A Capacitively Coupled Contactless Matrix Charging Platform With Soft Switched Transformer Control

Abstract

Capacitively coupled power transfer (CCPT) technology has been proposed and investigated recently as an alternative contactless power transfer method. A CCPT system has the advantage of being able to transfer power across metal barriers with low standing power losses, so it is potentially good for charging consumer electronics such as mobile phones, laptops, lamps, etc. However, a big challenge in designing a CCPT charging platform is the output voltage of a CCPT power supply varies greatly with the positioning and alignment of the pickup on a charging pad due to the change in power flow. This paper proposes a CCPT charging platform with a matrix charging pad and a dynamically soft switched transformer to control the power flow and regulate the output voltage under variable coupling conditions. The proposed charging platform is verified by simulation and experimental results.