UT-Battelle Awards Night - 2016 Research Accomplishment
For successfully completing the Funding Opportunity Announcement project with demonstration of a wireless charging system at three times the power level of the original FOA goal with an additional dynamic charging demonstration.
Summary of Accomplishment
Wireless power transfer is a safe, efficient, flexible, and convenient method of electric vehicle charging. However, it is extremely challenging to design a vehicle integrated system that can automate the charging process while meeting the efficiency goals at reasonably high power levels. A 20-kilowatt wireless charging system demonstrated by the team has achieved 90 percent end-to-end efficiency across five power conversion stages including a 162 mm airgap separation between the stationary and vehicle coils. This has been the first light duty passenger electric vehicle in the world that is integrated with a 20-kW wireless charging system with the efficiency being on par with the conductive charging systems. This ability can help accelerate the adoption and convenience of electric vehicles.
The team accomplished this feat in three years. The project won a DOE Achievement award for the team and the DOE Deputy Assistant Secretary attended the final demonstration review.
The PEEM team members designed, built, tested, and completed the vehicle integrations of the wireless charging system that includes an active front-end rectifier with power factor correction, a high-frequency power inverter, a high-frequency isolation transformer, coupling coils, and the vehicle side power conditioning system (rectifier and filter). In partnership with Toyota (Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing North America), the technology was demonstrated on a Toyota RAV4 electric vehicle. Convenience and simplicity are targeted in this ORNL designed system, which places a strong emphasis on radio communications in the power regulation feedback channel augmented by software control algorithms. The result is minimization of vehicle on-board complexity as ORNL and partners pursue the long-range goal of connected vehicles, wireless communications and in-motion charging. Team also demonstrated an in-motion (dynamic) wireless charging system for charging electric vehicles “on-the-go.” Since batteries are the most expensive and heaviest component of electric vehicles, this concept proposes to reduce the battery size and weight in an electric vehicle. Additionally, the major barrier against the widespread commercialization of electric vehicles is the limited range and this technology aims to provide unlimited range for electric vehicles.
UT-Battelle Awards Night honorees were recognized at a special event on November 18, 2016.