Vehicle to wireless power transfer coupling coil alignment sensor

• Main Authors: CHAMBON PAUL H, WHITE CLIFFORD P, JONES PERRY T, MILLER JOHN M
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 16.02.2016
• Subjects: BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTINGELECTRIC POWER; CONTROLLING; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER; ELECTRIC EQUIPMENT OR PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLEDVEHICLES; ELECTRICITY; ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES, IN GENERAL; GENERATION; INDUCTANCES; MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MAGNETS; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICS; REGULATING; SELECTION OF MATERIALS FOR THEIR MAGNETIC PROPERTIES; SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY; TRANSFORMERS; TRANSPORTING; VEHICLES IN GENERAL

A non-contacting position sensing apparatus includes at least one vehicle-mounted receiver coil that is configured to detect a net flux null when the vehicle is optimally aligned relative to the primary coil in the charging device. Each of the at least one vehicle-mounted receiver coil includes a clockwise winding loop and a counterclockwise winding loop that are substantially symmetrically configured and serially connected to each other. When the non-contacting position sensing apparatus is located directly above the primary coil of the charging device, the electromotive forces from the clockwise winding loop and the counterclockwise region cancel out to provide a zero electromotive force, i.e., a zero voltage reading across the coil that includes the clockwise winding loop and the counterclockwise winding loop.