductive power transfer system is that it allows car drivers to not have to worry about forgetting to charge electric cars. According to the company, this inductive power transmission technology will begin commercialization and application in 2012.