Non-contact power distribution system
AssigneesAuckland Uniservices Limited, Daifuku Co., Ltd.
InventorsJohn Talbot Boys, Shuzo Nishino
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An inductively coupled power distribution system for moving vehicles, in which resonating primary circuits to distribute power for resonating secondary circuits to collect and use in an optimized manner. In order to have all circuits resonating at substantially the same frequency, devices which detect and adjust resonating components are used, such as a frequency drift compensator in which the present frequency is compared to a reference voltage and causes a driver to be ON or OFF accordingly. Switches are driven CLOSED or OPEN respectively and when CLOSED, supplementary capacitors are included with a main capacitor in a primary resonant circuit. Dithering or pulsed control provides a continuous control of resonance, as the system takes some milliseconds to respond.
Claims15
In a non-contact power distribution system for causing electric power to be transferred from a primary pathway to a vehicle on the primary pathway, wherein the primary pathway has elongated primary conductors that are part of a primary resonance circuit having an inductance and a capacitance for resonating at a primary resonant frequency, the elongated primary conductors having an inherent inductance that is a part of the inductance of the primary resonance circuit, wherein the primary resonance circuit is for generating an alternating magnetic field for being intercepted by the vehicle, wherein the vehicle is provided with at least one secondary resonant circuit for resonating at a secondary resonant frequency and an inductive coil for intercepting the magnetic field to generate an electromotive force, the improvement comprising:
- a switching power supply for generating a high frequency primary resonant current at the primary resonant frequency;
- and
- means for maintaining the primary resonant frequency and the secondary resonant frequency at the same frequency when the vehicle is moving on the primary pathway.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.