100-kilowatt wireless charging for cars becomes a reality
New technology will fill an electric car battery in a record 20 minutes
The device from ORNL has an efficiency of 96% and was able to charge the Hyundai Kona EV in practice.
Scientists from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have demonstrated the operation of wireless charging for a 100 kW electric vehicle. The distance between the charger and the car was 12.7 cm, Interesting Engineering reports.
Although electric vehicle manufacturers have successfully introduced 250 kW chargers, there is also a need for a contactless charging approach, as it is much more convenient for car owners. For the new 120 kW charger, the researchers created a new silicon carbide coil design to create a compact and lightweight system.
This technology works in the same way as wireless charging for consumer devices. The system converts energy from the grid into a high-frequency alternating current, generates a magnetic field that transfers power through an air gap to a secondary field located on the vehicle. Then the power is converted into direct current, which is accumulated by the car’s battery.
The researchers used multiphase electromagnetic communication coils with rotating magnetic fields. The ORNL system can deliver 100 kW with an efficiency of 96% and in practice charge the Hyundai Kona EV electric car.
“Our technology delivers a power density 8-10 times higher than traditional coil technology and can boost battery levels by 50% in less than 20 minutes,” said Omer Onar, an ORNL researcher who participated in the work. – “This has been achieved with multiphase electromagnetic coupling coils, as their design provides maximum power density in the smallest possible coil size. The rotating magnetic fields generated by these coils increase the power output of the installation.”
