Communication Infrastructure for Dynamic Wireless Charging of Electric Vehicles

Limited energy storage capacity of state-of-the- art chemical batteries is the main obstacle toward wider acceptance of Electric Vehicles (EVs). Dynamic Wireless Power Transfer (DWPT) offers a solution for this problem by allowing EV batteries to be recharged while the vehicle is traveling on the road. A multi-pad dynamic charging system for the recharging of an electric bus that has been recently demonstrated at Utah State University represents one of the first demonstrations of the dynamic charging concept based on a lumped-coil structure. Considering limited time the charging unit has available to deliver power to a moving vehicle, a fast, accurate, and reliable communication network between the vehicle, the roadside charging controller, and the central monitoring unit is of immense importance. In this paper, a novel structure of communication network for a DWPT system is proposed and discussed. The design process, implementation, and demonstration of a small segment of that communication network are presented. Two implementations are discussed, one based on WiFi technology and the other on Dedicated Short Range Communication (DSRC) technology.