Design of anti-misalignment PCB coil for wireless power transfer

Abstract

This paper focuses on the problem of the non-uniform magnetic field distribution in short-distance magnetic coupled wireless power transfer (MC-WPT) systems, which causes the transfer power and power transfer efficiency to decrease when the transmitter and receiver coils are offset. At first, the distribution law of the magnetic field generated by the printed circuit board (PCB) coil is studied. A new method is proposed to design the transmitter coil, which combines a genetic algorithm (GA) with a partial element equivalent circuit (PEEC). The appropriate turn radii are first obtained by the GA, and the quality factor is further evaluated by the PEEC to select the optimal coil turns. Finally, the PCB coils with uneven pitches are fabricated, and experiments are carried out on an MC-WPT system. The effective power transfer area is expanded noticeably and the high efficiency of the system remains stable, which is very useful to provide a wider working space and steady wireless energy supply for mobile objects.