Design and optimization of hybrid resonant loops for efficient wireless power transfer

Frequency splitting, caused by magnetic overcoupling, is a great challenge in resonant wireless power transfer, which leads to decrease of transfer efficiency. In this paper, to avoid the frequency splitting, a new design of hybrid resonant loops with an inner coil positioned in the transmitter is proposed for efficient power transfer. It is shown to suppress dramatic variation of mutual inductance when the distance between transmitter and receiver decreases. Analytical expressions of the mutual inductance and the transfer efficiency for the proposed resonant wireless power transfer system are calculated. To obtain a relatively uniform mutual inductance with respect to the distance, the proposed resonant loops are optimized. Simulation and experiments are also performed to validate the effectiveness of the proposed resonant loops in eliminating the frequency splitting. The transfer efficiency remains higher than 80% when the transfer distance decreases below a critical value where frequency splitting occurs for conventional resonant loops. Furthermore, lateral and angular misalignments between the resonant loops are also considered and investigated. The results indicate that the proposed resonant loops are also applicable in suppressing the frequency splitting even in case of misalignments.