An inductive power transfer system for electric vehicles with a safe and modular primary side inverter

Inductive power transfer (IPT) is used to transfer the high frequency power from the primary coil contactless to the secondary coil by loosely coupling. In this paper, an inductive power transfer system for electric vehicles is investigated, which allows a transmitted power up to 3 kW. A series-series compensated topology with secondary side control strategy is proposed. The driver of the full bridge inverter is completely galvanic insulated from the ac grid side to ensure the safety. The power supply for the logic is carried out by a flyback converter. Each driver of the IGBTs is separated from the other ones so that if one driver is damaged, a replacement can easily be carried out. Theoretical analysis with experimental verification shows that the proposed new IPT topology can be used for modular and flexible inductive power transfer. Furthermore, it can account for the integration of IPT-systems into the market due to reduced repair costs.