Wireless Power Transfer Technologies for Electric Vehicle Applications

Wireless power transfer (WPT) for electric vehicles (EVs) has emerged as a transformative approach to charging, offering enhanced convenience, safety and the potential for dynamic charging while in motion. The principal methods encompass inductive, capacitive and resonant techniques, each exploiting electromagnetic fields to convey power across an air gap without physical connectors. Inductive systems rely on magnetic coupling between transmitter and receiver coils, tuned to resonate at a common frequency to achieve high efficiency over distances of a few centimetres to decimetres. Capacitive systems employ electric fields between plate electrodes to deliver power, boasting low weight, reduced eddy-current losses and superior tolerance to lateral misalignment. Recent advances in compensation topologies and resonant circuit design have pushed transfer efficiencies into the mid-90 per cent range at kilowatt power levels, while innovations in coil geometry, material selection and power-electronics control schemes have mitigated sensitivity to coil misalignment and coupling variations. Static charging pads embedded in garages or car parks are now complemented by quasi-dynamic and fully dynamic charging infrastructures, where EVs receive power at low speeds or even at normal driving speeds via coils or electrodes integrated into road surfaces. Such developments require holistic system engineering, encompassing billing and communication protocols, foreign-object detection, grid integration and compliance with electromagnetic-compatibility and safety regulations. Collectively, these technologies promise to reduce range anxiety, extend vehicle uptime and facilitate the large-scale electrification of transport networks.

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Wireless Power Transfer Technologies for Electric Vehicle Applications publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in wireless power transfer technologies for electric vehicle applications across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Inductive power transfer: Transfer of energy via magnetic coupling between coils tuned to resonate at a common frequency.

Capacitive power transfer: Transfer of energy via electric fields between plate electrodes, typically at high frequency.

Resonant coupling: Use of resonance in transmitter and receiver circuits to maximise energy transfer efficiency.

Static charging: Wireless charging when the vehicle is stationary over a charging pad.

Dynamic charging: Wireless charging delivered while the vehicle is in motion over embedded infrastructure.

Compensation topology: Circuit configuration of inductors and capacitors that ensures resonance and optimises voltage, current or phase conditions in WPT systems.

References

1. Inductive Wireless Power Transfer Charging for Electric Vehicles–A Review. IEEE Access (2021).
2. A Review on the Recent Development of Capacitive Wireless Power Transfer Technology. Energies (2017).
3. Compensation Topologies in IPT Systems: Standards, Requirements, Classification, Analysis, Comparison and Application. IEEE Access (2019).
4. An Overview of Resonant Circuits for Wireless Power Transfer. Energies (2017).
5. Initial Energy Logistics Cost Analysis for Stationary, Quasi-Dynamic, and Dynamic Wireless Charging Public Transportation Systems. Energies (2016).
6. Survey of the operation and system study on wireless charging electric vehicle systems. Transportation Research Part C Emerging Technologies (2018).