Metal Surface Guided-Wireless Power Transfer System for Portable Applications with Multiple Receivers

Recently, research has been actively conducted to overcome various challenges observed in wireless power transfer (WPT) technology. However, as additional techniques are implemented, the complexity and cost of WPT systems increased. Therefore, there is a need for a new WPT method that can overcome the shortcomings of existing technology. This paper presents a metal surface guided-wireless power transfer (MSG-WPT) system for applications with multiple receivers (Rxs). First, a plate-wire propagation enhancer (PWPE) is shown to improve the power transfer efficiency (PTE). However, it is not suitable for portable receiving systems. Based on our analysis of the PWPE characteristics, applying an L-section lumped impedance-matching scheme instead of a PWPE can improve the portability of the Rx. A coil-based propagation enhancer (CPE), or a coil-based inductor (CI), can increase the power received if it replaces the lumped inductor in the L-section scheme. The MSG-WPT system does not experience the co-alignment issues that exist between a pair of transceivers (TRxs) in conventional WPT systems. It can also support multiple Rxs while ensuring that the PTE of each Rx is relatively unaffected. An electromagnetic simulation of the proposed MSG-WPT system is performed using a high-frequency structure simulator (HFSS), and measurements are conducted in a corresponding experimental environment. The system power efficiency is measured at −12 dB in the 4 MHz frequency band. The proposed MSG-WPT system with a CPE is adequately efficient and portable, while also allowing a more liberal arrangement of Rxs compared to other conventional WPT systems.