A New Way to Charge Electric Vehicles

More creative techniques for charging electric vehicles continue to emerge. Delphi Automotive offers a wireless charging system. It has equipped an electric vehicle with this efficient wireless energy transfer system that features technology developed by WiTricity Corporation. Engineers at Delphi’s Customer Technical Center in Champion, Ohio, have installed it on an all-electric THINK City test vehicle, and have confirmed that system performance meets automotive market requirements.

The wireless charging system eliminates the need for a charging cord. Drivers can simply park their electric vehicle over a wireless energy source situated on the garage floor or embedded in a paved parking spot. Other wireless charging systems under development make use of traditional inductive charging, the same technology used in electric toothbrushes, which is based on principles first proposed in the mid-nineteenth century. These systems only work over a limited distance range, require precise accurate parking alignment, and can be very large and heavy, making them impractical for widespread use on electric vehicles.

The Delphi Portable Electric Vehicle Charger is UL-recognized and delivers the fast, safe, reliable charge today’s EV drivers are looking for. It enables convenient charging of Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) and Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV) from any available 120 Vac (Level 1) or 240 Vac (Level 2) service.

The Delphi Wireless Charging System claims to offer more practical and flexible installation than traditional inductive systems because it uses a highly resonant magnetic coupling to safely and efficiently transfer power over large distances. Plus, it can adapt to natural misalignment often associated with vehicle positioning during parking. This means that Delphi charging sources can be buried in pavement, are unaffected by environmental factors such as snow, ice or rain, can accommodate a range of vehicle shapes and sizes and their differing ground clearances. The Delphi system is also more forgiving to vehicle parking positions on top of the charger without requiring any moving parts to accommodate. The system transfers energy using an oscillating magnetic field, which is safe for humans and animals.

The Delphi Wireless Charging System eliminates the need for a charging cord. Drivers can park their electric vehicle over a wireless energy source that sits on the garage floor or is embedded in a paved parking spot.

The system will automatically transfer power to the electric vehicle’s battery pack at a rate of 3,300 W—the same rate as most residential plug-in chargers—and is able to do so with the smallest and lightest modules possible. These components are important to minimize the overall vehicle weight and cost while maximizing the driving range of EVs, a critical selling point for automakers.

“We are excited by our testing and validation of the system and believe we have a valuable and unique wireless charging solution that offers the most potential for widespread use in the automotive market,” said Randy Sumner, director, global hybrid vehicle development, Delphi Packard Electrical/Electronic Architecture. “With the support of automotive manufacturers, this technology can be integrated into the next generation of electric vehicles.”

Wireless charging technology will need to co-exist with plug-in charging solutions, he added, so that electric vehicle drivers have the ability to charge their vehicle when they are away from their wireless charging source.

The Delphi Wireless Charging System offers more practical and flexible installation than traditional inductive systems because it uses highly resonant magnetic coupling, a modern technology that safely and efficiently transfers power over significantly larger distances and can allow more misalignment due to parking.

Delphi also makes a Portable Electric Vehicle Charger that fits conveniently in the trunk of an electric vehicle. The user-friendly, UL-listed charging system plugs into any standard 120-volt outlet to enable safe electric vehicle battery charging at home or away. The charging unit can also be integrated into stationary charging applications.

Delphi
www.delphi.com

WiTricity Corp.
www.witricity.com

::Design World::