Pareto optimization and power electronics realization of orthogonal field WPT concept

As wireless power transfer (WPT) is gaining more and more popularity in modern times, it is finding its applications in many new areas, ranging from tiny implantable medical devices to large scale EV charging infrastructure. One such area where WPT has caught attention is high purity manufacturing industries such as pharmaceuticals and semiconductor manufacturing industries, where high purity environment requirements renders the supplied equipment to be completely encapsulated in metallic/electrically conductive enclosure. Thus WPT certainly have one up in this area. However, due to presence of electrically conductive material (usually stainless steel (SS)), the alternating flux crossing it induces eddy currents which causes a part of transferred power to be lost in the SS which reduces its efficiency. Such a system to supply equipment through SS has been realized and tested. This master thesis focuses on improving the performance of the system by geometry optimization. Different types of WPT through SS (ie. OFC and PFC) are discussed. To optimize the system, it first needs to be modelled. Various modelling techniques like Numerical, Semi-Numerical, analytic, are discussed and their complexity is analysed. Electrical as well as magnetic modelling is discussed and analytical model of OFC-WPT is developed which is later used to geometrically optimize the system. The major factor that governs the losses on SS is its resistance, which very well depends on the system geometry. So geometrical modification, like introducing pole shoes at the limbs of e-core is proposed. The idea is backed by analytic modelling of equivalent SS resistance and finally geometry optimization is performer. Since geometry optimization has many variables, approach to use boxed volume optimization is taken. Further, the device is optimized to give 50W output power at 60V input voltage. The optimized design is realized in hardware and analytical calculations are then verified on the prototype.