Comparison of the Efficiency and Load Power in Periodic Wireless Power Transfer Systems with Circular and Square Planar Coils

Abstract

In the article, a wireless charging system with the use of periodically arranged planar coils is presented. The efficiency of two wireless power transfer (WPT) systems with different types of inductors, i.e., circular and square planar coils is compared, and two models are proposed: analytical and numerical. With the appropriate selection of a load resistance, it is possible to obtain either the maximum efficiency or the maximum power of a receiver. Therefore, the system is analyzed at two optimum modes of operation: with the maximum possible efficiency and with the highest power transmitted to the load. The analysis of many variants of the proposed wireless power transfer solution was performed. The aim was to check the influence of the geometry of the coils and their type (circular or square) on the efficiency of the system. Changes in the number of turns, the distance between the coils (transmit and receive) as well as frequency are also taken into account. The results obtained from analytical and numerical analysis were consistent; thus, the correctness of the adopted circuit and numerical model (with periodic boundary conditions) was confirmed. The proposed circuit model and the presented numerical approach allow for a quick estimate of the electrical parameters of the wireless power transmission system. The proposed system can be used to charge many receivers, e.g., electrical cars on a parking or several electronic devices. Based on the results, it was found that the square coils provide lower load power and efficiency than compared to circular coils in the entire frequency range and regardless of the analyzed geometry variants. The results and discussion of the multivariate analysis allow for a better understanding of the influence of the coil geometry on the charging effectiveness. They can also be valuable knowledge when designing this type of system.