Critical Analysis of Simulation of Misalignment in Wireless Charging of Electric Vehicles Batteries

Abstract

The transition from conventional to electric transportation has become inevitable in recent years owing to the significant impact of electric vehicles (EVs) on energy sustainability, reduction of global warming and carbon emission reduction. Despite the rapidly growing global adoption of EVs in today’s electrical and transportation networks, energy storage in EVs, particularly in regards to bulky size and charging process, still remains a major bottleneck. As a result, wireless charging of EVs via inductively coupled power transfer (ICPT) through coupled coils is becoming a promising solution. However, the efficiency of charging EV batteries via wireless charging is hugely affected by misalignment between the primary and secondary coils. This paper presents an in-depth analysis of various key factors affecting the efficiency of EV battery charging. Finite element analysis (FEA) using Ansys Maxwell® is performed on commonly used coil designs such as circular and rectangular coils under various misalignment conditions. In addition, various reactive power compensation topologies applied in ICPT are investigated and the behavior of each topology is observed in simulation. It is revealed that circular structures with S–S compensation topology show more robustness in misalignment conditions and maintain the desired efficiency for a wider range of displacement. A critical analysis of coil designs, compensation techniques and the combination of both factors is accomplished and conclusions are presented.